USA > New York > The natural, statistical, and civil history of the state of New-York, v. 2 > Part 34
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On the eighth of October, the troops were landed, amounting to twelve or thirteen hundred men, and advanced towards the city. The garrison was summoned to surrender ; but refused. The next day the ships were drawn up before the town, and cannonaded it with all their force; but were repulsed with considerable loss. On the eleventh, the troops were re-embarked. They had advanced and maintained their ground with spirit ; but they received such accounts of the strength of the French, from a deserter, as dis -. couraged them from any further attempts. In a few days, tempes- tuous weather came on, which drove some of the vessels from anchor, and dispersed the whole fleet ; they therefore had to make the best of their way to Boston, where they arrived on the nine- teenth of November. -
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Such was the end of the first expedition against Canada. The plan was well concerted, although premature, and depended for its success on the joint operations of the forces under general Win- throp and Sir William Phips. Unfortunately both set out too late in the season to have done much had they possessed the requisite talents. But neither General Winthrop nor Sir William Phips, al- though both natives of New England, possessed information of the enemy's country, nor had they talents adequate to such enterprises. The land and naval forces employed under them amounted to three
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thousand men-a force every way competent to have effected the conquest, had_it been properly directed.
During this year, small parties of the Agoneaseah made frequent incursions into Canada. One of these fell upon a party of French and Adirondacks and others, in the St. Lawrence, about one hon- dred and twenty miles above Montreal, under the command of captain Louvigni who was going to Michilimackinack, and Filled several. Another party made a descent on the island of Montreal, at Point au Tremble, and killed one officer an twelve men. A third party carried off fifteen prisoners, taken at Riviere Puantz, whom they butchered, under an apprehension of their being reta- ken.
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CHAPTER XV.
Arrival of Colonel Slaughter-His government, &.c .- Leisler re- fuses to deliver up the government to him .- His arrest, trial and execution .- Arbitrary measures pursued against the adherents 'of Leisler .- Meeting of the Assembly .- Abrogation of certain laws .- Servility of the members of the house .- An act confirm- atory of grants passed. - Erection of the Supreme Court, &c. -Supplies voted-Disaffection of the Agoneaseah, &.c .- Death of Col. Slaughter .- Capt. Ingelsby succeeds him as President of the Province .- Expedition of Beaucour against the Senecas. . -In August, 1692, Ingolsby succeeded by Col. Fletcher .- The Province has to rely on its own resources for defence .- The French invade the Mohawk Canton, and captivate three hundred Mohawks, &.c .- Bigotry of Fletcher .- Law making provision for the ministers of the church of England .- In 1695, an agent employed to reside near the court of St. James, &c .- Count Fron- tenac invades the Onondaga Canton, &c. .
While the war continued to rage with unabated fury between the colonies of England and France, and their savage allies, in this quarter of the globe, Colonel Henry Sloughter, who had been com- missioned governor of the province of New-York, on the fourth of January, 1689, arrived here, and published his appointment on the 19th of March, 1691.
Never was a governor more necessary to the province, than at this critical conjuncture ; as well for reconciling a divided people, as for defending them against the enemy. But a man was sent over utterly destitute of every qualification for government, licentious in his morals, avaricious and poor.
Leisler refused to deliver up the garrison and government to him, when required, but shut himself up in the fort with Bayard and Nicholson, whom he had before imprisoned. On the second de- VOL. 11. 51
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mand of the fort, Milborne and Delanoy came out, under pretence of conferring with the new governor, but in reality to discover h. designs. Colonel Sloughter, who considered thein as rebels threw them both into goal. Leisler, upon this event, thought proper to abandon the fort, which Sloughter immediately entered. Bayard and Nicholson were now released from their confinement.
Leisler, having thus ruined his cause, was apprehended with ma- ny of his adherents, and a commission of oyer and terminer issued to Sir Thomas Robinson, Colonel Smith, and others, for their trial. In vajn did they plead the merit of their zeal for king Willian, since they had so lately opposed his governor. Leisler, in partic- ular, endeavoured to justify his conduct, insisting that lord Notting- bam's letter entitled him to act in the quality of lieutenant-governor. Whether it was through ignorance or sycophancy, I know not, but the judges instead of pronouncing their own sentiments upon this part of the prisoner's defence, refered it to the governor and his council, praying their opinion. The answer was as might have been expec- ted, in the negative ; and Leisler and his son-in-law Milborne were condemned to death for high treason. These were the first trials . and convictions ever had in the province on charges of high treason: and both were unjust. See Smith's His. N. Y.
No treason had been committed. Leisler was a weak man, and had abused that power which he had got, but, after all, he ought not to have suffered death. His opponents were equally weak and would have made the saine use of power as he did, had it but fallen into their hands. The leaders of both parties desired the govern- ment, but both could not be gratified. There were not offices enough without impoverishing the infant colony to gratify the avarice of all.
The arbitrary course pursued against Leisler and his adherents, drove many of the inhabitants into the neighbouring colonies, which shortly after occasioned the passing of an act of indemnity. Smith's His. N. Y.
From the surrender of the province, in 1664, to the year 1683, the inhabitants were ruled by the duke's governors and their coun- cils, who from time to time made rules and orders, which were es-
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teemed to be as binding as laws. These laws may now be seen in the first volume of the New-York Historical Collection.
Those acts which were made in 1683, and after the duke's acces- sion to the throne, when the people were admitted to a participation of the legislative power are for the most part lost. Few minutes relating to them remain on the council books, and none in the jour- nals of the house.
On the 20th of March, 1691, colonel Sloughter issued writs of suminons for the meeting of the Assembly, on the 9th day of April, in the following month. This was the first assembly after the rev- olution. The province contained ten counties : to wit, the city and county of New-York, the city and county of Albany, Ulster, Or- ange, Dutchess, Westchester, Kings, Queens, Suffolk, Dukes. The number of members was seventeen. . They met pursuant to notice.
The members for Queens county, being quakers, were dismissed for refusing to take the oaths directed by the governor's commis- sion.
James Graham was elected Speaker. The majority of the mem- bers were against the measures which Leisler pursued in the latter part of his time. They unanimously resolved that his dissolving the late convention, and imprisoning several persons, seizing their effects, and those of others, and his levying money, were all illegal, and that he had been guilty of rebellion. The house, having by these agreeable resolves prepared the way for their access to the governor, addressed him in a very adulatory manner.
Before the house passed any acts, it unanimously resolved, " that all the laws consented to by the general assembly, under the duke of York, and the liberties and privileges therein contained, granted to the people, and declared to be their rights, not being observed. nor ratified by his royal highness and the late king, are null and void : and also the several ordinances made by the late governors . and councils being contrary to the constitution of England, and the practice of the government of their majesties other plantations in America are likewise null and void."
Among the laws enacted at this session we will mention the fol- lowing. One establishing a revenue, which was afterwards drawn
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into precedent, and became a source of much controversy between some of the governors and legislatures.
. . The sums raised by it were made payable into the hands of the receiver-general, and issued by the governor's warrant. By this means the governor became, for a season, independent of the peo- ple : bence it was in his power to discharge the debts of private. persons, contracted on the faith of government or not as suited his caprice.
Antecedent to the revolution there were controversies relating to public townships and private rights : and hence an act was passed, confirming unto the cities, towns, manors, and freeholders, their sc- veral grants, patents, and rights respectively. This was done for the purpose of putting an end to those controversies.
A law, establishing courts of judicature in the cities, counties, and towns, for two years, was passed : although a perpetual act had been made to that purpose in 1683, and the old court of assize abolished in 1684.
Under this act the Supreme Court was created. It consisted of a chief justice and four assistant judges, with an attorney-general. The chief justice, Joseph Dudley, had a salary of one hundred and thirty pounds; Johnson, the second judge, had one hundred pounds ; William Smith, Stephen Van Courtlandt, and Pinhorne, the other . judges, and Newton, the attorney-general, had nothing.
An act for settling the militia. passed. Two thousand pounds were voted for one hundred fuzileers, who were to be employed for the defence of the northern frontiers.
A law declaratory of the rights and privileges of the province was also passed-but it was repealed by king William, in 1697. This act was repealed because it declared that the province had a right to be represented in. assembly.
The British court, at this carly period, although it allowed its American colonies to have legislatures, intended that these bodies , should be wholly dependent upon the mother country. All laws 'passed on this side of the ocean were subject to revision and re- peal at any time. This kept the colonies in absolute depend- ence.
The abortive attempts of the colonies to conquer Canada, in the
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preceding year, made a very unfavourable impression on the minds of the Agoneaseah. The Mohawks, in particular, at the instance of the Caughnawagas, one of their clans who had migrated to Can- ada, dispatched a messenger to count Frontenac to sue for peace. Upon learning this intelligence, Colonel, Sloughter, in order to pre- vent it, repaired to Albany in June, where he had an interview with the Agoneasean chiefs, who seem to have been highly pleased with his excellency. They told him that their ancestors, as they had been informed, were greatly surprised at the arrival of the first ship in the country, and were very solicitous of knowing what was in its huge belly. That upon examination they had found Christians in its belly, and one Jacques, with whom they made a chain of friend- ship, which they had preserved to this day. All the cantons of the Agoneaseah, except the Mohawk, assured him of their resolution to prosecute the war against the French. The ancient league was renewed.
Sloughtet soon after returned to New-York, where he died very suddenly, on the 23d of July, 1691.
This summer, Major Schuyler with some volunteers, and a party of Mohawks, passed through lake Champlain, and made an irrup- tion into Canada, and devastated some of the French settlements on the Sorel. M. D. Callieres, the governor of Montreal, to op- pose him, collected a small army, and encamped at La Prairie. Several skirmishes took place between the hostile parties, and in these, it is said, that Schuyler slew about three hundred of the enemy, a number which exceeded that of his own force, a thing not 'at all likely. Major Schuyler's design in this incursion, was to reanimate the Mohawks, and preserve their enmity against the French. They accordingly, with the other members of the nation, continued their hostilities, making numerous inroads into Canada, and keeping the country in constant alarm.
In the midst of these distresses, the gallant count Frontenac preserved his sprightliness and vigor, animating every body about him. He was at this time about seventy years old. After he had served himself, the Utawawas who came to trade at Montreal, he sent them home under the care of a captain, and one hundred and ten men ; and to secure their attachment to the French interest, he
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gave them presents, and sent others by them to' the western In- dians, who were in alliance with them.
At the time of Sloughter's decease, the government devolved according to the act declaring the rights of the people, on the council in which Jacob Dudley had a right to preside ; but they committed the chief command to Richard Ingolsby, a captain of an independent company, who was sworn into the office of president, on the 26th of July, 1691.
Ingolsby was a man of very moderate talents : be had, however, been active in accomplishing Leisler's ruin, which was a sufficient recommendation.
The assembly, on the 30th of September in the same year, voted fifteen hundred pounds for the payment of one hundred and fifty men, who were to be employed on the frontiers of Albany county, in addition to those already in service.
. At this session, the province was divided into twelve counties. We have already mentioned ten of these. Duke's and Cornwall have since been detached. The former contained the island of Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, Elizabeth island &c., and No- man's-land. The latter Pemaquid, and all the territories in those parts, with the adjacent islands.
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In the winter of 1692, M. Beaucour marched a body of about - three hundred men, to attack the Agoneaseab at the isthmus or straits of Niagara. Incredible were the fatigues and hardships which this veteran band underwent, in this long marchrover the snow, bearing their provisions on their backs, through woods and trackless deserts. Eighty of the' Agoneaseah opposed them, and bravely maintained their ground, until they were mostly cut off.
In June, president Ingolsby met the chiefs of the Agoneasealı at Albany, and exhorted them to persevere in the war. The chief sachem in reply, said, " brother Corlear, we are all subjects of one great king and queen : we have one head, one heart, one in- terest, and are all engaged in the same war."
Colonel Benjamin Fletcher ,arrived with the commission of Governor, on the 29th of August, 1692.
Colonel Fletcher bronght over with him a present to the colony, of arms, ammunition, and warlike stores, which were very much
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needed at this time. The whole number of men capable of bear- ing arms, did not exceed three thousand, and those were re- duced to great poverty, owing to unreinitting duty. The exposed situation of the settlements, the numbers of the natives, and the war with France, occasioned frequent drafts. For defence, the co- lony had to depend solely on its own resources. It had not yet obtained sufficient consideration to attract the notice of the Eng- lish government. The people were few in number, and poor. The whole population could not have surpassed twenty thousand, and this was dispersed in a few towns and villages, which in general were remote from each other.
The seas and bays of the province, as well as those of the other provinces, were about this tine infested with pirates, and privateer's men.
On the 10th of September, 1692, an act was passed for restrain- ing and punishing them ; but it was never enforced, as some of the officers of government were concerned with them.
Provision was made about the same time for levying and sub- sisting two hundred and twenty men. These were to be marched to the small military posts on the frontiers, in order to strengthen the feeble garrisons. Independent of these, provision was also made for raising and paying eighty men, for the defence of Dutchess and Ulster counties.
In November, a law was enacted, creating a post office in the city of New-York. This was the first establishment of the kind in the province.
Fletcher was brave, active, passionate, bigotted, and avaricions, and withal of inconsiderable talents. In the autumn after his arri- ' val he repaired to Albany, where he had an interview with the Ago- neasean chiefs, and confirmned the old league.
While at Albany he became acquainted with Major Schuyler, a inan of talents, enterprise and courage. No person, then in the province, understood the state of our affairs with the Agoneaseah better than him. He had so great an influence over them that what- ever he recommended or disapproved had the force of a law. This influence over them was supported, as it had been obtained, by re- peated offices of kindness, and his singular bravery and activity in
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the defence of his country. These qualifications, so rarely to be found in a single individual, rendered him singularly necessary, both to the province and the governor. Fletcher, who possessed some sagacity, perceived that such a man would be highly useful, not only for himself, as an adviser, but for the country, took him into confidence, and made him one of the council. Under the tutelase of Major Schuyler, the governor became daily more and more con- versant with the Agoneasean concerns : his constant application to which procured and preserved him a reputation and influence in the colony.
During this year small parties of the Agoneaseah endeavoured to obstruct the passage of the French through lake Ontario and the river St. Lawrence, which issues out of it, in order to cut off their ' communication with the western Indians. A chief, called Black Kettle, commanded in some of the incursions with singular address and success. The French, however, still kept the communication open.
The indefatigable and gallant count Frontenac, finding that all his measures for accomplishing a peace with the Agoneaseah had proved abortive, was now meditating a blow upon the Mohawks. He accordingly collected six or seven hundred French, Adiron- dacks, and Caughnawagas, and supplied them with every thing ne- , cesary for a winter's campaign. They set out from Montreal, on "the 15th day of January, 1693, and proceeded by the way of lake Champlain ; and after a march attended with incredible hardships, they passed by Schenectady on the 6th of February, and that night took five men, and some women and children, at the first castle of the Mohawks. They met with the same success at the second cas- tle, the Mohawks being in perfect security, and many of them at Schenectady. At the third they found about forty men engaged in a war dance, preparatory to going out on some enterprise the next day.
Upon their entering the castle a conflict ensued in which the French lost some men. Three hundred of the Mohawks were made captives in this expedition ..
The Mohawks were greatly enraged at the people of Schen- ectady, because, they had not given them notice of the enemy's
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approach, nor any assistance. But this was atoned for by the suc- cors from Albany. Colonel Schuyler upon hearing of their mis- misfortunes, (of the Mohawks,) immediately put himself at the head of two hundred volunteers, and went out against the enemy. On the fifteenth of February, he was joined by three hundred Mo- hawks badly armed. With these forces, he went in pursuit of the enemy, with whom he fell in with, on the seventeenth, when some skirmishes ensued. The French being apprehensive that colonel Schuyler would receive a re-enforcement from Albany, continued their retreat on the eighteenth. Indeed this apprehension was well founded ; for captain Syms arrived the next day with eighty men. Colonel Schuyler then resumed the pursuit ; but did not think it advisable to provoke an attack. When the French had reached the north branch of Hudson's river; it is said, that a cake of ice served them to cross over, being open on both sides, and also above and below.
The frost was now extremely severe, and the Mohawks being fearful of an engaement, dissuaded Colonel Schuyler from pursuing them, and he returned.
: On the tenth of April, 1693, six thousand pounds were voted for the payment of three hundred inen, to be employed in rein- forcing the frontier posts, in the then county of Albany.
On the twenty-second of the same month, the assembly enacted a law, establishing a ministry of the church of England in the city, and county of New-York ; and in the counties of Queens, Rich- mond, and Westchester, and for paying the same. This was the first law establishing a hierarchy in the province, at the expense of the people, without consulting their sentiments ; but it never had many admirers, owing to the liberal and good sense of the public.
The act provided, that the citizens of New-York should pay the ministers of the hierarchy in money, and those in the country in produce, adapting the law to times and circumstances. Those in the city, handled more money than those in the country, and were therefore better able to disburse in this medium. Law givers very often study the purses and abilities of their constitutents.
In this act, there was no provision made for the ministers, with-
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out the pale of the hierarchy. This church, the government viewed as the only one which was orthodox.
Government wished, and did prescribe religion, as tailors do fa- shions :- None but the orthodox participated in the administration of government.
The support of a few idle clergymen, was severely felt by the people, who had enough to do to support their own pastors, men of their own choise and persuasion. We beg the indulgence of the reader, for troubling him longer with this subject ; but the preamble to the act is so extraordinary, that we cannot refrain from giving it.
It is thus :- " whereas profaneness and licentiousness hath of late spread over this province, for the want of a settled ministry throughout the saine ; to the end the same may be removed, and the ordinances of God duly administered, be it enacted &c. Then follows 'the act of which we have drawn the outlines. See Colonial Laws.
The news of the arrival of the recruits and warlike stores in Canada, and the great losses of the Mohawks, who had always been at the head of the Agoneasean confederacy, induced the Oneidas, in the early part of the summer of this year, to supplicate a peace with the French, through the agency of Milet a Jesuit, then resident among them. The Onondagas, Cayugas, and Sene- cas, soon followed their example.
Fletcher's extraordinary dispatch up to Albany, upon the first news of the French irruption into the Mohawk's country, gained him the esteein of the public, and of the Agoneaseah.
The express reached New-York on the twelfth day of February, and in less than two days, the governor embarked with three hun- dred men. The river was open, which had hitherto been very un- common. On the seventeenth, he arrived at Schenectady. The Agoneaseah, in commendation of his activity on this occasion, gave him the name of Cayenguirago. or the great swift arrow.
In March, the assembly voted six thousand pounds, in order to raise three hundred volunteers to defened the province for one year.
To prevent the Agoneascah from concluding a peace with the French, colonel Fletcher met them in July, 1693, at Albany, and
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made them a considerable present in knives, hatchets, guns, ammu- nition, and clothing, which the crown had sent over for that purpose. They consented to a renewal of the league, and expressed much gratitude. They said to his excellency, " brother Cayenguirago, we roll and wallow in joy, by reason of the great favour, the great king and queen have done us, in sending us arms and ammunition, at a time when we were in the greatest need of them, and, because there is such unity among the brethren."
Fletcher meanly pressed them to deliver up M. Milet, the Jesuit already named ; but they declined.
He had great influence among them, and prevailed on all but the Mohawks, to come to a conference. No peace, however, was made on the ground that the French insisted upon rebuilding fort Frontenac at the issue of lake Ontario, and upon including their allies in the peace. The war which had been suspended, broke out anew.
Count Frontenac, directed his principal force against the Mo- hawks. He sent three hundred men to Niagara, to clear the woods, and take such of the Agoneaseah, as might be found in a hostile .
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