USA > Pennsylvania > Delaware County > A history of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, and its people; Volume I > Part 5
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The younger Campanius relates that "the Indians were frequent visitors at my grandfather's house. When for the first time he performed divine ser- vice in the Swedish congregation, they came to hear him, and greatly won- dered that he had so much to say, and that he stood alone and talked so long, while all the rest were listening in silence. This excited in them strange sus- picions ; they thought everything was not right, and that some conspiracy was going forward amongst us; in consequence of which, my grandfather's life, and that of the other priests, were for some time, in considerable danger from the Indians, who daily came to him and asked him many questions." Cam- panius availed himself of these opportunities to make his savage visitors un- derstand there was one self-existing God; to acquaint them with the doctrine of the Trinity ; the creation of the world and of man; original sin; together with the doctrines and miracles of Christianity generally. If we are to credit his grandson, whose statements are not the most reliable, he was so successful in his instructions "that many of those barbarians were converted to the Christian faith, or at least acquired so much knowledge of it that they were ready to exclaim, as Captain John Smith relates of the Virginia Indians, that, so far as the cannons and guns of the Christians exceeded the bows and ar- rows of the Indians in shooting, so far was their God superior to that of the Indians."
Governor Kieft having been recalled, the administration of affairs upon Dutch account on our river passed into the hands of Peter Stuyvesant, his successor, a man of great energy, intelligence and bravery, but possessed of a will characteristic of his countrymen. His administration commenced May 27, 1647, and continued till 1664, when the American interests of the Dutch passed into the hands of the English.
The bickerings between the Swedes and Dutch were continued, and dur- ing the early part of the administration of the new director general the latter in their claims for redress, were not more successful than they had been under his less worthy predecessor.
If the evidence of Commissary Hudde is to be relied upon, the annoy- ances practised by the Swedes towards the Dutch were unceasing and unen- durable. In the absence of Swedish authority on the subject, without ques-
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tioning the general truthfulness of the commissary's statements, it would be unjust to give too ready an ear to his suspicions ; to admit the correctness of his conclusions without some grains of allowance ; or to believe that all the ag- gressions, of which he complains, were without provocation on the part of his people. Hudde accuses Governor Printz with conniving at the abuse of the company's subjects-freemen as well as servants-"when arriving at the place where he resides, so that they are often, on returning home, bloody and bruised." and he seems to attribute similar treatment from the sav- ages to these examples, and particularly a surprise mediated by the Armewsick savages on May 12, 1647, at noon, which "was rendered void by God's mercy and correct information, and through a misunderstanding amongst them." He accuses the governor with closing the river, "so that no vessel can enter it on any account, except with his previous consent;" with vilifying their High Mightinesses; treating as frivolous and insignificant the commissions granted by the Director-general, &c.
However unsatisfactory the proceedings of Printz were to the Dutch, they met the hearty approval of his own government. In a letter sent home by him in February of this year, he gave full information "of the nature and actual condition of New Sweden, as also respecting the progress of cultivation and the construction of dwellings in that country." This information was "infinitely agreeable" to her Majesty's government, and although she "had remarked with particular satisfaction the zeal, skill and activity" with which he had filled his station as Commander. ( for so he is styled in the letter, ) and gave him assurances that "his zealous and faithful services" should be held in remembrance and rewarded with all her royal favor, yet she declined for the present to confer on him "certain lands and occupations" for which he had made a particular request in his letter. She "was well disposed to grant him what was just," but the cautious government of Sweden required that the business should first be examined in the "chamber of finance," and that it should be ascertained that the lands he asked "had not been given away or were not required for the cavalry or soldiers." Printzdorp, hereafter to be mentioned, was probably granted in response to the letter of the governor.
On August 17, Hudde delivered to Governor Printz a protest which he had received from Director General Stuyvesant, and, having obtained permis- sion to visit Manhattan, he carried back with him the reply of the Swedish governor. These documents do not appear to be on record.
The ship "Swan," which had accompanied Printz, arrived a second time during the year 1647, bringing more people. Three other vessels are men- tioned as arriving during the administration of Printz-the "Black Cat." the "Key" and the "Lamb."
On January 20, 1648, the government of Sweden issued letters patent in favor of the South Company. "for the State of New Sweden and the payment of those in their employ. granting one third of the excises of the crown upon all confiscated tobacco, besides fines and forfeitures, and provided that in case the revenue from this source should be insufficient to furnish the necessary
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sum for the annual support of the State of New Sweden," the deficit was to be made up from the other resources of the crown. In addition, all merchan- dise from Holland transported to New Sweden and not landed in Sweden to be sold, was to be free from payment of duty, as were also tobacco and furs sent from New Sweden to the mother country. This was a wise stroke of policy on the part of the Swedish government, as it secured the regular pay- ment of wages to the persons in their employ, and at the same time gave the colony commercial advantages as favorable as could be desired.
A Swedish bark in going up the river, in violation of an understanding between the two governments, neglected to show her colors in passing Fort Nassau. This Hudde regarded as a national insult, and sent eight men in pur- suit, which proved unsuccessful. The testy commissary was not disposed to allow the affair to pass unnoticed, particularly as the offending skipper on his return had aggravated his offense by telling Hudde that his act was intended as a personal insult. The result was a formal protest to Governor Printz, which, if it had no other effect, it gave reason to suspect that the representa- tive of New Netherland, on "the South river," was disposed to make the most out of a very small matter.
Governor Printz was generally successful in the execution of every scheme in which he engaged, but this year Stuyvesant was advised that he (the gover- nor) was tampering with the Minquas, and endeavouring to obtain their con- sent to the erection of a Swedish trading post in their country. Either the Dutch governor was misinformed, or Printz had overestimated his influence with this distant savage nation, for no such trading post was ever established.
During the winter the Swedes had been engaged in bringing together a large quantity of logs, and had already carried a great number of them to the Schuylkill. This made Hudde apprehensive "that the governor had an inten- tion to construct some buildings near the place where the vessels are now us- ually laying at anchor ;" and he says, "as these, trading as before, had been driven from Kinsessing, and we cannot otherwise approach the large woods to trade with the Minquas, by which consequently the trade being lost to us, the possession of the river, as I well observed before, would deserve very little consideration." In case the Swedes went on with the building and took pos- session of some yet unoccupied places, Hudde humbly proposed "to take pos- session of the tract of land nearest to him, in the name of the Company." It happened very opportunely for the commissary, and affords him some excuse for his subsequent proceedings, which otherwise might have been considered as an act of aggression, "that on the fourth day of the same month some sachems came to him from the savages of Passayonk, who asked him why he did not build on the Schuylkill ; that the Swedes had already there some build- ings constructed." Circumstances sometimes almost miraculously adapt them- selves to our wishes, or we might suspect that Hudde had some instrumentality in bringing about this kind invitation of the Passayonk savages for the Dutch to occupy their lands.
Having received "correct information with regard to the anticipation by
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the Swede and particularly so with regard to some places of the highest im- portance," he directly prepared himself to build near the place, and on the 27th "went thither with the most necessary timber, calling then without delay for the sachems, and stating to them that at present he came there with the intention to build on that spot which they had granted him." Upon this rep- resentation the sachems sent a message to the Swedes "who lived there al- ready, and commanded them to depart from thence, insinuating that they had taken possession of that spot in a clandestine way, and against their will, and that they had made a cession for the present to Hudde; that he too should build there; on which two of the principal sachems, as Maarte Hoock and Wissementes, planted there with their own hands the colors of the Prince of Orange, and ordered that I should fire a gun three times as a mark that I had taken possession." After this ceremony and waste of powder, the house was raised in the presence of the chiefs, but towards evening the Swedish com- missary, Huygens, with seven or eight men, arrived there, to question Hudde "by whose permission or order he had raised that house." Hudde replicd. "by order of his masters, and with the previous consent of the savages." The Swede demanded documentary evidence that he was acting by authority of his masters, "and not on letters of some freemen." This Hudde agreed to produce, after Huygens had delivered to him the like authority for making such a demand.
The sachems now interceded and delivered a rather sharp reprimand to Hendrick Huygens and his company. They informed them that they should grant the Dutch "that tract of land, and that they would settle there;" and asked, "by whose orders they ( the Swedes) did erect buildings there? If it was not enough that they were already in possession of Matennekonk, the Schuylkill. Kinsessing. Kakanken. Upland, and other places possessed by the Swedes, all of which they had stolen from them? that Mennewit, now about eleven years past, had no more than six small tracts of lands, upon Paghag- hacking, purchased to plant there some tobacco, of which the natives, in grati- tude, should enjoy the half of the produce : . that they, (the Swedes,) arrived only lately on the river, and had taken already so much land from them, which they actually settled. while they, [the Dutch] pointing to them, never had taken from them any land, although they had dwelt here and con- versed with them more than thirty years." Hudde continued the work- "surrounding the house with palisades because the Swedes had destroyed be- fore, the house, which the company possessed on the Schuylkill, and built a fort in its place, and they might do the same here." "While we were thus at work," continues Hudde, "arrives Maens Klingo, lieutenant at the fort on the Schuylkill, with twenty-four men fully armed, with charged muskets, and bearing maces, marching in ranks. He asked if we intended to finish that work, and if we would proceed with it? To which I answered, what was commenced must be finished, too; upon which he commanded that his men should lay down their muskets and each of them should take his axe in his
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hand and cut down every tree that stood around or near the house-destroy- ing even the fruit trees that I had planted there."
This House of Contention afterwards became what was well known as "Fort Bevers Rheede," though the fact is not directly stated by Hudde. As permission for its erection was obtained from the Passayunk Indians, the site of this fort must have been at some point on the east bank of the Schuyl- kill, now in the first ward of the city of Philadelphia, and within the limits of the former township of Passayunk. An approximate location has been as- signed to this fort on "the map of the early settlements," after taking into consideration the suitableness of location in connection with the facts above stated.
It will be observed, that in the harangue of the Passayunk Savage, Up- land is mentioned as a Swedish settlement. This is the first notice of that town under its Swedish name, on record; but doubtless one or more of the planta- tions observed by Hudde in November, 1645, was at that place. It may also be inferred from that harangue that up to this time the Dutch had not made, what the speaker considered. an actual settlement.
It is now observable that the Dutch became more anxious to acquire an Indian title to the lands on our river, and particularly to those lands that had been granted by the savages to the Swedes. With this object, a committee of the high-council at Fort Amsterdam, consisting of Vice-director Dinclage and the Hon. La Montagne, were commissioned to proceed to the South river, where they arrived June 7th, and on the 10th obtained a confirmation in writ- ing of a transfer said to have been formerly made to Arent Corson. By a reference thereto, it will be seen that the savage grantors claim to be "sa- chems over the district of country called Armenverius." This country on the Dutch map is located on the Jersey side of the river. in the vicinity of Fort Nassau, and not at all likely to include "the Schuylkill and adjoining lands." Passayunk embraced the castern shore of the Schuylkill from its mouth some distance upwards, and is given by Campanius as one of the "principal towns or places" of the Indians, on the river ; and Hudde himself, but a little over a month previously, had recognized the authority of its sa- chems to make a grant for the erection of a trading post on their lands, while it will be seen that these same sachems are not among those who joined in this pretended conveyance, or rather confirmation without consideration, of a pre- vious conveyance to Arent Corson, of the same lands, by the same parties, part of the purchase money for which, was still due! A late writer has very properly remarked that "the readiness which the natives manifested to part with their territory was equalled only by their willingness to sell it again to any who might choose to purchase it." He might have added, as applicable to this period in the history of our river, that there was no lack of these pur- chasers at second hand.
After the Hon. Committee of the Dutch Council had concluded their pur- chase and had taken public and lawful possession, they "with a becoming suite sailed for Tinnekonk," where they met with a very cold reception from Com-
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missary Huygen and Papegoya, the son-in-law of Governor Printz, who kept them standing in a constant rain about half an hour. After being admitted to an audience "they delivered, among others, their Solemn protest against the aforesaid Printz, against his illegal possession of the Schuylkill." Governor Printz promised to give his answer before their departure, of which Hudde has made no note.
Places of settlement on the Schuylkill were now assigned to several free- men. On July 2nd, one of the number commenced to build, but was prevented by the son-in-law of the governor, who caused to be pulled down and burnt what he had raised, and adding insult to injury, threatened "that if he there came again, he would carry off with him a good drubbing." Hudde records similar proceedings, though not so violent, on the part of the Swedes, towards one Thomas Braes, who attempted to settle and build at a place named by them "New Holm." This is probably the same occurrence mentioned by Acrelius as happening in 1646, in which Thomas Broen was the person de- siring to build. If so, "New Holm" was located in the neighborhood of Man- tua creek. in New Jersey. Printz offered Broen permission to build under Swedish jurisdiction, which he refused.
Commissary Hudde being temporarily absent on a visit to his superiors at Fort Amsterdam, Governor Printz erected a building about 30 feet long and 20 wide, immediately in front of the new Dutch Fort Beversreede, on the Schuylkill, "so that the vessels that came to anchor under the fort could discover said fort with difficulty." The back gable of the house was only twelve feet from the gate of the fort. and on the outer side of it. Alexander Boyer, who had charge of the interests of the Dutch during Hudde's absence, very properly regarded the building of this house by Governor Printz, as in- tended more to insult his "lords and masters than to reap for himself any real advantage from it," because, he said, "the ground in the same range with our fort is large enough to admit twenty similar buildings."
Boyer also reports two Swedes as having been murdered by the Maquas -- the first instance on record of Swedish blood having been shed by the Indians.
Hudde returned October 5th with a few freemen to whom had been de- livered letters patent to settle and build on the Schuylkill. He says he "was directly informed that the Swedes placed his best hope on the country of the Minquas against the bargain concluded by us," and "to prevent similar frivo- lous pretentions, and to shew that the contract was by no means broken by the honorable committee," he addressed a note to Hendrick Huygens, intended to be shown to the Governor, of which the following is an extract: "Hon- orable and obliging good friend, accept my cordial salutation. It was with deep regret that I was informed on my return, that our fugitives can find no residence in the Minquas country, against the good intentions indeed of our Director-general, who will not permit that anything shall be undertaken by his subjects against our contract, but expects that similar conduct shall be holden from both sides."
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It is evident from the foregoing extracts from Hudde, as has been before suggested, that a contract existed between the Swedes and the Dutch that contained some specifications in respect to the trade and occupancy of the Schuylkill ; and it is but reasonable to conclude that the harsh conduct of Gov- ernor Printz towards the Dutch on that river resulted from a belief that their acts were in violation of that contract. It may also be inferred that the Min- quas maintained a kind of ownership over the country about the mouth of the Schuylkill, as in my apprehension the allusion to their country in the quoted language of Hudde, had no reference to the usual place of residence of that powerful tribe of savages, which will be shown hereafter was on the Sus- quehanna. This ownership might have been for the purposes of trade or fish- ing, and to serve their convenience during their periodical visits. Whatever it was, Hudde was evidently apprehensive, that the late act of the committee of the Dutch Council might be regarded with disfavor by these savages. In a subsequent negotiation with the Dutch, in which some of the same sachems who confirmed "the Schuylkill and adjoining lands" to the honorable commit- tee, participated, when asked whether "they were chiefs and proprietors of the lands situate on the west side of this river, at present partly incorporated and settled by the Swede?" replied that they "were great chiefs and proprie- tors of the lands, both by ownership and descent, and by appointment of Min- quas and river Indians."
The Schuylkill river was not the highway by which the Minquas reached the trading mart near its mouth, or at Kinsessing, as might be inferred from the language of some writers. Their route passed diagonally over the whole extent of Delaware county, entering Philadelphia at the head of tide water on Cobb's creek, near the site of the Swede's mill ; doubtless a branch of the us- ually travelled path to their more southern trading post at Fort Christina.
The land assigned to the freemen who accompanied Hudde on his return, was located on the Schuylkill, at a place then known as "Mast-makers Corner," "Point," or "Hook." In their efforts to occupy and build on these lands, they met with the same determined opposition from the Swedes that others had experienced. The officers to whom this work of demolition was assigned, did not hesitate to avow that they were acting under the special instructions of Governor Printz. The exact position of Mast-makers Corner is not known. It was on the east side of the Schuylkill, and probably but a very short distance from the Dutch Fort Beversreede. An account of these harsh proceedings on the part of the Swedes, forwarded to Fort Amsterdam by Hudde on Novem- ber 7, closes the often cited report of that vigilant functionary.
Two days later, Adrian Van Tiedhoven, "clerk of the court on the South river," also reported sundry of the Swedish outrages above noted, but he ar- rives at the conclusion that these cannot cause much injury to the Dutch trade with the Indians. He, however, regards commerce here as "nearly spoiled ;" as he says, "we are compelled to give two fathoms white, and one of black seawant (wampum) for one beaver; one fathom of cloth for two beavers; every fathom of seawant amounts to three ells, sometimes one-sixteenth less,
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so that in my opinion this barter is too much against us, as the Indians always take the largest and tallest among them to trade with us."
The Swedish priest Campanius, after residing in the country six years, "sailed from Elfsborg in New Sweden," May 18. 1648. Rev. Lawrence Charles Lokenius succeeded Campanius and for a time had charge of the churches at Tinicum and Christina. After a time he gave up the former, but kept the latter till his death in 1688. Rev. Israel Holgh was also a minister here in the time of Governor Printz, but soon returned to his native country.
The disagreements between the Swedes and the Dutch are still continued, giving rise to a mutual hatred and jealousy. Stuyvesant, in a letter to Hudde, complains of the encroachment of the Swedes-fears they will not stop, but admits that he does not know "what he shall apply as a remedy." Even plans by the Swedes are suggested. to interfere with the Dutch to and on the North river. Each party agrees to pursue the policy of obtaining additional grants of lands from the Indians, as the one most likely to strengthen its claims upon the river. As yet the Swedes maintain their ascendency.
As Campanius, the elder, left New Sweden in 1648, and it is probable that most of the descriptions of settlements, &c., in the work of his grandson were derived from him, it may not be amiss at this time to notice some of them that have not already claimed our attention :
"Mecoponacka, or Upland, was an unfortified place, but some houses were built there. It was situated between Fort Christina and New Gottenburg, but nearer the latter. There was a fort built there some time after its settlement. It is good even land along the river shore.
"Passayunk was given by the crown to the Commandant Swen Schute. At that place there was a fort called Korsholm. After Governor Printz's departure for Sweden, it was abandoned by the Swedes, and afterwards burnt and destroyed by the Indians.
"Manayunk, or Schuylkill, was a handsome little fort, built of logs filled up with sand and stones, and surrounded with palisades cut very sharp at the top. It was at the distance of four German miles east of Christina. It was mounted with great guns as well as the other forts. Those forts were all situated on the water side.
"Chinsessing was called the New Fort. It was not properly a fort, but substantial log houses, built of good strong hard hickory, two stories high, which was sufficient to secure the people from the Indians. But what signifies a fort without God's assistance? In that settlement there dwelt five freemen, who cultivated the land and lived very well.
"Karakung, otherwise called Water Mill stream, is a fine stream, very convenient for water mills: the Governor caused one to be erected there. It was a fine mill which ground both fine and coarse flour, and was going early and late; it was the first that was seen in that country. There was no fort near it but only a strong dwelling house, built of hickory, and inhabited by freemen.
"Chammassungh, or Finland. This place was inhabited by Finns, who had strong houses but no fort. It lies at the distance of two German miles east of Christina by water; and by land, it is distant two long Swedish miles.
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