USA > Pennsylvania > Delaware County > History of Delaware county, Pennsylvania, from the discovery of the territory included within its limits to the present time > Part 3
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15
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
1633.]
retaliation could not have been anticipated by any one. Besides there is undisputable evidence that Hossett possessed the confi- denee of several Directors of the West India Company, having been selected to make purchases of land for them from the Indians, on both the South and North rivers.
De Vries did not for a moment, allow his presence of mind to forsake him. Being unable to punish the savages, he sought and obtained an interview with their chiefs, and at the cost of some duffels, bullets, hatchets and Nuremburg trinkets, ratified a treaty of peace with them. Some preparations were also made for the prosecution of the contemplated whale fishing.
Lord Baltimore obtained his patent for Maryland this year, and but for the occupancy by the Dutch, that has been narrated, Delaware as a separate state would have had no existence.
In furtheranee of the object of his voyage, De Vries sailed up the Delaware on the 1st of January, 1633, to obtain beans from the Indians. He encountered a whale on the first day, at the month of the river, and " two large whales near the yacht," on the follow- ing day, which made him wish for the sloop and the harpooners which were lying at Swanendael. On the 5th of the month, the
yacht arrived before " the little fort named Nassau." The fort was unoccupied except by Indians, who were assembled there to barter furs, but, De Vries "was in want of Turkish beans, and had no goods to exchange for peltrics." He was advised by the Indians to enter Timmer kill,' but he was at the same time cautioned by an Indian woman not to enter the kill entirely. This woman, after having been bribed by the present of a cloth garment, discovered the fact that the crew of an English sloop had been murdered, who had gone into Count Ernest's river.2 The story of this woman was confirmed by the appearance of some of the Indians dressed in English jackets. Thus placed on his guard, and by making the Indians believe that he had been made acquainted with their wieked designs through the agency of their own evil spirit, Manitoe, he was enabled on the 8th of the month to make a lasting peace with them, which was con- cluded with the usual Indian solemnities. Soon after this, some corn was obtained, and also some beavers.
On the 10th at noon, they came to anchor at " Jaques Island," and on the day following in the evening " about half-a-mile above Minquas Kill."3 Here they saw a whale six or seven times, which surprised them, as it was "seven or eight miles (Dutch) into fresh water." On the 13th at noon, they had arrived
I Said to be Cooper's creek.
2 This sloop had been sent from Virginia to explore the river, the September pre- vious. De Vries' Voyages, N. Y. Hist. Col. N. S. iii. 35.
3 Christina creek.
16
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
[1633.
at the ship at Swanendael, where they were greeted by their friends, who in their absence had shot two whales, which yielded but little oil.
On the 18th of January, goods were placed in the yacht, which again sailed up the river, but was frozen up in Wyngaert's kill from the 19th of January, till the 3rd of February. While here, they shot wild turkeys weighing from thirty to thirty- six pounds ! When they reached Fort Nassau, they found no Indians, the fort being evacuated, but as it had commenced to freeze again. and being apprehensive of danger, if frozen up where they were, they " hauled into a kill' over against the fort,' where they remained eight days before the ice broke. The Indians soon made their appearance in unusually large numbers, for it turned out that a war was raging between the "Minquas who dwell among the English in Virginia," and the tribes on this river, one of which, De Vries calls Armewamen, and another Sankiekens. After having been subjected to very great danger from the Indians and floating ice. they returned again to the ship on the 20th, after an absence of a month. There was great rejoicing at their safe return, by those left at Swanendael, as " they did not imagine that we had been frozen up in the river, as no pilot or astrologer could conceive, that in the latitude from the thirty-eighth and a half to the thirty-ninth, such rapid run- ning rivers could freeze."
Still in pursuit of supplies, but partly to gratify a little vanity in being the first of his countrymen to visit that country, he set sail for Virginia on the 6th of March. Here he met with an ex- ceedingly kind reception from the Governor, but after informing his Excellency that he came from South river, he was made acquainted with Lord Delaware's visit to the bay, and the English title thereto ; whereupon our worthy captain duly set forth the Dutch claim to the country, resting it on the establishment of Fort Nassau. " It was strange to the Governor, that he should have such neighbours and never heard of them." The Governor sent six goats by De Vries for the Governor at Fort Amsterdam, and after having purchased provisions, he returned to the whale fishery at Swanendael.2
During his absence, but seven whales had been caught, and they very poor ones. yielding but thirty-two cartels of oil. Seventeen had been struck, which went to show that the bay was frequented by those creatures, but their poorness seemed to satisfy De Vries that the business would not be profitable. On the 14th of April, he sailed for Fort Amsterdam, (New
1 Probably Hollander's creek.
2 De Vries met with plenty of peach trees nearly in bloom on the James river-the first he had seen on this coast. N. Y. Hist. Col. N. S. iii. 34.
17
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
1633.]
York) on his return to Europe, leaving no Colony behind him, and the whole bay and river free from any European settlement.
Under certain conditions. patroons were permitted to engage in the peltry trade, "at such places where the Company have no factories."1 and it cannot be doubted but this trade, in connec- tion with the whale fishery. had a paramount influence in the establishment of the ill fated colony at Swanendael. Still. there are reasons for believing that it was the intention of the Patroon owners to make it a permanent settlement. and this too in the face of the fact, that no females were carried out on either of the voyages. They were the owners of the soil-they sent out with their people, horses, cows. implements of husbandry and seeds ; and when they became the victims of savage cruelty. they were actually engaged in agricultural pursuits. Regarding, then, Fort Nassau as a mere trading post, and nothing more can be claimed for it. the unfortunate Colony at Swanendael may be held to be the first effort of the white race to make a permanent settlement on the Delaware.
As we go along, it will be necessary to note the changes in the government, to which the country embracing the territory now occupied by our little County was subjected. Director Minuit having been recalled during the past year. he was succeeded by Wouter Van Twiller, who arrived at Fort Amsterdam in the spring of 1633 inone of the Company's ships, accompanied by 104 soldiers, that being the first military force ever detailed for New Netherland.2 He was a near relative to the patroon, Van Rensselaer. and it is said. owed his appointment more to that circumstance than to any particular merit he possessed.
On the 10th of April, 1633. Chancellor Oxensteirn revived the interest which had formerly existed in Sweden in respect to Colonies. in signing by authority of the crown, the proclamation that had been left unsigned by Gustavus Adolphus. The time for uniting with the Company was extended to the first of the next year, and William Usselinex appointed the first Director.
Many authors have assumed that settlements were made by the Swedes on the Delaware. as early as 1631. No settlements were made on that river by the Swedes except by authority of their government. This well authenticated act of the renowned Swedish statesman. leaves no room for doubt on the subject.
The trade in peltries, at this time, became very profitable, which induced the new Director to turn his attention to that species of trade on the Delaware. With the view of rendering it more secure to the West India Company, it is said he directed Arent Corsen, who had been appointed Commissary at Fort
1 Article XV. Freedoms and Exemptions-Hist. New Netherland, i. 116.
2 Hist. New Netherland, i. 142.
2
18
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
[1634.
Nassau, to purchase from the Indians a tract of land situated on the Schuylkill, which purchase was accordingly made during the year 1633.1
As this is the first claim to land in our vicinity by virtue of a title acquired from the Indians, and as it comes to us under very suspicious circumstances, particularly as to the time of the pur- chase, a document that was executed many years afterwards in confirmation of that claim will be here given at length.
"We, the undersigned, namely : Amattehooren Alibakinne, Sinques, Sachems over the district of country called Armenve- ruis,2 situate around and on the Schuylkill, declare well and truly to have sold to Arent Corsen, the Schuylkill and adjoining lands, for some goods, which were not fully paid to us, but as we are now fully satisfied therein, therefore, we, the above named sachems, do hereby fully and irrevocably convey and cede the same, confirming the aforesaid sale, and are ready on all occa- sions to maintain and defend against all pretension and claim to be set up to it by whomsoever, etc. Thus done, and in testi- mony of the truth signed by us natives, in the presence of the undernamed witnesses. Done in Fort Beversreede in the South River of New Netherland. Signed, marked in this manner, thereby written."3
The unmeaning marks of the Indians, of which there are four besides those made by the three sachems, appended to this docu- ment, are omitted, and also those of the witnesses of whom two were of the council. It is also attested by J. Hudde.
The above document, it will be seen, is without date; but another paper,4 somewhat similar in character, executed in 1651, that will be noticed hereafter, gives us to understand that the transaction occurred in 1648. Both documents were got up when spirited controversies existed between the Swedes and Dutch, and may be safely regarded as attempts to patch up an Indian title to lands by the latter, that would ante date any claim set up by the Swedes.
The extreme jealousy of the West India Company, lest any one should share with them, in the smallest degree, the trade of New Netherland, led to fierce disputes with patroons still residing in Holland. The different interpretations put on the charter of the company, and on the privileges granted by them to the patroons, were well calculated to widen the breach between the
1 N Y. Col. Doc. i. 588.
2 Armenveruis, on the Dutch map, is located on the Jersey side of the river, near Fort Nassau.
3 N. Y. Col. Doc. i. 593.
4 Ib. 598. This purchase of land on the Schuylkill by Corsen, is referred to in Hudde's Report. He gives the date of the transaction confirming the purchases, as June 10th, 1648.
40
15
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15 Dutch Miles to a
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Bowen it Co lith. Philuda
24
Boomties hoeck
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A Part of Roggeveen's . Map of New Netherland, Amsterdam 1676.
Serape's
Varkens Kill
Naratikus Kill
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Groote Eyer haven
Burnagat
19
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
1635.]
parties. With the view of terminating these unpleasant quarrels, and it may have been partly on political considerations, the Directors of the company were authorized by the Assembly of XIX of the States General, to repurchase patroonships.
Under this authority, the patroon owners of Swanendael on the 7th of February, 1635, retransferred all their right, title and interest in their lands on both sides of the bay, to the West India Company for the sum of 15,600 guilders, ($6,240.)' All charters, maps and papers concerning the aforesaid colonies. were to be delivered over to the purchasers. This transaction was well calculated to put an end to private enterprise on the Delaware river on Dutch account, and probably had that effect.
The British government never having recognized the claims of the Dutch to any part of North America, a party from the English colony on the Connecticut river, consisting of George Holmes, his hired man Thomas Hall, and about a dozen others, attempted to effect a settlement on the Delaware in 1635. Hall deserted his master, and the others, failing in an attack upon Fort Nassau, were captured by the garrison and sent to Manhat- tan.2 These Englishmen were not punished, but were permitted to settle in the vicinity of Fort Amsterdam, and are said to be the first English settlers among the Dutch on Manhattan. This Thomas Hall became a man of some distinction, as his name fre- quently appears in the Dutch records.
Although this attack on the Dutch fort was unsuccessful, the fact that it was made by so small a party, is evidence of the weakness of the garrison, and of the small establishment kept on the Delaware by the company at this time, to protect its trade ; nor is there any evidence that this force was kept there perma- nently.
Up to this period, there is no reliable evidence that the Dutch had effected any permanent settlement on the Delaware; and unless the unfortunate colonists at Swanendael be an exception, no one had adopted its shores as his home for life, or as an abiding place for his posterity. From the period of the foray of Holmes and his Englishmen, till about the time of the arrival of the Swedes in 1638, the doings of the Dutch on our river, remain very much in the dark, for the want of authentic documents on the subject, during that period.
A report,3 made to the States General in April of that year, " on the condition of the colony of New Netherland," furnishes rather conclusive evidence that nothing of the kind had been at-
1 Hist. New Netherland i. 365. For a translation of the deed, ib. Appendix S.
2 DeVries in N. Y. Hist. Col. N. S. iii. 76; llist. New Netherland i. 170; N. Y. Col. Doc. i. 431.
3 N. Y. Col. Doc. i. 106.
20
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
[1638.
tempted. Even the present occupancy of the river is not claimed, as will be seen by the following question and answer extracted from that document.
" Are these limits, (limits including the Delaware,) in the pos- session, at the present time, of the West India Company, and the inhabitants of this country ?"
Answer : "We occupy Mauritius, or the North river ; where there are two forts, Orange and Amsterdam ; and there is more- over one house built by the company, and that is most of the population."
The house here spoken of, in the opinion of Dr. O'Callaghan,1 the very best authority on the subject, was the "House of Good Hope, " built by the Dutch on the Connecticut river.
The charter of the Swedish West India Company, having been completed, it was printed in Hamburg in 1635. It was not, how- ever, till 1637. that any active operations connected with the establishment of a colony on the Delaware, were commenced. The name of William Usselinex, the projector, not only of the Swedish Company, but also that of the Dutch ; and who had been named in the proclamation of Oxenstiern as the "first director," no longer appears.
Arrangements having been fully made for planting a Swedish colony, (on the Delaware.) the expedition for its establishment was placed under the charge of Peter Minuit, who had served the Dutch West India Company as their first Director, and who, no doubt, had a practical acquaintance with the river. The squad- ron consisted of but two ships, the " Key of Kalmar," a man of war, and the " Griffin," a tender. They sailed from Gottenburg very late in the year 1637, or early in 1638, both vessels "being well stored with provisions, ammunition and goods proper for commerce with the Indians, and donations for them."2
The first notice of the arrival of the expedition on our coast, is contained in a letter written from Jamestown in Virginia, by Jerome Hawley the treasurer of that colony, and is dated May 8th, 1638.3 The date of the arrival is not given, but it was sub- sequent to the 20th of March of that year, and at least ten days prior to date of his letter. Minuit refused to exhibit his commis- sion to the authorities of Virginia, except upon condition of free trade in tobacco to be carried to Sweden, which was refused, as being " contrary to his Majesty's instructions," but he freely proclaimed the fact, that " he held it from the young queen of Sweden, and that "it was signed by eight of the chief lords" of that government. During the ten days the ship remained at
1 His note at the foot of p. 107, N. Y. Col. Doc. i.
2 Acrelius in N. Y. Hist. Col. i. N. S. 409.
3 N. Y. Col. Doc. iii. 20.
21
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
1638.]
Jamestown, to refresh with wood and water, Minuit also made known " that both himself and another ship of his company were bound for Delaware Bay," which, in the language of the letter, "is the confines of Virginia and New England, and there they pretend to make a plantation and to plant tobacco, which the Dutch do also already on the Hudson river, which is the very next river northward from Delaware bay."
Minuit having sailed from Jamestown previous to the 8th of May, the date of the treasurer's letter, the time of his arrival in the Delaware may be estimated with sufficient accuracy. There are still other facts that will narrow down the period, during which he must have arrived.
Van Twiller had been succeeded as Director-general of New Netherland, by William Kieft, who arrived at Fort Amsterdam on the 28th of March of this year. As early as the 28th of April, this new and vigilant Director, had been made acquainted with the arrival of the Swedes on the Delaware, as on that day. he addressed a communication1 to the directors of the West India Company, advising them of the movements of Minuit, a notice of which he had received from Peter Mey, the assistant Commis- sary at Fort Nassau. One of the Swedish vessels had sailed past the fort, had dropped down again, had been prevented from going up a second time, and had been visited officially by Mey for the purpose of seeing Minuit's license, previous to sending a notice to Kieft of the arrival of the strangers. These trans- actions, with the time required for a messenger to reach the seat of government, must have occupied at least a week, and besides, it is fair to presume that the Swedes had been in the Delaware several days before the Dutch assistant Commissary had become aware of their presence. As they could not have left Jamestown before the 1st of April, the time of their arrival in the bay could not vary more than a few days from the middle of that month.
Sailing up the bay, Minuit first landed at " Paradise point," now known as " Mispillon point,"2 a short distance above the site that had been occupied by the unfortunate Colony of De Vries and his co-patroons. The next place at which he cast anchor, was off the mouth of the Minquas river, which, in honor of the young Queen of Sweden, he named Christina. On this stream, about two and a half miles from its mouth, Minuit effected a landing at a point then favorable for that purpose, and now known as " The Rocks."3 Here, after having purchased the land from the Indians, he erected a fort or trading house, upon which he also bestowed the name of the Swedish sovereign.
Immediately upon receiving notice of the arrival of the Swedes
1 N. Y. Col. Doc. i. 592.
2 Original Settlements on the Delaware, 40.
3 Ib. 42.
1
22
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. [1638.
on the Delaware, Director-general Kieft dispatched Jan Jansen,1 clerk of Fort Amsterdam, to keep a watch over their doings, with instructions, in case Minuit intended to do anything to the dis- advantage of the Dutch, "to protest against him in due form." This duty was faithfully performed, but failing to have the desired effect, Director Kieft caused the Commander of the Swedes to be served with a protest under his own hand, of which the follow- ing is a copy.
" Thursday, 6th of May, 1638.
I, Wilhelm Kieft, Director-general of the New Netherlands, residing on the island of Manhattan, in the Fort Amsterdam, under the government which appertains to the high and mighty States General of the United Netherlands, and to the West India Company, privileged by the Senate Chamber in Amsterdam, make known to thee, Peter Menuet who stylest thyself com- mander in the service of her Majesty the Queen of Sweden, that the whole South river of New Netherland, both the upper and lower, has been our property for many years, occupied with forts, and sealed by our blood, which also was done when thou wast in the service of the New Netherlands, and is therefore well known to thee. But as thou art come between our forts to erect a fort to our damage and injury, which we never will permit, as we also believe that her Swedish Majesty has not empowered thee to erect fortifications on our coasts and rivers, or to settle people on the lands adjoining or to trade in peltry, or to undertake any other thing to our prejudice ; now therefore we protest against all such encroachments, and all the evil consequences from the same, as bloodshed, sedition, and whatever injury our trading company may suffer ; and declare that we shall protect our rights in a manner that shall appear most advisable.""2
Acrelius gives this protest the above date, but it is without flate, as recorded in the Albany Dutch documents, where it stands between papers dated respectively, on the 6th and 17th of May.3
Minuit being perfectly aware of the weakness of the Dutch at Manhattan, and of the disinclination that government would have at that time, to have a misunderstanding with her Swedish Majesty, had but little regard for these paper missiles, but pro- ceeded on with the erection of his fort, which was soon com- pleted, when he heartily engaged in the trade of the country ; a business he had learned in the service of the Dutch. Before the end of July, both vessels had departed for Sweden well freighted with furs. This rapid progress of the Swedish Colony, which
1 N. Y. Col. Doc. i. 592.
2 Acrelius, 409 ; Haz. Reg. iv. 82 : Haz. Ann. 44.
3 Minuit made no reply to the Protest of the Governor, but replied in writing to that of Jansen. N. Y. Col. Doc. i. 592.
23
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
1638.]
was doubtless owing to the intelligence and experience of the Commander, became so alarming to the Dutch Governor at Man- hattan, that he at once advised the West India Company in re- spect to it, by a letter dated on the 31st of July, 1638, of which the following is an extract.
" Minuyt erected a fort on the South river, five leagues from ours ; attracted all the peltries to himself by means of liberal gifts ; departed thence with two attendant ships, leaving 24 men in the fort, provided with all sorts of goods and do do do do do cto do provisions, had posts set up with these letters, C. R. S. &c. "1
From this letter it might be inferred that Commander Minuit returned to Sweden with the ships. Acrelius, however, gives us to understand that he did not, but remained and "did great ser- vice to the Swedish Colony ;" and during three years protected this small fort which the' Dutch never attempted ;" and that " after some years he died at this place. "2
While it is conceded that the Dutch had for a long time traded on the river ; that they had there erected forts or trading posts, one of which had been occupied from time to time since 1624; that they had purchased lands from the Indians on both sides of the bay near its mouth, and had made an unsuccessful attempt to plant a Colony at Swanendael, yet it cannot be denied that the Colony of Minuit, constituted the first permanent settlement on the Dalaware. While the Swedish Government may claim the distinction of planting this Colony, it is really entitled to very little credit on account of any immediate care and attention be- stowed on it. The whole number of emigrants it is supposed, did not exceed fifty souls,3 and a portion of these were criminals.4 Though well supplied in the beginning, they were left a long time without aid or succor from Sweden, and but for the experience and energy of the Commander, a Dutchman, the permanency of the Colony could not have been maintained. As it was, but a single day intervened between the time appointed, for its disso- lution, and the arrival of supplies that saved it from that catas- trophe.5
A most important act performed by Minuit, was the purchase6 from the Indians of the whole western shore of the Delaware to
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