USA > Pennsylvania > Annals of Pennsylvania, from the discovery of the Delaware > Part 10
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" The attorney-general, plaintiff, contra J. J. Van Ilpen- A. Hudde to dam. Seen the conclusion of the Attorney-General against J. J. Van Ilpendam, on fraud committed by him in his office, and examination of his accounts for several years, with the pendam's af- affidavits of witnesses, and the defence of J. J. Van Ilpendam ยท aforesaid. After maturely considering the case, it is decreed, that by provision, Andreas Hudde shall be sent to Fort Nas- sau, to make there further inquiries, by the company's ser- vants and others, into the concerns and trade of the defendant ; and further to make a correct inventory of all his effects, and of those of the company, and send hither what is not wanted there, and further to act there in behalf of the company, as commissary for the present, which the attorney-general shall perform here in the same manner, while further the defendant shall prepare his answer on the points which were this day proposed to him."3
On Hudde's arrival there, "he found the magazines in such bad condition, that Ilpendam mentions but two bales of HIar-
! Albany Records, vol. iii. p. 399.
3 Ibid. p. 323.
proceed to Fort Nassau, to examine J. J. Van Il- fairs, and act as commis- sary.
2 Ibid. vol. ii. p. 319.
84
JOHN PRINTZ, GOVERNOR OF THE SWEDES.
1645. laem cloth, and two beaver skins, as the whole stock under his charge the whole time."1
December.
This year Fort New Gottenberg was accidentally destroyed by fire, with all the buildings in it, and all the powder and Fort Gotten- goods blown up. It happened in the night, by the negligence of a servant, who fell asleep, leaving a candle burning.2
berg de- stroyed by fire.
A. Corssen drowned.
Arent Corssen, who made the purchase on Schuylkill, and was now sent by Kieft to carry specimens of minerals to Holland, was drowned on the way thither.3
1646.
February 8.
Further proceedings are had against Van Ilpendam, as we find in the records. It is now decided to send him to Holland for trial.
Van Ilpen- dam to be sent for trial to Holland.
" Seen the prosecution of the attorney-general, Cornelius Van Huyghens, plaintiff, contra J. J. Van Ilpendam, com- missary in Fort Nassau, defendant, with the conclusion of the plaintiffs, and the affidavits given under oath, from which it appears that the defendant defrauded the company, as well by paying the savages a higher price than is usual, as through transgressions ; this is evident from the complaints against. him, and attested by the affidavits and his own accounts. Wherefore we cannot approve his accounts, and take upon us the burden of his faults. After mature consideration, it is therefore ordered, that the defendant shall be sent, with all his documents, and the process of the attorney-general, with the first sailing ship, to Amsterdam, to defend and ex- culpate himself before the directors."4
June 23. Captain Blancke ar- rives in a sloop at Schuylkill, to Hudde. Swedes order him off. Interviews between the parties.
A shallop, with a considerable cargo, which was despatched from Manhattan, the property of individuals, and consigned to A. Hudde, arrived, and was ordered by him "to go to the Schuylkill, near the right, and wait there for the Minquas." On the arrival of the vessel at this point, " Juriaen Blancke, the trader of the sloop, was commanded," by the Swedes, "to leave that spot at once, as belonging to the crown." Hudde, hearing of this, "directly went thither with four men, to examine how matters stood; he received the same orders to depart," and requested " that they would inform their governor that this place had always been a trading
1 Acrelius, p. 413.
2 Hubbard, in Mass. Hist. Coll. vol. vi. N. S., p. 434. Winthrop, vol. ii. p. 254.
3 O'Call. vol. i. p. 359. + Albany Records, vol. ii. p. 337.
85
WILLIAM KIEFT, DIRECTOR-GENERAL.
place, and that thus he would act with discretion, and avoid 1646. giving cause for discord." Next day, " the minister of the gospel, (probably Campanius,) was despatched by the gover- nor to me, who declared that he had orders, that if the bark was in the Schuylkill, he should compel her to leave it." Hudde replied, " that he must first see the signature and seal of the governor, by which he intended to forbid the company (West India) to trade with their goods in any part of the river," and " requested that this might be done with discre- tion, and that the alliance between their High Mightinesses and Her Royal Majesty, might be taken into consideration," pro- testing, at the same time, " against any losses and hindrances that might be the natural consequence." Upon this, Gover- Printz sends nor Printz sent to Hudde, " the commissary, Henry Huygens, two officers, and proposes various questions. Hudde re- with two officers, Carel Jansen, a Finn by birth, his book- keeper, and Gregory Van Dyck, his sergeant, a native of the Hague, and demanded my answer upon certain articles, of plies. which I demanded a copy," and " would answer in writing." The officer replied, "He had no orders to do so, and dared not do it." Hudde then gave " a verbal answer, to avoid giving any offence, in presence, on my part, of Sander Boyer, ser- geant, Philip Gerneert, and Juriaen Blancke, all freemen." The articles were-" On the Schuylkill, in what manner the Questions to, property of it is ascertained and understood?" "That the and answers by Hudde to acts relative to the division of the limits are at Manhattan, Printz. where he may obtain correct information." "If he (Gover- nor Printz) ever offended me, or any of mine, with words or deeds." "He left me and mine alone, but offended the company, then their High Mightinesses, in so far as to say to me in his name, that he would drive me from the kill by force." "That the governor had sent for the Minquas, at the expense of the crown, and when they arrived, I lured them from the Schuylkill." "That the sachem was, last spring, with me; I defrayed his expenses, contracted with him, that as soon as I received some goods I would send him a messenger, or come down, if I received any information." "That I compelled Blancke to sail up and fasten his bark to the bridge." "I commanded him to sail up, but I know of no compulsion." "That I took up arms without any just cause, and that I answered, upon his interdict, that I would remain there, and see who would be so daring as to drive me away." "I made no use of arms, much less showed any hostile in-
II
86
JOHN PRINTZ, GOVERNOR OF THE SWEDES.
1646.
tention, or committed any act of hostility, but rather endea- voured to prevent it, without betraying the interests of their High Mightinesses."1
July 1.
Here the matter rested for a few days, when the following warning, from Governor Printz, was sent to Blancke, the captain of the sloop.
Governor Printz's warning to Captain Blancke, to depart, on pain of con- fiscation.
"My good friend Blancke-I have received again com- plaints of several of her majesty's inhabitants, how that thou art compelled, with thy bark, contrary to the letter of thy commission, to remain there, under the pretext that thou art obliged to do so by Andreas Hudde, who takes care of the interests, and disposes of the lands of their High Mighti- nesses, as commissioned by them. So is it, that I friendly admonish you, as soon as you shall have been informed of these contents, that you directly leave that spot; as your commission implies, with your trading vessel in the Schuyl- kill; seek the spot where usually the sloops are accustomed to trade, which shall not be prohibited; neither do I desire that my subjects shall be admitted there from respect and friend- ship for the commander and his commissions, as long as you are remaining and trading in the Schuylkill, or that they would obstruct your interests. But if you should act against these, my orders, and despise my warning, which you are in duty bound to obey, so shall your bark, with its whole cargo, in conformity with the orders of her royal majesty, as it is strongly expressed in her majesty's orders, be confiscated ; of which you may be fully persuaded, in case that you act against my orders. Done at Tinnekonk, 20th June, 1646. " Signed, JOHN PRINTZ."
Blancke obeys, and departs with- out orders from Hudde.
This had the effect to induce the departure of Blancke with his bark, though without Hudde's orders, " but through fear that his bark and goods might be confiscated, as he was a private person, to whom it would be a very difficult task to recover it," especially as it was not in Hudde's " power to give him any security, and he was entirely ignorant of the cause of contest between the company and the Swedes."2
aly 12. Proceeding of the Swedes. Trade with' Minquas.
Hudde communicated to the director-general, Kieft, as soon as possible, an account of the difficulties respecting the sloop, and at the same time informed him "how the trade with the Minquas might be continued, as it was the plan of Printz and
1 Hudde's Report, from Albany Records, in vol. i. N. S. of N. Y. Hist. Coll. pp. 429-431.
2 Ibid. pp. 431, 432.
87
WILLIAM KIEFT, DIRECTOR-GENERAL.
his associates to deprive the company and its colonists of this benefit by all means."
About this period, Hudde received a letter from the director- general, "to inquire about certain minerals in this country." Hudde going For this purpose he went to Sankikans, and " tried to pene- to inquire about mine- rals, is stopped by sachems, who hear alarming re- ports of the Dutch. trate to the great falls," where, if the samples might be credited, there was a great hope of success. " When I would pass the first fall, a sachem, named Wirakehen, stopped me, and asked where I would go ? I answered, I intended to go upward. He replied, I was not permitted, and asked what is my object. He at last informed me that the Swedish governor told one Meerkedt, a sachem residing near Tinnekonk, that we intended to build a house near the great falls, and that in the vessels which we expected, 250 men would arrive, to be sent from the Manhattans, who would kill all the savages below on the river, and that this fort was to be garrisoned in the house which we intended to build, and would prevent the savages residing up the river to come to their assistance, so that no more would be able to escape, and in proof of all this, that we would first come up in a small vessel, to visit and explore the spot, and that we would kill two savages, as a pretext, but that Printz would never permit it, and would certainly expel us from the river." All attempts to go up to the falls being ineffectual, as he was stopped every time, the project was necessarily abandoned by Hudde.1
In accordance with the Dutch claim to possessions on the August 10. river, the following grant was made by the director-general, Kieft, to " Abraham Planck, Simon Root, Jan Andriessen, and Peter Harmensen," whom he permits " to take possession of the lands lying in said river, almost over against the little island T'Vogelssant, (or Bird-land,2) one hundred morgen,3 Planck, to settle there four farms or plantations, and to manure (cul- tivate) within one year from the date hereof, and sooner, if possible, on pain of losing this right," on condition that those who obtain this right shall acknowledge as their patrons and sovereign, the Lords' States-General, &c., "subjecting them- selves to all such rates and duties as now are, or may be established, and constituting the above-named Planck, &c.,
1646.
Dutch grant of 100 mor- gen of land opposite to Reedy Island, to Root, &c.
1 Hudde's Report, pp. 432, 433.
2 It is not certain whether this is Egg Island or Reedy Island. A Delaware writer says the latter, in Del. Reg. vol. i. p. 8.
3 A morgen is about two English acres.
88
JOHN PRINTZ, GOVERNOR OF THE SWEDES.
1646.
in our state, real and actual possession of the aforesaid land, lying on the west side of the South River, to take up and manure, and use the same as they might do with other their patrimonial lands and effects, without that we, the grantors, in our aforesaid quality, have in the least any part, action, or authority, on the aforesaid one hundred morgen, nor reserve or retain on the same, but disclaiming thereof from henceforth and for ever; promising further to maintain, ob- serve, and fulfil this transport, firm, sure, irrefrangible, and irrevocable, all on penalty as directed by law." "Signed" and " confirmed with our seal in red wax hereunto append- ing, at Fort Amsterdam." "It was promised to the said per- sons, that if, in time to come, they should have occasion for more land, the same shall be granted to them, provided they build houses on the land for themselves to dwell in, and if they go off and leave the land, to be precluded of this their action." It was signed by William Kieft, and countersigned by the secretary, Van Tienhoven.1
Acrelius says, " these men never came there."2 1
August 12, o. S. Letter of Gov. Eaton to Governor Kieft, avow- ing their righteous proceedings.
In a letter of this date, addressed by President Eaton to Governor Kieft, among other matters, reference is again made to the injuries and outrages sustained by the English of New Haven, in their persons and estates, on Delaware, complaining that his answers to their letters and protests have been of the most unsatisfactory character. They say, " that we conceive we have neither done nor returned any thing, even unto this day, but what doth agree with the law of God, the law of nations, and with that ancient confederation and amity between our superiors at home, so that we shall readily refer all questions and difference between you and us, even from first to last, to any due examination and judgment, either here or in Europe, and by these presents do refer them, being well assured that his majesty, our sovereign lord, Charles, king of Great Britain, and the parliament of Eng- land, now assembled, will maintain their own rights, and our just liberties, against any who, by unjust encroachment, shall wrong them or theirs, and that your own principals, upon a due and mature consideration, will also see and approve the righteousness of our proceedings.3
1 Albany Records, Patents, N. Y. fol. 153. Reg. Penns. vol. iv. p. 119. Dover Records.
3 Hazard's Hist. Coll. vol. ii. p. 56.
2 Acrelius, p. 417.
89
WILLIAM KIEFT, DIRECTOR-GENERAL.
A decent wooden church, which had been built on Tinni- 1646. cum, was, with the burying-place, this day consecrated by the - Rev. John Campanius, who, it will be recollected, came out with Governor Printz. This, we believe, is the first church Sept. 4. mentioned. The first corpse that was buried there was that First church of Catherine, daughter of Andrew Hanson, on the 28th of and burial. October. It is probable the worship, prior to that time, had been conducted either in a part of the governor's mansion, or in some temporary building, or perhaps a former building may have been destroyed by the fire last year.1
Hudde received a letter, (probably from the director- Sept. 7. general,) in which he " was imperiously commanded to pur- Hudde com- chase some land from the savages, which was situated on the manded to west shore, about a mile distant from Fort Nassau, to the west shore, north." Accordingly, " I took possession of that spot on the 8th following, and erected on it the arms of the company ; and as the proprietor was not at home, I was obliged to delay the conclusion of the purchase till the 25th of the same Effects it, month. After the purchase was accomplished, the original proprietor went with me to the spot, and assisted in fixing the arms of the company to a pole which was fixed in the ground on the limits. Shortly after this, several freemen made preparations to build on this newly acquired posses- sion."2
This purchase, from the distance, one Dutch, or four Eng- lish miles, and also from the direction from Fort Nassau, (north,) has been considered by some, and perhaps plausibly, to have been the same as the site, or a part of it, of the pre- sent city of Philadelphia.3
The Swedish commissary Huygens, by order of Governor October 8. Printz, " carried down with him the arms which Hudde had Dutch arms affixed, on which a considerable altercation took place, and carried away. among other things, about the great abuse committed by his sergeant and other Swedes on 30th September last, against all good order and decency, and after the guard was already on duty, when I kept him for some time in the guard-house, besides giving him a severe reproof, and demanded of his governor to correct and punish him, so that it might evidently appear that he had no share whatever in such a violent out- rage, or if similar excesses were again renewed, I would
2 Hudde's Report, p. 433.
1 Campanius, p. 79.
3 Ferris's Early Settlements, p. 75. 12 H 2
purchase on
one mile north of Fort Nassau, pre- sent site of Philada. takes posses- sion, and erects the . Dutch arms.
-
90
1
JOHN PRINTZ, GOVERNOR OF THE SWEDES.
1646.
directly inflict punishment, as usually is done on similar tur- bulent persons."
October 16.
Printz's pro- test against Hudde's con- duct and purchase.
Hudde received this day a protest from Governor Printz, dated 30th September, the same on which the event alluded to, as above, took place, of which we have no further account. Oloff Stille and Moens Flom, two of Printz's freemen, were bearers of it.
" Andreas Hudde, I remind you again, by this written warning, as before was done verbally in person by the com- missary, Hendrick Huygen, that you will discontinue the in- juries of which you have been guilty against the royal majesty in Sweden, my most gracious queen, against her royal ma- jesty's rights, pretensions, soil and land, without showing the least respect to her royal majesty's magnificence, reputation, and highness, and that you will do so no more, and then con- sidering how little it would be becoming her royal majesty to bear such gross violence, and what great disasters might ori- ginate from it, yea, must be expected. 2dly, With what reluctance, as I think, your nation or your masters would, for such a trifle, come in conflict with her royal majesty, as you have no shadow of right for this, your gross conduct, particularly for your secret and unlawful purchase of land from the savages, by which you evidently betrayed your con- viction of the justice, equity, and antiquity of your preten- sive claims, of which you so loudly boasted, and which, by this purchase, have been brought to light, showing clearly that you had no shadow of right to that place, of which you have taken possession, no more than to others on this river which you now claim, in which, however, you were never molested by her majesty or her plenipotentiary ; neither was it ever attempted by them to undermine you in a sinister way. All this I can freely bring forward in my defence, to exculpate me from all future calamities, of which we give you a warn- ing, and place it to your account. Dated New Gottenberg, 30th September, 1646."
Below, in the margin, was the following :
"The orders to which you appeal may very well have been occasioned by unjust and unfair report, and it would well become you to send him correct information of this whole transaction, as you were present on the spot.
" JOHN PRINTZ."1
1 Hudde, p. 434.
91
WILLIAM KIEFT, DIRECTOR-GENERAL.
The next day after receiving the foregoing protest, Hudde 1646. went up the river " on some very urgent business," and was informed, on his return, that the Swedish governor had for- bidden his subjects to enter into any transactions with " our" people, which is often put in practice by professed enemies, Printz for- but never was adopted by allies, the one against the other. He was also informed that the Swede found fault with his not answering the protest ; he accordingly wrote the follow- ing protest, and on the 23d October sent it by Sander Boyer and two soldiers, viz. David Davitsen and Jacob Hendricksen.
October 17.
bids all transactions between the Swedes and Dutch.
" To the noble governor, De Heer John Printz-Sir Go- October 22. vernor : On the evening of the 16th instant, stilo novo, Was Hudde's pro. delivered to me an act, by Oloff Stille and Moens Flom, test in an- swer to dated 30th September, stilo vetere, by which your honour Printz. warns me to desist from any injuries which I should have done or committed against the lands of her royal majesty of Sweden, which, however, remain yet unknown to me till this moment; and if your honour had condescended to explain wherein these consisted, I should not have hesitated to alter my course, if your honour's insinuations had been correct, as I am entirely ignorant that I have left undone any thing which might have a tendency to the preservation of our mutual intercourse, much less that I should have committed any act of gross violence. I purchased the land, not in a clandestine manner, neither unjustly, except that your honour calls that a clandestine manner which is not performed with your honour's knowledge. I purchased it from the real owner ; if he sold that land previously to your honour, then he imposed upon me shamefully. The place which we pos- sess, we possess indeed in just property, perhaps before the name of the South River was heard of in Sweden. I cannot say, certainly I am ignorant, if my lord and master has been unjustly informed, only that I explained to him the whole transaction in truth and justice, and so I will continue to do by the first opportunity, that I may obtain and transmit to him your act, with this my answer upon it, to be further in- formed by him what he may think proper to command, and what I shall be obliged to execute ; and whereas your com- missary, coming down on the 8th instant, had taken off the arms which I hung up on the purchased lands, tearing them down in an insolent and hostile manner, with these threaten- ing words, 'that although it had been the colours of the
92
JOHN PRINTZ, GOVERNOR OF THE SWEDES.
Hudde's pro- test, con- tinued.
1646. Prince of Orange that were hoisted there, he would have thrown them too under his feet ;' besides many bloody me- naces, which have been reported to me from time to time, which can have no other tendency than to cause great cala- mities ; and whereas this not only concerns my nation and masters, but is an infringement on the authority of their High Mightinesses the States-General, and that of his high- ness the Prince of Orange, and so too of that of the noble director, which is insulted by it. So is it, that I am compelled, against my will, to send your honour this answer, by which I must protest before God and the whole world ; as also I do protest by this that I am innocent of all the disasters, diffi- culties, losses, and what further might follow from these pro- cedures, or which might originate from them, but that to the contrary, I performed every thing, and endeavoured to em- ploy all means by which a good correspondence and mutual harmony might be promoted, so as I deem myself obliged to do, in so far as my honour and oath shall permit it, and I will confide that it is your honour's intention to act in the same manner, at least from the consideration that we, who are Christians, will not place ourselves as a stumbling-block, or laughing-stock, to those savage heathens, which I trust that shall remain so, as it is by your affectionate friend,
A. HUDDE.
" On South River, New Netherlands, Oct. 22, 1646."
The manner in which the bearers of this protest were re- ceived and treated, is thus described by the sergeant, to Hudde.
Governor's treatment of the sergeant who went to deliver Hudde's pro- test.
" As soon as he arrived at the governor's, who stood before his door, he wished him a good morning, and said further, I bring you a greeting from the commissary Hudde, who sends you an act in answer to yours; when he, John Printz, took it from his hand, and threw it towards one of his attendants, who stood near him, saying, 'There, take care of it.' The other picked it up from the ground to take care of it. The governor then departed to meet some Englishmen just arrived from New England. After some interval, the sergeant asked to see the governor, to obtain an answer ; but, notwithstand- ing he came there in the discharge of his duty, he neverthe- less was thrown out of the doors, the governor taking a gun in his hand from the wall, to shoot him, as he imagined, but was prevented, from his leaving the room."
93
PETER STUYVESANT, DIRECTOR-GENERAL.
This treatment Hudde complains of as being very common on the part of Printz, " freemen as well as servants, when arriving where he resides, are in a most unreasonable manner abused, so that they are often, on returning home, bloody and bruised."1
1646.
1647.
Some of the principal people of New Haven, " exceedingly January 1. disappointed in trade, and having sustained great damages Loss at sea of a com- pany from at Delaware, and depreciation of their estates, with a view to retrieve former losses, combined their resources, built a ship, New Haven. and embarked, and cutting their way out of the harbour, through the ice, sailed for England. Among these were Mr. Gregson, Captain Turner, and Mr. Lamberton, who have already been mentioned in connection with the purchases on our river. The vessel foundered at sea, and was never after- wards heard of, which much discouraged those who remained behind, and for a time put a period to the plantation from New Haven here. Two persons of the name of Lamberton are mentioned in the records, viz. Thomas and George; the latter was captain of the vessel, probably the former was the merchant and owner. It is not said which of them was lost, but he was one of the principal men of the town.2
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