H A R P E R'S I^)\^-YORK CLASS-BOOK COMPRISING OUTLINES or THE GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY OF NEAV YORK; BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES OF EMINENT INDIVIDUALS ; SKETCHES OF SCENERY AND NATURAL HISTORY; ACCOUNTS OF PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS, ETC. ARRANGED AS ^ Heading-book for ©rljoob. BY WILLIAM RUSSELL,, PROFESSOR OF ELOCUTION, IN BROOKLYN FEMALE ACADEMV ; EDITOR OF TUE. "AMERICAN JOURNAL OF EDUCATION," (FIRST SERIES.) NEW YORK: jIARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS, 82 CLIFF STREET. . . \ Entered, accoiJing to Act of Congress, iu the yeai* one thousand eight hundred and forty-seveu, by Harper & Brothers, iu tlie Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Southern District of New York. PREFACE. The following explanatory remarks are respectfully submitted to the attention of parents and teachers, and of individuals whose official duties are connected with education. The primary design of the present work, is, to furnish the youth of New York with a manual of reading lessons, embodying useful and interesting information regarding their native State. The subjects embraced in this volume, will, also, it is hoped, render it an entertaining and in- structive course of reading for young persons, throughout the Union. The time usually devoted, in schools, to exercises in reading, admits, in advanced classes, the introduction of various subjects, for which no separate assignment is made, in arranging the customary departments of instruction. The sphere of general knowledge may thus be enlarged, and taste and imagination cultivated, without encroach- ing on hours otherwise appropriated ; while a special opportunity is afforded for the immediate application of principles of elocution previously acquired, and the formation of a correct and appropriate style of reading, as a useful accomplishment. To secure these results, no expedient is more effectual than that of furnishing the proper materials for the prac- tice of the requisite exercises. These should combine a sufficient proportion of solid fact, for the exercise of the understanding, and for the application of distinctive IV PREFACE. emphasis, pausing, antl inflections, in the plain style of narration, clescription, and remark; while they are not left deficient in tojiics addressed to feeling and imagination, in forms of expression which call for the varying tones of sentiment and emotion. History, biography, and descriptive writing, in general, are the most appropriate sources from which instructive and interesting subjects for reading exercises can be de- rived. The contents of the following pages, have been selected in accordance with these views ; and the com- piler trusts that they lose nothing of their value by being drawn from local sources. They are thus invested with an additional attraction to young minds, and favor the acquisition of an animated and impressive style of read- ing; at the same time that they supply a want hitherto felt, as regards the useful intelligence which education should furnish, in relation to the scenes and associations of actual life. The author would, by no means, claim a paramount importance for subjects of only an immediate and re- strictive utility. A nari'ow feeling of exclusive prefer- ence for home scenes and mere local information, is no proper fruit of education. But an early and enlightened attachment to local associations, while it forms a distinc- tive basis of social character, in communities, is, in no respect, incompatible with that enlarged and liberal re- gard to national interests and relations, which should ever distinguish the citizens of the United States. Local preferences may be justly cherished, without incurring the faults of local prejudice ; and it would seem to be one of the proper offices of education to cultivate, in the young mind, a desire for knowledge on whatever sub- jects are likely to prove most useful or interesting, in years subsequent to the period of school instruction. PREFACE. V No part of general information can ultimately be more serviceable to any individual, than that which concerns the community of which he is, ere long, to become an active member ; and no scenes possess, for him, a truer interest than those in which he is to occupy the succes- sive periods of his life, in the pursuit of his daily duties. There can be, it is thought, but one opinion as to the importance of having all our youth well informed re- garding their native State ; and the form of a class-book, adapted to the exercise of reading, in schools, would seem to be the most convenient vehicle for such in- formation, which might, in this way, be furnished with- out overburdening teachers and pupils, by multiplying the branches of education, or making additions to the established routine of school instruction. The whole book, it is hoped, — while, by the instruc- tive and interesting character of its subjects, it may serve to cherish an early taste for knowledge, — will be found not less adapted, by variety of matter and style, to aid young persons in acquiring the invaluable habit of true and animated expression, in the exercise of reading aloud ; since a large part of the volume is, from the nature of its subjects, occupied with descriptions of in- teresting scenes and objects, narratives of striking events, and delineations of noble characters. How far the compiler has succeeded in the selection of topics, and in the requisite adaptation of expression to his subject, and to the minds of youthful readers, others will decide. His endeavor has been to furnish a volume substantially useful, and, at the same time, pleasing and aiti-active, — whether for the purpose of being read aloud, as a series of exercises, in practical elocution, or perused silently, for mental occupation, in leisure hours. The plan which has been adopted, in compiling the following pages,, comprises a concise view of the PREFACE. geography"^ of the state of New York; the narrative of its civil liistory ; hiograpMcal notices of its eminent puhlic characters; sketches of scenery and modes of living ; local outlines of natural history ; and accounts of public institutions. — The prominent features, only, of subjects so extensive, could be presented in a volume limited to the usual compass of a schoolbook. But care has been taken not to omit particulars important to elementary knowledge, or to the wants of the young mind. Selection has not always, in this respect, been found an easy task. The compiler's endeavor, however, has uniformly been to avoid an accumulation of unin- teresting and dry details, on the one hand, and the style of merely puerile amusement, on the other. To give unity and character to the v\^ork, and to adapt it to its special uses, the history has been written express- ly for the purposes in view in the present volume. But, to avoid sameness of style, in a book designed for a class reader, extracts presei"ving the language of various au- thors, have been freely interspersed. A similar course has been adopted, in preparing the other portions of the work. Variety of style has thus, it is hoped, been secured, in conjunction with exactness of information. To adapt both matter and expi'ession, however, to young readers, some omissions of detail, and some changes of phraseolo- gy, were necessarily made, in transferring materials to the * The author takes pleasure in refemug teachers, to Mather's Geography of New York, as a work well suited to the purposes of instraction, in this department. The book having been received, only within a few days, and after the body of our own work had passed through the press, it was not in our power to mention it more particulai'ly. But the care with which its subject has been investi- gated, and the thoroughly practical character of the whole work, Beem to render it a very desirable manual for instruction in chorog- raphy and topography, which are the true foundation of geographi- cal science, in relation to the actual purposes of life. PREFACE. Vll pages of the present volume. These modifications, how- ever, have been rendered as few as practicable ; and the compiler trusts that their design wall be fully understood by the writers to whose labors he stands indebted. The subjects comprehended in the following work, are, in themselves, so ample, that, to have compiled from them several volumes, rather than one, would have been the easier task of the two. But, for the purposes of educa- tion, and, particularly, for those of a reading-book, it seemed preferable to furnish a volume which, while it should not prove deficient in information, should serve rather as an incitement to farther application in the pur- suit of knowledge, than as a copious work for reference. Exactness as to facts, however, has, in all cases, been strictly regarded as indispensable in a volume like the present, designed as a source of correct information on subjects of moment. The extent and variety of actual knowledge, requisite to constitute the compiler of such a volume as the present, a personal authority, on all its topics, no individual, it is believed, can be reasonably expected to possess. All, however, that seemed practicable has been done to secure accuracy in every important statement, by particular in- quiry, or by recourse to the best sources and diligent col- lation. Much valuable aid has also been derived from individuals whose scientific labors and official duties have rendered thera competent to decide on the correctness of details, and who have taken a generous interest in the character and objects of the present work. The style of expression which has been necessarily adopted, as a standard, in compiling the following pages, is, — so far as could be done, in justice to subjects and facts, — graduated wdth a view to readers of the age usu- ally prevailing in the highest classes of schools. This circumstance will seiTe sufficiently, it is thought, to ex- VI 11 PREFACE. plain the modifications of language which have, it» „^...o' instances, been found necessary, in transferring passages from various works to the following pages. Such changes have, unavoidably, been, in some instances, too extensive to comport with the forms of expression being justly ascribed to the original authors. — The compiler would take this opportunity to express his full conviction that, whatever value his volume may be deemed to possess, is, so far as facts are concerned, due to the sources whence these are derived. He has therefore drawn freely from all that he could command; and the more so that the nature of this compilation, as a reading-book, permits a transfer of matter, without encroachment on the province of original writers. Many acknowledgments, on this score, are due to authors who have, with the utmost readiness, expressed their willingness to be thus laid under tribute to the common cause of education. To these the com- piler would return his best thanks for the personal favor so conferred. With these explanations, the author respectfully offers this volume as a contribution to the means of general edu- cation, — in the hope, also, that it may, in conjunction with other aids, subserve the purposes of that generous system of public instruction which distinguishes the state of New York. CONTENTS. Page PREFACE 3 CONTENTS 9 PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION 12 GEOGRAPHY OF THE STATE 13 Position and Boundaries 13 Geographical Division 14-18 Map delineating the boundaries of New Netherland, as claimed by the Dutch 20 Original features of the country ; Sceneiy ; Vegetable Produc- tions 21 Animals 22 Map exhibiting the positions of the Indian nations ... 24 HISTORY. Chap. I. Ai)origin.\l Period. Sec. I. Origin of the Indian Race 25-30 Sec. II. Geographical position of the Indians of New Netherland 31-34 Sec. III. Character and Habits of the Indians ... 35, 36 Sec. IV. Indian Life 37-39 Sec. V. Indian Warfare 40-42 Sec. VI. Customs, superstitions, amusements . . . 42-46 Sec. VII. Treatment of the Indians 47, 43 Chap. II. Discovery and Exploration. Sec. I. Early Voyages 48-51 Sec. II. Exploration of the river 52, 53 Sec. III. Dtitch trading voyages. 1610-1620 . . . 53-57 Sec. IV. The Dutch West-India company ... 58, 59 Chap. III. New York, under the Dutch West-India company. Sec. L Administration of director Minuit. 1624-1C33 . 59-67 Sec. II. Administrationcf director Van Twiller. 1633-1637 67-73 Sec. in. Administration of director Kieft. 1638-1646. . 73-101 Sec. IV. Early history of Albany 101-106 Sec. V. Administration of director Stuyvesant. 1647-1664 106-111 Chap. IV. New York, under the supremacy of England. Sec. I. Administrations of governors Nicolls, Lovelace, Colve, and Andros. 1664-1682 111-113 Sec. II. Administration of governor Dongan. 1683-1688 . 113-121 Sec. III. Administration of Leisler. 1688-1690 . . . 121-125 Sec. IV. Administrations of governors Sloughter, Fletcher, and Bellamont. 1691-1702 125-132 Sec. V. Administrations of lords Cornbury and Lovelace, and lieutenant-governors Ingoldsby and Beekman. 1702-1711 . 133-137 A* X CONTENTS. HISTORY— continued. Fage Sec. VI. Administration of governor Hunter. 1711-1720 . 137-142 . Sec. VII. Admmistration of governor Burnet. 1720-1728 . 142-147 Sec. VIII. Governors Montgomerie and Cosby. 1728-1736 . 147-151 Sec. IX. Lieutenant-governor Clarke. 1736-1743 . . 151-157 Sec. X. Governors Clinton and Sir Danvers Osborn. 1743- 1753 157-1C6 Sec. XI. First administration of lieutenant-governor Delan- cey. 1753-1755 166-178 Sec. XII. Administration of governor Hardy. 1755-1757 . 178-186 Sec. XIII. Second adnunistration of lieutenant-governor De- lancey. 1757-1700 ......... 186-198 Sec. XIV. Lieutenant-governor Golden, and governors Monck- ton and Moore. 1700-1769 199-205 Sec. XV. Governors Dunmore and Try on. 1770-1774 . 205-213 Chap. V. Period of the Revolution. Sec. r. Events of 1775 213-232 Map of Lake Champiain and the surrounding region . . 218 Sec. II. Events of 1776 232-219 Map of the vicinity of the city of New York . . . 239 Sec. III. Events of 1777 249-262 Sec. IV. Events of 1778 and 1779 . . • . . 262-273 Sec. V. Events of 1780 and 1781 273-281 Sec. VI. Events of 1782 and 1783 281-286 Chap. VI. Occurrences between the peace of 1783, and the WAR OF 1812. Sec. I. Events from 1784 to 1791 287-201 Sec. II. Events from 1791 to 1795 291-293 Sec. III. Events from 1795 to 1812 293-295 Chap. VII. Period of the war of 1812. Sec. L Events of 1812 and 1813 295-298 Sec. II. Events of 1814 . 298-302 Chap. VIII. Events from 1814 to 1847. . 302-304 BIOGRAPHY. Introductory Observations ■ . 305,306 Captain Willet 307, 308 Lion Gardiner 308-311 Capt. John Underhill 311-314 Lieutenant-governor Colden 315-.323 Madame Schuyler 323-353 Rev. Dr. Samuel Johnson 354 Hon. Philip Livingston 355 Dr. Jacob Ogden 355, 356 General Woodhuli 356-307 Samson Occom 367 Lewis Morris 368 Philip Schuyler 369 General Floyd . . ...... 370-372 General James Clinton ........ 372, 373 General Montgomery 374 Governor George Clinton 375-377 Stephen Sayre 377-379 John Jay 379-381 Hon. Egbert Benson 381-385 CONTENTS. XI BlUGMAVny—cnntinued. Capt. Caleb Brewster Goiiverneur Morris Colonel Benjamin Tallmadge General Morgan Lewis Hon. Rufus King Alexander Hamilton General Armstrong . Colonel Burr Brockholst Livingston Dr. Macneven Dr. Samuel L. Mitchill Edward Livingston Thomas Addis Emmet Robert Fulton James Wadsworth Dr. Hosack De Witt Clinton Cadwallader D Colden Mrs. Frances P. Lupton Rev. Dr. John M. Mason Dr. Ad rain General Brown Jesse Buel William L. Stone . Robert C. Sands Henry Inman William Leggett Lucretia Davidson Willis Gaylord Clarke Margaret Davidson PRIMITIVE COLONIAL LIFE. Modes of living in Albany Style of living among the wealthy landholders of Colonial New York NOTICES OF EARLY SETTLEMENTS, INLAND TOWNS, AND VILLAGES Migration and Settling . . SKETCHES OF SCENERY. The Hudson River Otsego Lake The Catskill Mountains Fall on the Kaaterskili Adirondac Pass LOCAL OUTLINES OF NATURAL HISTORY. Animals. Introductory Observations Reptiles Fishes Quadrupeds Birds APPENDIX. Institutions connected with education Constitution of the State 386-389 389-391 392-397 397-401 401-404 404-408 408-412 412-416 41G 417-419 419-421 421-425 426-428 428-431 431-448 448-450 450-452 453-456 456, 457 457, 458 458-461 461-465 465-467 467, 468 468, 469 470, 471 472, 473 473-482 482, 483 483-508 509-^35 535-546 547-564 564-574 575-579 580, 581 582, 583 583, 584 585-588 589 590-594 595-600 600-618 618-641 643-647 649-669 PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION, APPLIED TO THE READING OF HISTORY. i^ The attention of teachers is respectfully solicited to the fol- lowing rules, as indispensable to the right performance of tho exercise of reading aloud, in classes. I. The proper style of readiug, in geographical description and his- torical narrative, requires attention, in the ^st place, to distinctness of utterance, without which the reader cannot be understood, or the facts be impressed upon tho mind. II. Distinctness of style in reading, depends on, 1st, due loudness of voice ; 2d, proper slowness of utterance ; 3d, exactness and energy in articulation; 4th, attentive observance of pauses, so as to regulate the sense of what is read, and renew the reader'' s supply of breath. III. The dignity and importance of historical and biographical sub- jects, forbid any approach to careless familiarity and negligence of style in pronunciation, and demand a becoming attention to propriety and refinement, as the standards of good usage. IV. The interest which naturally belongs to scenic description aiid historical narration, I'^quires, in reading, an animated, energetic, and varied style of expression, in the voice, and is quite incompatible with flatness and sameness of tone, unmeaning utterance, and " schoolboy" style. V. To read any passage well, the reader must himself understand tt fully, and enter into its spirit, that his reading may give the mean- ing and sentiment of the author, by appropriate emphasis, injltc- tions, and pauses. Hence the necessity that every lesson should be carefully studied, before it is read aloud. VI. It will be of great assistance in securing a correct style of read- ing, if the teacher adopts the practice of, every day, attracting the at- tention of his pupils to those words in the lesson of the following day, ■which are most liable to be mispronounced. Such words may be either repeated orally, at the moment, or marked with a pencil.* * Teachers who wish to give their pupils the advantage of systematic and pro- gressive instruction in elocution, are referred to the author's Elementary and Common-School Series of Reading-books, or to his Orthophony and his American Elocutionist. NEW.YORK CLASS-BOOK. GEOGRAPHY . OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK. Reading Lesson I. Position and Boundaries of the State. The o-eographical position of the state of New York, is defined, on the map, by the Atlantic ocean, and the states of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, which bound it, on the south ; the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont, on the east; the river St. Lawrence and lake Ontario, which separate it from Canada, on the north and northwest; the Niagara river, on the west; and lake Erie, on the west and northwest. Chatauque county, in the southwestern part of the state, has a por- tion of the state of Pennsylvania for its western boundary. The form of the state, as projected to the eye, is that of a rude triangle, with its base on the northwest, and its apex, or peak, at the southwest. If viewed from the eastern toward the western boundary, the delineation of the surface presents the shape of one side of an irregu- lar and broken pyramid, bisected. The state is situated between forty degrees, thirty minutes, and forty-five degrees of north latitude, and between five degrees, five minutes of east, and two de- grees, fifty-five minutes of west longitude, from the city of Washington. The area of the state is upwards of foKty-six thousand square miles, — nearly equal to that of all England. The state is divided into fifty-nine counties. The population of the state amounted, by the census of 1840, to two mil- lions, four hundred and twenty-eight thousand, nine hun- dred, and twenty-one. 14 NEVV-VORK CI-ASS-BOOK.— LESSON II. The climate of New York, although the latitude of the state coincides with that of the warmer regions of Europe, corresponds, rather, in its mean annual temperature, with that of European countries lying from fifteen to twenty degrees farther north. The mean duration of winter, for the city of New York, is about five months. The warmth of the summer exceeds that of even the southern parts of Eui'ope. A broad view of the surface of the state of New York, as it would present itself to the eye of an observer, elevated to a suflScient height in the air, would coincide, most nearly, with that sketched by Dr. De Kay, in the preface to his copious and instructive Report on the zoology of the state. By the aid of the map and imagi- nation combined, his description is rendered remarkably clear aud impressive. It is, in substance, as follows. " The surface of New York is considerably elevated ; much of it lying on the great Alleghany table land. The diversity of surface is, however, so great, -that, for the purposes of more intelligible description, we may con- sider it as divided into four principal districts, — each suflBciently distinct in itself, but, of course, so much blended, at the lines of separation, as not to be contra- distinguished." Reading Lesson II. Geographical Division of the State. " Tlie Western District, the first of the four which have been mentioned, includes that portion of the state which is bounded, on the west and north, by lakes Erie and Ontario, and, on the south, by the boundary line sejja- rating it from the state of Pennsylvania. It extends eastwardly until it is lost in the valley of the Mohawk, on the north, and the mountainous part of the Hudson district. " A large portion of this district, is an elevated region, furrowed by valleys running in a north and south direc- tion ; supposed ©nee to have been the outlets of a great inland ocean, but now the beds of rivers, which, pursuing opposite courses, discharge themselves, on the one hand, through lake Ontario into the gulf of St. Lawrence, and, on the other, into the Delaware and Chesapeake bays, and into the gulf of Mexico. GEOGRAPHY. -NATURAL DIVISIONS. 15 " The central portion of this district, is a level table land, rising, in its southern parts, into elevations of from a thousand to twelve hundred feet above tide, and abruptly subsiding, on its western borders; to the level of the great " In the western part, we have the Cataraugus and. Tonawanda streams, pouring into lake Erie and Niagara river; the sources of the Alleghany river, one of the branches of the Ohio, itself a tributary to the Mississippi ; and another branch of the Alleghany takes its rise from Chatauque lake, a sheet of water sixteen miles in length, twelve hundred and ninety-one feet above tide, and seven hundred and twenty-six above lake Erie. " Eastward of these, is the Genesee river, which, taking its rise in Pennsylvania, crosses the whole district, in a north direction, and empties into lake Ontario. As we proceed eastwardly, we cross successively, in the southern portions of this district, the Canisteo, Conhocton, Che- nango, and great western branch, or principal source, of the Susquehannah, which takes its rise in the Otsego lake, a sheet of water nine miles long, with a breadth varying from three quarters of a mile to three miles. " The central portions of this district, are occupied by a series of from ten to twelve lakes, stretching, generally, to north and south, varying from fifteen to thirty-eight miles, in length ; all discharging themselves, by one com- mon outlet, the Oswego river, into lake Ontario. " On the extreme eastern border, rises the Mohawk, a tributary of the Hudson, which connects it, zoologically, with the Hudson river district. — The great inland seas of Erie and Ontario, — the one, two hundred and seventy miles in length, with a breadth from twenty to fifty miles, and the other, one hundred and ninety miles, with an average breadth of forty miles, — exercise a great influ- ence on its climate and consequent zoological character. Lake Erie, the surface of which is three hundred and thirty-four feet above lake Ontario, discharges its waters, through the rapids and falls of Niagara river, into that lake, within a distance of thirty-six miles. " This entire district is exceedingly fertile, and is cov- ered by a vigorous growth of forest trees, in the unculti- vated portions. Without entering into undue details, it will be perceived, that, while, on the one hand, the vicin- 16 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.-LESSON III. ity of such large masses of water must meliorate its cli- mate ; its fertile soil, irrigated by so many streams, will furnish the means of subsistence to numerous species of animals. It is zoologicsClly connected, by its valleys and water courses, with the great basin of the St. Lawrence ; and we accordingly find, in this district, animals common to both, although not to so great an extent as in the region next to be described. Among the mammalia, we find the northern lynx, the deer, moose, and porcupine ; while all the lakes in the interior of this district, that empty into lake Ontario, formerly abounded with salmon, which found their way from the sea, through the gulf and river St. Lawrence. In its southern portions, it is similarly con- nected with the basin of the Mississippi ; and the inter- mediate regioiTS are watered by the streams which empty into the Delaware and Chesapeake." Reading Lesson III. Geographical Division of the State. " 2. The NortJicm District comprises, as its name im- ports, the northern portion of the state, which forms au irregular truncated triangle, bounded, on its western side, by lake Ontario and the river St. Lawrence, — on its east- ern side, by lake Champlain and lake George, — and lying north of the Mohawk valley. " This district, — in its southern and southeastern por- tions, — rises into numerous conical peaks and short ranges, attaining, in some places, an elevation of more than five thousand feet. Towards lakes Champlain and George, these subside, suddenly, to the level of those sheets of water. To the north and northwest, this elevation de- scends, by a gradual and almost imperceptible slope, towards the river St. Lawrence. This slope is watered by the Oswegatchie, the Moose, and Black rivers, and by the Raquet, Grass, and St. Regis rivers ; all arising from numerous lakes embosomed in the mountainous regions of its southern parts. " Lake Champlain, a part of its eastern boundary, ex- tends, north and south, one hundred and forty miles, is twelve miles wide, in its broadest part, and discharges its waters through the Sorel river into the St. Lawrence. Into the southern part of this lake are also poured the GEOGRAPHY-NATURAL DIVISIONS. 17 waters of lake George, or Horicon, thirty-seven miles lor.o", and varying from one to seven miles in breadth. '°The cluster of mountains in its southeastern portions, may be considered as an offset frpm the great Appala- chian system, which, descending through the states of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, passes southwest- wardly between the western and Hudson river districts, and is continued under the name of the Alleghany range of mountains. In this region, too, we find the Sacondaga, Cedar, Jessup, and other tributaries of the Hudson, within a short distance of those which pour into the St. Law- rence. , . - c " This mountainous region comprises the counties of Essex, Hamilton, Herkimer, and Warren, and the south- ern part of the counties of Clinton, Franklin, and St. Lawrence, and has been estimated to contain an area of about six thousand square miles. Its zoological character is strongly impressed by the features before described. " The chief growth of trees, in this district, are the spruce, pine, larch, balsam, fir and cedar. We find here many of the fur-bearing animals, such as the sable, the fisher, and the beaver. Here, too, roam the moose, the wolverine, and others now only found in high northern latitudes. This district also forms the southern limits of the migration of many arctic birds ; and we accordingly meet here with the Canada jay, and the spruce ^grouse, the swan, the raven, and the Arctic woodpecker." Reading Lesson IV. Geographical Division of the State. " 3. The Hudson Valley District, includes those coun- ties watered by the river Hudson and its tributaries. Its chief tributary, the Mohawk, after a course of about one hundred and forty miles, enters the Hudson, from the west, at the distance of one hundred and sixty miles from its entrance into the ocean, " The shape of this district is of course modified by the length and direction of the Mohawk river, and bears some resemblance to the letter rj inverted. Smaller than either of the two preceding, it is nevertheless of much zoologi- cal interest. At its upper portion, it is connected with 18 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.-LESSON V. the northern district, and contains many animals in com- mon with the states bordering on the eastern margin. " Along its western border, it becomes elevated into high ranges of mountains, called the Kaaterskills ; some of which attain an elevation of nearly four thousand feet; containing deei', wolves, panthers, and bears. By the valley of the Mohawk, it is zoologically connected with the western district ; and this connection is becoming daily more obvious, by the great artificial water channels which reflect so much honor on the zeal and enterprise of the inhabitants. Thus, the soft-shelled turtle and rock bass of lake Erie, are now found in the Hudson ; in the same way that the yellow perch, the muskallonghee, and others peculiar to the great lakes, have, by means of the Ohio canal, found their way into the Mississippi, through the Ohio. '' On the south, this district is connected with the At- lantic ; and, accordingly, we find it teeming with the in- habitants of the ocean. On the other hand, the Hudson river appears to form a natural geographical limit to the extension of some species, — at least in any considerable numbers. Thus, the opossum of the South rarely, if ever, outsteps this boundary ; among reptiles, the chain snake and brown swift ; and the buzzai'd and many other species, among the birds. From the north, also, this river appears to be a barrier to their progress south." Reading Lesson V. Geograjyhical Division of (lie State. " 4. TJie Atlantic District comprises Long Island, with a medium breadth of ten miles, extending in a north- easterly direction one hundred and fifty miles. Its insular position influences its climate ; and we accordingly find a great difference between its temperature and that of the main land. It is a low sandy region, with extensive plains, and rising, along its northern borders, into hills of moderate elevation, at but one point only exceeding three hundred feet in height. " Although much smaller than any of the preceding districts, yet it possesses some zoological features of interest. Its insular position, and its early settlement, have occasioned the extirpation of some of the larger i GEOGRArilV.-PRLMITIVE SCENERY, &c. 21. quadrupeds, such as the otter, wolf, and bear; but deer are still numerous. It is more remarkable for the abun- dance and variety of its birds, than for the number of its mammalia. Here we find the extreme southern limits of the migrations of the arctic species, and the northernmost termination of the wanderings of the birds of the torrid zone. Thus we find, in winter, in this district, the eider duck, the little white goose, the great cormorant, tlie auk, and many others from the arctic ocean. During the heats of summer, we meet with the turkey buzzard and swallow-tailed kite, the fork-tailed flycatcher from the tropical wilds of Guiana, and numerous others from the south. This region seems, also, to be the boundary between the fishes and other classes of the northern and tropical seas, and occasionally furnishes specimens from either extremity." Reading Lesson VI. Original Features of the Country. Boundaries claimed by the Dutch. — The voyage in which Hudson discovered and explored the river which bears his name, led him to visit the American coast, at various points between Penobscot bay and the Chesapeake. The Dutch, in whose service this voyage was undertaken, claimed, in virtue of the right of discovery and partial exploration, the whole region lying between cape Cod and Delaware bay. Scenery. — The majestic rivers and capacious bays of this extensive region, not only gave a character of mag- nificence to its scenery, but indicated its peculiar adapta- tion to the purposes of traffic, — a consideration of great moment in the estimation of a people so devoted to com- mercial pursuits as the Dutch. The aspect of the whole country, however, was that of an unbroken wilderness, covered with primeval forests. The coast was principally low and sandy ; and the distant interior apparently rocky and mountainous. But the intervening soil, along the river courses, was rich and loamy. Vegetable Productions. — The primitive vegetation, in its wild luxuriance, intimated the abundant fertility which might be expected to reward the diligent hand of cultiva- tion. The trees of the forest were of the noblest dimen- 22 NEW-YORK CLASS BOOK.— LESSON VI. sions ; the wild fruits of all sorts abundant ; the meadow and forest flowers bloomed in boundless profusion and variety. Medicinal herbs of rare virtue, but well known to the natives, in the cure of wounds and diseases, were the common and spontaneous productions of the soil. Animals. — Nor was animal life less abundant, or less varied in its forms, than vegetable nature. The forest and the i-iver banks were frequented by innumerable herds of buffaloes, elks, and deer. The beaver, the otter, and the raccoon were found, in multitudes, in their accustomed haunts. Nor were the fiercer races wanting, to call forth the vigilance and energy of man. The panther, the bear, the wild cat, the wolf, and the fox, with countless varieties of the smaller annoying tribes which infest the homestead, seemed almost to counterbalance the advantage arising from the abundant supply of game. The peculiar birds of this new I'egion, charmed the eye of the European visitants, by the unwonted beauty and splendor of their plumage. Besides the well-known eagle, the falcon, the raven, the turkey, the partridge, the quail, and the pigeon, were the less familiar forms of the gaudy American woodpeckers, and the hitherto unseen, diminu- tive figure and dazzling plumage of the humming bird, — the fairy of the feathered tribes. The waters teemed yet more abundantly than the earth and the air, with their appropriate tenants ; and the voy- agers, when visiting the rivers, regaled their appetites on the plenteous supplies of salmon, sturgeon, bass, shad, , carp, perch, pike, trout, and other fresh-water fish. The sea, with its sounds and bays, furnished them, in exhaust- less abundance, with shell-fish, among which were copious supplies of lobsters, oysters, clams, and turtles. Cod, halibut, mackerel, bass, and many other valuable kinds of fish, were found in shoals of vast extent. Waterfowl, too, were exceedingly numerous. Among these were swans, geese, ducks, teal, widgeons, and brant ; all cor- responding to the profusion of animal life in other forms, throughout the productive regions of New Netherlaud.* * The word Netherland, like the corresponding plu-ase, the Low Countries, referred, originally, to the regions on the nether or lower, part of the river Rhine, — including HoUand and Belgium. The phrases. High and Low Dutch, refer, distinctively, to the languages spoken in the countries on the higher and lower portions of the same river. HISTORY. CHAPTER 1,— ABORIGINAL PERIOD. SECTION I. — ORIGIN OF THE INDIAN RACE. Reading Lesson VII. . *Sources of information regarding the Indians. — The history of the races which originally inhabited the North American continent, is involved in much obscurity. In the region now designated as the state of New York, the plantations of European colonists, began, soon after the discovery of the country, to encroach rapidly on the homes and hunting-grounds of the natives; and the inter- course between the two races, was, so early, of a hostile character, that little opportunity was afforded to the curi- ous, or to the benevolent, for inquiries into the condition of the primitive tribes. Little has been preserved to our times, regarding the origin of the Indians, but their own dim and fabulous tra- ditions, imperfectly caught by resident ti'aders, busied with other pursuits than those of historical investigation; and of the enduring monuments, in the form of mounds and fortifications, which time has not wholly obliterated, uo satisfactory knowledge can be gleaned. Relics of the early races. — The state of New York, in common with other portions of the North American con- tinent, possesses many interesting but obscure traces of once powerful nations, which seem to have existed previ- ous to the savage tribes occupying the country, at the period of its discovery by Europeans. The ruins of ex- * Tlie italics, in this and similar instances, indicate the principal topics of every Section and every Reading Lesson, aild are intended to fur- aish tlie matter for oral questions by the teacher, when exainiuing his classes on the subject of the lessons. Thus, " What is said qt the lourccs of information regarding the Indians?^' &c. B 26 NEW-YORK CLASS BOOK.— LK.^SON VIII. tinct cities and of military fortifications, the traces of agri- culture, and the remains of art, in several of its ornamental as well as its useful branches, — all of which have been brought to light, in various parts of the state, and exam- ined and commented on by men of learning and research, — bespeak the existence of a people entirely distinct from the savage roamers of the forest, who were found ^lere by our ancestors. Our museums furnish us with specimens of the relics of such a race ; and in the Albany Institute are preserved not a few of these interesting memorials of the far distant past. But such objects provoke, rather than gratify, the curiosity of the mind, regarding this period of obscurity. They resemble the davvnings and glimpses of thought in childhood, so justly described by the poet, as " fallings from us, — vanisliings." Traces nf enrh/ European visitors. — A similar strain of conjecture and fancy, is all that attends the contemplation of another class of our Ipcal antiquities, — the traces of eai'ly European visitors of whose wanderings we have no record ; but whose unquestionable vestiges, are still, at intervals, disinterred from our soil. So indistinct and un- satisfactory are these, that we can venture no farther than to pronounce such remains European, and not Asiatic or American, in their character. Armor, and other relics which cannot be mistaken, have been dug up, — all indi- cating early communications with America, which have; found no historian, and the objects of which are, to us, wrapped in mystery. Origin of the present Indian race. — Over the origin i even of the present Indian nations, a similar veil of un- certainty hangs. The question still remains undecided, whence sprang the warlike tribes which our fatheis found: on the shores of the new world. Reading Lesson VIII. Histories of the Five Nations.* — The chief sources of * The designation, "Five Nations," applies to the five tmited In- dian tribes, the M >havvks, the Oiieidns. the Senecns, th" On'mdavras. and the CiivuTas. To th-se the Tiis-arora frihe afterwiird-* joined - themselves. — Hence the subsequent designation of tbn wlaole ecu-,' federacy, as the " Six Nations." HISTORV.-THE INDIAN RACE. 27 information respecting the original condition of the Indian races of the region now designated as the state of New York, are the early notices of French travellers and resi- dents, and the histoiy of the Five Nations by Dr. Cad- wallader Golden, who, for nearly half a century preceding the American revolution, filled several important public offices, under the British government, in the then colony of New York. " The work of Dr. Golden," — says the late Mr. W. L. Stone, in a paper communicated to the New- York His- torical Society, and published in the volume of their pro- ceedings for 1845, — " the work is valuable, although it comes down only to a very short period subsequent to the peace of Ryswick. The French travellers and historians had occupied this field of historical research, at a much earlier day. Doctor Golden availed himself of their labors, — particularly of those of Gharlevoix ;* and, having access to the archives of the colonial Indian commissioners, in regard to the Six Nations,! he was enabled not only to make his history of that great family of the Indian race more full, but also to correct many of the errors into which the French writers had fallen. Nevertheless, the Doctor relied chiefly upon the French, for the Indian speeches he has given in the text of his work ; which ac- counts for the fact, that these specimens of aboriginal elo- quence, are more florid than those which have generally been rendered by English interpreters. " Golden was a man of a benevolent spirit. He ad- mired the unsophisticated character and the genius of the Iroquois, and felt deeply for their wrongs. He wrote, therefore, with a somewhat partial pen. Yet his work has become a standard, and is justly considered authori- tative. Gertainly it is such as a record of facts. His In- troduction, giving an account of the form of government of the Six Nations, and of their religious manners, cus- toms, and laws, is highly interesting, and has scarcely been improved by subsequent writers. " It is a curious fact, that, in the organization of the government of the Aquanuschioni, at the time of the dis- covery, is found the very organization of the government of the United States. Each of the Five Nations was a distinct and independent republic, so far as its own par- ♦ Pronounced, Sharlvwatr. t See foot-note on preceding page. 28 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON IX. tlcular government and affairs were concerned ; but all matters affecting the wliole confederacy were discussed in a general central council, or congress, held as occasion required at Anondaga. Officers of every grade, sachems, or civil magistrates, and war-chiefs, acquired and held their places only by merit. They served always without compensation ; and bad conduct was invariably followed by disgrace and degradation. On one point, the Doctor is clearly in the wrong. He has adopted the French notion, that the confederates, — the Iroquois of the French, — were but recent occupants of the beautiful country in which they were found at the time of the discovery. But the evidence afforded by the traditions of the Iroquois themselves, proves, beyond doubt, that their residence had been long in the country in which they were found at the time of the discovery." David Cusick, an educated Tuscarora Indian, at- tempted to supply the deficiency of historical records regarding his countrymen, by publishing a work embody- ing some of the Indian traditions on that subject. But it is of so wild and fabulous a character, that it cannot be relied on, for anything authentic or satisfactory. An able summary of the history of the Six Nations, was given by governor De Witt Clinton, in a discourse pronounced before the New-York Historical Society, in the year 1811. A very valuable source of information on the aborigines of New York, is to be found in Dr. Adrian Van der Donck's Description of New Netherland, translated by Mr. Johnson of Brooklyn, and published by the New- York Historical Society. Reading Lesson IX. Bradford's researc7i.cs on Indian Antiquities. — Tlie most extensive woi'k of research, on the subject of the origin of the red races of this continent, is that of Mr. Alexander W, Bradford. " His investigations," says Mr. Stone, "have by no means been confined to the history of the United States, or to that of the northern division of the New World ; but the north and the south have been included, and the ruins of all been investigated, from the snow-huts of the Esquimaux to the palaces of the Incas. The work bears indubitable evidences of laborious and careful research ; HISTORY.— THE IXDIA.N KACE. 29 and the I'esiilt is a faithful description of all the monu- ments yet discovered, which can throw the least light upon the history of the aboriginals of either continental division. In these descriptions are included the mounds, fortifications, relics of pottery, implements of warfare, and other ancient remains in the United States; — the pyramids, temples, sculptures, and hieroglyphics of Mexico, the ruins of Huexotla,* Palenque,t Copan, Mitlan, and other Mexican cities ; and the mounds, public roads, and aque- ducts of Peru, and other portions of America farther south. The results of the author's inquiries, everywhere bearing evidence of great accuracy, are summed up as follows : — *' 1. The thi'ee great groups of monumental antiquities in the United States, New Spain, and South America, in their style and character present indications of having proceeded from branches of the same human family. " 2. These nations were a rich, populous, civilized, and agricultural people ; constructed extensive cities, roads, aqueducts, fortifications, and temples ; were skilled in the arts of pottery, metallurgy, and sculpture ; had obtained an accurate knowledge of the science of astronomy ; were possessed of a national religion, subject to the salutary control of a definite system of laws ; and were associated under regular forms of government. " 3. From the uniformity of their physical appearance ; from the possession of relics of the art of hieroglyphic painting, from universal analogies in their language, tradi- tions, and methods of interring the dead ; and from the general prevalence of certain arbitrary customs, nearly all the aborigines appear to be of the same descent and origin ; — and the barbarous tribes are the broken, scat- tered and degraded remnants of society, originally more enlightened and cultivated. " 4. Two distinct ages may be pointed out in the his- tory of the civilized nations, — the first and most ancient subsisting, for a long and indeterminate period, in un- broken tranquillity, and marked, toward its close, by the signs of social decadence ; — the second, distinguished by national changes, the inroads of barbarous or semi-civilized tribes, the extinction or subjugation of the old, and the foundation of new, and more extensive, empires ; and " 5. The first seats of civilization were in Centi-al ** Pronounced, Hooayhotla ; t Palainkay. 30 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON X. America, whence population was cliffiised through both continents, from cape Horn to the Arctic ocean, " In relation to the question of their origin, " 1. The red race, under various modifications, may be traced physically into Etruria, Egypt, Madagascar, an- cient Scythia, Mongolia, China, Hindostan, Malaya, Poly- nesia, and America, and was a primitive and cultivated branch of the human family ; and '■ 2. The American aborigines are, more or less, con- nected with these several countries, by striking analogies in their arts, their customs, and traditions, their hiero- glyphical painting, their architecture and temple-building, their astronomical systems, and their superstitions, reli- gion, and theocratical governments. " His conclusions are, that all the various nations and tribes inhabiting America, at the period of the discovery, had the same origin, from the same primitive civilized source ; and that they came to America, probably, from the Indian archipelago, and across the islands of the Pa- cific ocean. From this last conclusion I have intimated my dissent. My own convictions are strong, that the ab- original race, — at least, of the northern division of the continent, and probably of the whole, — emigrated from northern Asia across Behring's Straits, or from northern Europe, or perhaps from both." Reading Lesson X. Additional sources of local information regarding the Indian tribes. — Mr. Stone's lives of Brant and Red Jacket, distinguished chiefs of the Iroquois confederacy, and the notices of Indian history in Mr. Campbell's Annals of Tryon County, together with Mr. Schoolcraft's Research- es, furnish many interesting particulars concerning those tribes of the primitive races of North America, which in- habited the region of New Netherland, at the time when it was discovered by Europeans. From these various sources we glean the materials of the following paragraphs. Some lover of antiquarian re- search, will, it is to be hoped, furnish, ere long, a com- plete and satisfactory work on this interesting subject. We would, in the meantime, earnestly recommend to our readers the perusal of such of the above-mentioned works HISTORY.— THE INDIAN RACE. 31 as may, from time to time, become accessible to thera. To an American mind, the contents of these volumes form one of the most interesting portions of the romance of authentic history. We know of no way in which so much entertaining and, at the same time, useful knowledge may be acquired by young readers. For perusal, at leisure moments, we may mention, also, the vivid and beautiful sketches of Indian life, wrought into the exciting tales of Mr. Cooper, which, though tinged with the hue of romantic fiction, are true, in the main, to the spirit of history, and well fitted to incite the mind to farther reading on this interesting branch of our local history. SEC. 11.— GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION OF THE INDIANS OF NEW NETHERLAND. Earlij condition of the principal Indian tribes found in Nctc Netherhind. — The whole region visited by Hudson, was occupied by various tribes, which constituted branch- es of the great primitive race of the Algonquin Lenape. Along the eastern border of New Netherland, dwelt the Pequods and the Wampanoags, — afterwards so famed for their hostility to the Puritan settlers of New England and their descendants. The upper region of the Cohotatea, or North River, to the distance of seventy miles from the head of navigation, was occupied by the fierce tribe of the Mohawks, or Maquaas, as they were sometimes called. These held in subjection the suiTOunding tribes, on the western bank of the river. The Mahicanders, Mohegans, or River Indians, dwelt along the banks of the Hudson to its mouth ; their domain extending eastward to the Connecticut. The Montauks, or Matouacs, of Sewan- hacky, or Long Island, renowned among their contempo- raries, for their wailike character, were supreme in that re- gion, and held in dependence more than a dozen petty tribes. Subordinate tribes. — South of the Mohegans dwelt the Waraouckins on the east, and the Waranancongins on the west. The latter of these tribes subsequently acquired the name of Wappingi. The Wicquaeskeeks occupied a tract extending from the North to the East River, and lying along the banks of two tributary streams, called the Sintsinck and the Armonck. Immediately south of the Wicquaeskeeks, were the Manhattes, or Manhattans. 32 NEW- YORK CLASS BOOK.-LESSON' XI. Manlmttan hland.— l:\^x?, name the Dutch settlers o-ave to the island winch was the chief scene of the national council-fires of that fierce tribe. The island of the Man- hattans IS now not unfrequently called New- York Island —a name which looks to the future rather than the past' and seems to anticipate the dav, probably not very dis- tant, when the wild scene of the council-fire and war- dance of the primitive sava-e, shall be universally covered- with the spacious streets, the busy marts, and the ele-ant abodes of civilized and poli.shed life. Imagination itself can now scarcely fig.ire, from the ^ level ed surface of modern New York, the varied scene of lull and dale, stream and fi.rest, which was presented to the eye of the Dutch trader, as he landed to communi- cate with the naked Indian, and to traffic with him for lurs, obtained from wild animals then frenuentina " spots which are now the haunts of beauty and fa:liion It seems easier, indeed, to anticipate the time when the whole island shall be but the site of the enlarged city of New York, the maritime queen of this western hemi- sphere, and the emporium of, perhaps, the larger sW of the commerce of the world. ^^'^er snaie Reading Lesson XI. The Hachingsach and Raritan tribes.— Th^ Hackincr sacks were a tribe dwelling on the western sicle of th°e STTro"'",''^"^^"^^"'^^ ^-'' betvveenM iatrer and the ocean shore, were the Rqrirpn« „4, ^-nonal appellation yet regains, i. the rve^ndZ which bear their name This trik^ W ? c i ^ .ying tlie f^nile valle;-of ^::.^:^^^t;SnrN^^^^ Nor^h r[' "\''^" '""^^c ^^^« «^ '^- ^^--^ bay cff he St^en ^^ '"Tir:' Ra?-;'^'°°.' ^"' EghquLus,^or quently driven frinthe^rT"'' ^T'"^'' '^""'^ ^^^se- sequeifce of successive ^ T ^™"' P'^"^'-^ ^'^ ^""- which destroyed tw'ulS™'^ ^""^•^' """f"^"^^ '^^^T. and partly by incuZns .^f /l T'" ^^^?^^=^'"^« "^ ^^'ain. ware^and^Milsi Indies ctl Sb^yX^D^^^^rSanki ''■^^^■ a fierce and overbearing, race whir .7 if ,f"'' antiquity of origin, and V^Scripd e " T^ r ^? '"?'"^^' over their red brethren in genera ° ' ""^ Jominion HISTORY.— THE INDIAN RACE. 33 The Delawares. — This haughty nation occupied the whole region bounded east and south by the Hudson River and the Atlantic, west by the ridge which parts the ti-ibutaries of the Delaware from those of the Susque- hannah and Chesapeake. Their northern boundary ex tended to the sources of the Schuylkill. The Kaaterskill^ mountains separated them from the Wappings and from the Minquas, — a Mohawk tribe of that region. The Delaware Indians, like all other savage tribes occupying regions of great extent, were subdivided into clans, each bearing a local name ; as the Assunpinks of Stony creek ; the Mingoes and others, about Wilming- ton ; and the Minnisinks, above the forks of the Dela- ware. Indian tribes of Long Island. — Some authors who have written on the early history of the Indians, consider the aborigines of Long Island as a branch of the great Dela- ware race. Others have controverted this opinion. The chief resorts of these islanders were the shores, where they could obtain the fish on which they principally sub- sisted, and the shells from which the sewan, or wampum, was made. This, most of our readers are aware, was the substitute used, both by the natives and the early colonists, for metallic currency. 'Wampum. — The use of small shells of beautiful form and color, seems to have been commonly resorted to, by barbarous races, in all ages, and in all parts of the world, for the same purposes of convenience in traffic as the gold and silver money of civilized nations. The peculiar sort of currency used by the Indians, was, by them, called sewan, or, when collected into bands or belts, wampum. The former designation was retained by the Dutch ; the latter was commonly used by the English. It was not an original marine production, but a bead manufactui'ed, with much labor and skill, from the inner part of the conch and the muscle. The beads which were obtained from the former were small, roundish, smooth, and white ; those from the latter, bluish in color, oblong in shape, and * In the early part of our history, proper names sometimes occur in the Dutch orthography. This natural trait it was deemed proper to follow, as an appropriate portion of historical delineation. The re semblance of the Dutch to the English spelling, is usually sufficient to prevent mistakes as to location. B* 34 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON XI. about a third of an inch in length, resembling a portion, of a straw or a pipe-stem. Both sorts were perforated, so as to become capable of being strung, and woven into bands, or festooned into fanciful shapes, for orna- ment. The laborious mode of obtaining sewan, made it, of course, a commodity of great value, in the early traffic between the natives and the European voyagers and traders. So much were the former attached to the use of it, that they looked with contempt on the gold and silver coins of their visitants, or used them merely as personal ornaments. The coloi'ed glass beads introduced by Europeans, however, met with a better acceptance among the Indians, and, ere long, became substitutes for their own manufacture. The currency of the colonists themselves, for local purposes, seems to have continued long in this barbarous form. Six of the white, and three of the dark beads, were equivalent to a penny. We read that, in the year 1683, the schoolmaster in Flatbush was paid his salary in wheat, " wampum value," and received twelve styvers, in wam- pum, at every baptism, as compensation for providintr the requisite basin of water. In 1693, the ferriage from New York to Brooklyn, was eight styvers in wampum, or a silver twopence. ■ Wampum belts were used for personal ornaments, for presents, for tribute, for the ratification of treaties, for the expiation of murder, — for every purpose, in short, to which money has been applied, in any stage of society. Position of the Island tribes. — It is difficult to assign, with accuracy, the limits of the various subdivisions of the island tribes. The Canarisse occupied King's county, and parts of the adjacent I'egion. The Rockaways dwelt in the vicinity of the spot which still bears their name. The Marsapeagues occupied the country extending from Rockaway, through Queen's county, to Huntington ; the Mattinnecocks, that reaching from Flushing to Cowhar- bor ; the Manhassetts dwelt on Shelter island ; and the Montauks occupied the peninsula, the point of which retains their name. The Dutch usually styled the chief of the last-mentioned tribe sachem, or head chief, of Long Island. HISTORY.— THE INDIAN RACE. 85 SEC. III.— CHARACTER AXD HABITS OF THE INDIANS. Reading Lesson XII. Personal appearance of tlie Indians. — To the eye of the first European visitants, the Indians presented a noble form and dignified mien, — an advantage for which they were indebted to their free mode of life. But this natural air of superiority, was counteracted by the absence of expression and intelligence in the countenance ; by the broad, flat features, high cheekbones, low forehead, sunken eyes, small nose, large mouth, and coarse hair, which seemed universally characteristic of the race. The habit, too, of eradicating the beard, and of smearing the face, and even the person, with thickly coated paint, tended to render them, personally, somewhat disgusting to European taste. Indian dress. — The scanty covering of skins and furs, to which the Indians were habituated, seemed a more natural accompaniment of savage life. But the gaudy decoration of their persons to which they accustomed themselves, on great occasions, was, in the estimation of Europeans, fantastic and puerile. Their winter cover- ing was usually a loose robe of furs ; their summer cos- tume amounted to no more than a scanty piece of skin, wrapped or tied round the waist. Children, in their early years, wore nothing in the form of clothing. Women wore, — in addition to an under-garment of dressed deer-skiu, fringed with wampum, — an outer robe, fastened by a girdle, and reaching from the waist below the knee. But after their traffic with the whites gave them access to woollen garments, both sexes usually adopted a mantle of coarse cloth, which they hung over the right shoulder. Their fine natural taste for appropriate color in costume, and their rude but rich style of decoration, often rendered the Indian, when thus equipped, a fitting study for the artist. The robe of the Indian became yet more con- venient, when it assumed the form of a blanket, useful at night as well as by day. The Indian's mode of life, which led him to traverse swamp and forest, rendered indispensable a covering for the legs and feet. The moccasons, or shoes, and the leg- gings which he wore, were usually made of dressed deerskin, tastefully ornamented. 36 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON XIIL The Indian style of wearing the hair was peculiar, and, usually, distinctive of the individual ; — some wearing it only on the crown of the head, some preferring to have it grow in the form of a ridge or mane, in one strip, from the brow to the neck, and to have this ridge cropped and erected into a crest, by the aid of bear's grease. The Indian women wore their hair bound, at the back of the head, in a club, shaped like a beaver's tail, over which they wore a square cap, decorated with wampum. Both sexes wore ornaments of feathers, shells, and plates of copper, suspended from the ears and the nose. The taste of the men inclined them often to appropriate the finery which the Europeans designed for the women. — An amusing instance of this nature is given in the work of an early French traveller, wlio tells of a Huron war- rior's plundering his bride of her wedding-dress, and parading in it with great pomp, before the French donors. The men prided themselves on their success in smear- ing themselves with the most hideous colors, when pre- paring for battle, and desirous of striking terror into the hearts of their enemies. In this process they were emi- nently successful, when, in subsequent times of war, they presented themselves, in such fiendish guise, to the terri- fied women and children of the whites. Reading Lesson XIII. Indian prowess. — The first impressions which the Euro- peans derived from the appearance and habits of the Indians, were, as might naturally be expected, false and exaggerated. The natives were, at first, thought to be as powerful in body as their aspect implied. But a nearer acquaintance proved them to be inferior to the European race, in muscular vigor and energy, although capable of endu7-ing privation and fatigue, to a wonderful extent. — This result they owed partly to. the experience of want, occasionally incident to savage life, and their ac- customed long fasts and vigils, with the use of bitter draughts, — a disciphne to which their stoic pride of en- durance, and their ambition of distinction, led them to submit, to a degree that appears to have bordered, some- times, on self-destruction. From such training, the Indian derived his noted habits HISTORY.— THE INDIAN RACE. 37 of patient perseverance, in pursuit of game, on his long hunting excursions, and his fortitude in suffering the per- sonal tortures to which he was sure to be subjected, when he fell into the hands of a hostile tribe, in time of war. In the latter case, his glory was to die scoffing at the vain attempts of his enemies to cause him once to writhe or groan. To evince a feeling of pain, or even of grief, was, in his estimation, to degrade the character of a war- rior to that of a boy or a woman. At the stake itself, he chanted his death-sono-, as a prelude to the scene of tor- ment, and, in a spirit of sublime triumph, offered up his life, with all the solemnity and deliberation of an accepted, sacrifice, on the altar of war. With all his peculiar fortitude, however, in the hour of captivity, and in the act of sufliering an inevitable death, there was nothing noble, nothing human in his mode of warfare : he delighted to steal unperceived upon his enemy, and murder him, while yet asleep. His warfare was always, if practicable, one of extermination ; and he glutted his savage vengeance with the blood, of women and children. SEC. IV.— INDIAN LIFE. Indian modes of hunting. — The Indians were universally expert in the art of killing or securing game of all sorts, whether for the purpose of obtaining food or clothing from the animals which they hunted. Traps, nets, and snares, of various forms and ingenious contrivance, they used with wonderful skill and success, in the capture of the bear, and the beaver, and of the smaller tribes of animals which come under the designation of game. But the hunting excui'sions from which the Indian de- rived his chief annual supplies of food, to be dried and. stored against winter, were commenced after solemn cere- monies connected with abstinence and watching, and the careful observation of dreams. The hunt was, on these occasions, an expedition embracing the force of a whole tribe; and the mode of attacking the game was that, formerly pursued in Europe, of driving all the wild ani- mals of a given region into a central spot, where they were destroyed, in vast numbers, by spears, arrows, clubs, and other weapons, such as the skill of savage contrivers could furnish. 38 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.-LESSON XIV. After the chase was over, feasting, and formal songs and dances followed ; and these ceremonies were some- times renewed, on the return of the party to the homes of their tribe. Indian agriculture. — Labor, in any form, the Indian deemed a servile employment ; and, with the prejudices natural to the savage, regarding woman as inferior, he devolved on the sex not only the customary toils of the household, but those also of the field, or, rather, the gar- den ; for farming could hardly be said to exist among the Indian tribes. Maize, beans, and pumpkins, were the chief vegetable productions to which the natives de- voted their attention ; and these they cultivated in small spots favorable for the purpose, in the immediate vicinity of their wigwams. The grain which they did not wish immediately to use, was stored under ground, in holes lined with bark. When wanted, it was taken out, atid ground or bruised between stones. From the coarse meal thus obtained, they made cakes, and their favorite porridge, called sappaan.* Reading Lesson XIV, Indian dwellings. — The abodes of the Indian tribes were of the simplest and rudest structure. They were formed of hickory saplings stuck in the ground, and bent, at top, into an arch. This frame-work was covered with bark, save where an opening was left, in the central part, for the escape of the smoke of their fire. The size of their dwellings, varied, with the wealth of the owner, from that of a small hut to that of an ample house. Their furniture was limited to couches of rushes or of skins. Tables and chairs were, to them, unnecessary. Their domestic utensils were usually limited to a few pots and kettles ; wooden mortars and stone pestles, for pounding corn ; hollow shells, for spoons ; and flat ones, sharpened, for knives ; with stone hatchets. To these were added the paddles of their canoes, and the nets and other implements used in hunting, and the rude wooden spade with which the squaw dug the soil, in their limited style of gardening. The only decoration of the walls, consisted in the pipe and weapons of the warrior, festooned * Pronounced, sappawn. HISTORY.-THE INDIAN RACE. 39 with the scalps taken in wai', from the heads of his ene- mies. Indian villages. — The aborigines of New Netherland, like other Indian tribes, dwelt, for the advantage of mutual security and aid, in little communities, each under its own chief. Their villages were at a distance of, some- times, twenty miles from each other, and were situated, usually, on the sunny side of a small but steep hill, sloping down to a lake or stream ; the common cornfield lying on the level between. The whole was enclosed by a strong stockade, to protect the inhabitants from surprise or at- tack ; as war was an event by no means rare among the Indian tribes of this region. The life of the Indians, though social, was migratory. In summei', they frequented the streams, lakes, and bays, for the facility of fishing. In winter, they frequented the forests, where they practised the chase, in pursuit of deer and other wild animals. Indian canoes. — The summer life of the Indian races, rendered them dependent, to a great extent, on the canoes in which they pursued their occupation of fishing. Im- perfect as were the resources of the natives, their canoes exhibited one of the chief triumphs of their skill and per- severance. Some of these vessels were fonned by burn- ing out the heart of massive logs, and afterwards finishing them with their rude stone hatchets. Others were neatly and compactly formed by stitching together, by means of withes and thongs, large pieces of the bark of the white birch-tree. In these slight fabrics, impelled by a broad paddle, the Indians glided, with amazing swiftness, over the surface of lake and stream. Some of their canoes would hold a dozen persons, and vast loads of grain, furs, or fish. Governmerit and laws. — The form of government uni- versally prevalent among the Indian nations of North America, combined the twofold character of an absolute monarchy, in time of war, and a republic, in time of peace. The affairs of the nation were managed by a council of the eldest and bravest of each tribe. But, in their war- like expeditions, they were under the sole irresponsible direction of their sachem, or war-chief, who was chosen from among the bravest, by universal suffrage, and who, although the office never was hereditary, usually held his post till death or old age, — when another election 40 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON XV. took place. The honor of holding the office was all the remuneration which an Indian chief received. Not only was there no compensation for service ; but custom im- posed on the sachem the necessity of giving away the spoils which he had taken, or which had been awarded to him, in war. SEC. v.— INDIAN WARFARE. Reading Lesson XV. Warlike life of the Indian races. — The habits of savage life, in all climates of a bracing temperature, incline to the condition of war, as the natural state of man, while subsisting by the chase. Of this fact the Indians of New Netherland were conspicuous examples. They lived in perpetual hostilities, caused either by the warlike ambition and traditional feuds of the great nations among them, or by the quarrels of subordinate tribes, and even of petty villages. Preliminary ceremonies. — The warlike expeditions of the Indians, were undertaken with great parade and for- mality. The head chief consecrated himself to his office by fasting, watching, and abstinence, and the use of bitter draughts, supposed to have the power of causing vivid dreams, or visions approaching to hallucination. The prophet, or priest, of the tribe, united the virtue of his incantations and divinations, to the vigils of the war-chief. Solemn assemblies were, meantime, held ; in the inter- vals of which the orators of the tribe harangued the war- riors on the glorious character and achievements of their own tribe, and poured contempt on their enemies. On these occasions, all the graphic incentives and sententious pith of Indian eloquence, were used to inflame the martial spirit of the tribe. A wampum belt was thrown down in the midst of the circle, which none but he who felt him- self entitled to hold the second place in command, dared to take up. . The war-feast. — As the day of the expedition drew near, the war-chief exchanged the sable coat of paint which he had hitherto worn, for one of varied color, on a ground of bright red. The caldron for the great war-feast, was now suspended over a huge fire, and received the contributions of all present, to the grand banquet. When the feast was over, the head chief sang his war-song, and HISTORY.— THE INDIAN RACE. 41 was followed, in the act, by the principal warriors of the tribe. The war-song was a rhythmical chant, setting forth the exploits of the hero and his ancestors. The war-dance accompanied the. recital ; and the time of the whole movement was marked on a rude sort of drum. The eve of battle. — The night following the great war- feast, was devoted to the solemnities of arming and deco- rating the person of the warrior, and assuming his favorite emblems and colors. Their " manittous," or images of their guardian deities, were now deposited in a common box, and borne before the advancing host. The war- whoop of the tribe was raised, and repeated, at intervals, along the march; its fiendlike screech indicating the atro- cities which were to ensue. On approaching the enemies' country, the strictest silence succeeded, and was preserved till the moment of assault. The invaders, approaching with stealthy caution and noiseless tread, at length, with a simultaneous yell of their war-whoop, sprang upon their startled foes, and commenced the havoc of their merciless warfare. The attack ceased not but with the destruction or capture of the men, the massacre of the women and children, and the scalping of the dead, amid the burning and plunder- ing of the wigwams. Warlike implements. — The principal weapons of the Indians, were bows and arrows : the former, remarkably powerful and elastic ; the latter, headed with sharp stones, fastened to the stem with resinous cement. To these were added, — previous to the period when the natives be- came acquainted with European fire-arms, — a war-club, the head of which was formed principally of extremely hard and well sharpened stone ; a scalping-knife, of strong, shai-p shell ; and, more rarely, a wooden spear and shield, of the hardest soi't of wood, carefully seasoned, and yet farther hardened by fire. Indian triumph. — With the scalps of the slain, and the persons of their captives, the Indian victors returned home, in triumph ; exhibiting these trophies in the vil- lages of their allies, through which they passed. The un- fortunate prisoners were compelled, at every halt, to run i the gauntlet, and in some instances, reached the abode ' of their enemies, barely alive, to undergo a yet more ex- cruciating torture. On these occasions, the women and 42 NEW YORK CLASS BOOK.— LESSON XVL children vied with each other in inflicting the most atro- cious crueUies on the captives. Some of the prisoners, however, were, according to In- dian custom, adopted into the families of the victorious tribe, to replace the members who had fallen in battle ; and these were immediately received into the wigwams of those by whom they were adopted, provided with abundance of food, clothed with the richest attire, and uniformly treated with the utmost kindness. Death-scene at the stake. — The captive who found no one disposed to adopt him, was now subjected to all the horrors of the most painful form of death. These, how- ever, he bore with the characteristic fortitude of his race, and expired in the very act of singing his death-song, or of taunting his enemies with the number of their tribe who had fallen by his hand ; and mocking at the vain at- tempts of his torturers, to wring from him one groan of anguish. SEC. VL— NATIONAL CUSTOMS AND SUPERSTITIONS,— AMUSEMENTS. Reading Lesson XVI. Treaties of iicacc. — These were usually conducted with solemn public ceremonies. On such occasions, a deputa- tion of distinguished chiefs from the tribe which desired peace, went, in state, carrying the calumet, or great pipe of peace, — the hallowed emblem of truce, — everywhere respected among the Indians ; and, with the calumet, usually were carried the wampum belts designed as pres- ents, in reparation of injuries, or remuneration for losses, or intended to be used as marks of the different stipula- tions proposed in the act of forming a treaty. The orator of the suppliant tribe, was received at a great national council, where he proposed terms, and urged their acceptance ; depositing, at each proposal, a belt of wampum. If these offerings were accepted by the opposite party, similar returns were made ; and the interchange of presents denoted the ratification of the treaty, which was consummated by a solemn public act of burying the hatchet, in token of peaceful intentions. Religion oj" the Indian tribes. — The ideas entertained; by the Indians, on the subject of religion, were exceed- ingly crude and absurd, as well as grossly material, in ' HISTORY.— THE INDIAN RACE. 43 heir character. The representations, indeed, of the 3ar]y French writers on America, would lead to a very JiH'erent conclusion. They seem to have regarded the [ndians as actuated by a deep and intelligent feeling of latural piety, as recognizing a purely spiritual god, the creator of all things, whom they designated by the appel- lation of the Great Spirit. Such impressions, however, W'ere derived from the maginations of European observers, little versed in the ictual habits of the aborigines, beyond the customary ntercourse of civilized men with savages, and incapable, berefore, of forming or communicating correct ideas of ^'hat they saw. Subsequent travellers, visiting the Indian ribes, and carrying with them the impressions already bjmed, were iiaturally led to cherish and perpetuate the erroneous representations of their predecessors. An ex- ensive currency was thus given to such errors. Indian notions of deity. — l"he actual faith and worship of he India,ns, were of the lowest character. The supreme Being they regarded as indifferent to the woi'ld which he lad created, and inaccessible to the mind of man. But ^'hen sick, or unsuccessful in war and hunting, they used jvery expedient which their ingenuity could suggest, to >acify and propitiate the author of Evil. Hence their lumerous ceremonies and sacrifices, in homage to a malig- lant rather than a benevolent Power. '■'■ Powoiiiy — One of their national rites, of the descrip- ion just mentioned, v.'as that which bore the name of the ' powow." This was a sort of gi'otesque incantation, performed at sunset, and consisted of a series of simulta- leous jumpings, contortions, and grimaces, accompanied jy the most hideous bellowing, around large fires, which, vhether they served to chase away the dreaded Evil One )r not, displayed, in the most striking manner, all the jreternatural horrors of the scene, while every performer leemed to vie with his fellows, in uncouth postures, tum- bling and rolling, in every variety of style that a savage ancy could suggest. An omen of their success was drawn from the first ani- mal that pi-esented itself, at the close of the scene. This mimal was believed to be endowed with supernatural 30wcr, for the purpose of responding to their interroga- ions, and, if ravenous, was supposed to indicate evil; if 44 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON XVII. .1 harmless, to betoken good. The presence of a European, on such occasions, was avoided, as fatal to the effect of the powovv. Belief in " manittousr — The absence of a superintending^ deity the Indian made up for, by his belief in the innu- merable manittous, or guai-dian demons, whom he be- lieved to preside over the elements, and over every crea- ture possessed of life. 'Each individual had his manittou, who protected him, from the moment of his birth to that of his death. The image of this manittou, carved in the shape of a human head, was worn around the neck, as a protection from evil, when the Indian was abroad, or oc- cupied in his customary pursuits. In war, the manittous of the whole host were, as was mentioned before, gathered into one coffer, and borne before the army, on its march. At night, they were intiusted with the protection of the camp. Reading Lesson XVII. Indian notions of immortalitij. — Rude as the ideas of the Indian were, regarding the being of a god, they were of a much higher order, in relation to the nature and destina- tion of the soul. The spirituality of the soul was dis- tinctly recognized, in the Indian's faith, as was also the doctrine of retribution. The souls of the good and brave were thought to depart to a scene of bliss, where a genial clime and a prolific soil afforded perpetual enjoyment ; while those of the vile and the cowardly went to a region of disquiet and misery, or wandered about, moaning in. the night winds, and howling in the depths of the forest. Indian mode of burial. — The regard paid by the Indians to the interment of their dead, was a remarkable point in i their customs. The body of a deceased warrior lay in state, for several days, decorated with all its festive equip- ments, and, honored by the lamentations of his family. It was then interred in a sitting attitude, to be ready for a speedy resurrection. The accustomed implements of the hero were placed around him, and, near to these, utensils and food, for his long journey to the spirit land. A rude notion of the resurrection of the body, mingled with their ideas of a future life. The body of the deceased was protected from injury, by piles of wood, baik, or stone, which were enclosed HISTORY.— THE INDIAN RACE. 45 within a pali.sade. The burial-ground was, in the estima- :ion of the Indian, a hallowed place. It was visited, at ntervals, by the relations of the deceased, who there re- lewed their lamentations for his death. The Indian tvidow, sometimes, would stain her face, shave off her :iair, and burn it on the grave of her departed husband. Indian coamogony. — The notions which the Indian ;ribes entertained regarding the creation of the world, were grotesque, in the extreme. A female, they ima- gined, fell from heaven, and, taking her stand on the back -){ a tortoise, scraped up and fashioned the earth, from the Dottom of the great deep. Subsequently, she gave birth ;o all the tribes of animated nature, and, at last, retui'ned ;o her native heaven. Indian " medicine-rnen." — Sunk in ignorance and super- itition, the Indian races were subjected to all manner of mposition and delusion, at the hands of their " medicine- nen," — as they called those by whose cunning and jug- glery they were habitually influenced. These sorcerers asually presided at their povvows, expounded dreams, ind practised medicine and surgery. Their modes of :ure were, for the most part, the administering of bever- iges obtained from the leaves, twigs, and roots of various Dlants ; the application of balsams and cautery ; and the jse of alternate vapor and water baths. When such means failed to effect a cure, the medicine- nan resorted to sorcery, as the only means of counteract- ng the malignant demon of disease. He invoked, with wild cries, accompanied by grotesque dancing, the aid ^f his manittou ; and, at length, as if he had discovered ;he seat of the disease, rushed upon his patient, tore the 3ody of his victim with his teeth, and pretended thus to extract the malady. If the disease continued obstinate, ■nany other hideous devices, resembling, not a little, the illeged practices of witchcraft, were put in force ; such IS surrounding the sufferer with images wearing frightful masks, to scare away the spirit of disease, or setting up an mage to personify the ailment, and piercing it with an irrow or dart, so as to destroy the malignant power. Reading Lesson XVIII. Indian amusements. — In times of peace, and of relaxa- ion from the toils of the chase, the Indians recreated 46 NEW YORK CLASS-BOOK.-LESSOX XVIII. themselves with social singing and dancing. The former exercise consisted, on such occasions, in chanting, in rude style, the might of the bear or other animal which the reciter had slain. The dancing was then either the calu- met or peace dance, the dance after the chase, the corn- dance, at harvest home, the marriage-dance, or a mystic dance, resembling, somewhat, that before described, which was designed to propitiate the spirit of Evil. The last- mentioned was an exercise of the most degrading and disgusting character, and was led by their medicine- men. The aborigines seem to have practised, among their social recreations, a sort of cainival, or time of universal riot and unbounded extravagance. This license contin- ued for fifteen days ; and, during this time, the sole ob- ject of each individual seemed to be the wildest violation > of the usual gravity and decorum of Indian life. The revellers ran about disguised, playing every sort of mad prank upon one another, even to the destruction of furni- ture and implements, and throwing water, ashes, or dirt at whatever individual did not furnish an agreeable inter- pretation to a pretended dream of the inten-ogator. These Indian saturnalia seem to have resembled those of the > European world, in the olden-time carnival sport of " read me my riddle !" Decorum was restored, after these extravagances, by a \ regulated public feast, at which due compensation for all 5 damage done to individuals, was carefully made. Gaming. — One of the customary amusements of the Indian people, was gaming, which their deep and intense passions rendered irresistibly attractive to them ; and which they regarded as, in a measure, a solemn cere- mony, to be preceded by devotional fasting, and the in- terpretation of dreams. A favorite form of play, among them, was, " the game of the bones," which was played somewhat in the manner of dice ; the bones being thrf)wn up in the air, and the position in which they fell deciding the progress of the game. Like the gamesters of more polished nations, the Indian devotees to this destructive practice, frequently cast their whole property on the hazard of the game, and lost it, and, sometimes, even pledged the earnings of a whole future season of the chase. HISTORY.— THE IXDIAN RACE. 47 SEC. VII.— TREATMENT OF THE INDIANS. Influence of the whites on the Indian race. — The original jharacter atid condition of the natives of New Netherland, lave undergone a vast change, in consequence of their :ommunication with Europeans. The selfish eagerness )f the whites to acquire territory, led them to displace the iborigines, without a thought of the fatal consequences ;o the red men. The unreflectino^ savasres were induced ;o sell their land, in exchange for clothing, weapons, and oys of little value ; and the bargain was not unfrequently Iriven while the poor Indian was staggering under the ntoxicating liquor administered by the European. Tract ifter tract was thus purchased by the one party, and re- inquis'hed by the other. Nor has the Indian even yet bund " rest for the sole of his foot." Another and anoth- ir treaty is made, at short intervals ; and the red man :ontinues to recede, till imagination can foresee no end o the process, but in the extinction of the unfoi'tunate ace. The policy which is now pursued, in negotiating with he Indian tribes, is, it is true, more just and humane thau ibrmerly ; and the state of New York yet preserves, with- in the bosom of her territory, the living evidences of her comparative kindness in the treatment of the red men. But the temptation to become possessed of their domain. Is still too strong for the sense of justice in the mind of ;he " speculator," whose eye is fixed only on gain, and kvho seems never to have heard the Divine precept, ' Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do y^e even so unto them," The legislature of our state, is, ive believe, prepared to check every encroachment on the rights of the fallen race, and' to evince that New York is sntitled in this, as in all her other relations, to wear her suggestive 7iiotto,*so characteristic of the spiiit of the state. Private philanthropy is now cooperating with public justice, to meliorate the condition of the Indian. Teach- ers, and missionaries, and mechanics, are now uniting ;heir endeavors, in the spiiit of christian zeal, to enlighten md civilize and save the remnant of the Indian race, in ;hi-^, as in othei- states of the Union ; and their success has, ;if lato years, been such as to encourage the best hopes jf every philanthropic heart, * " Excelsior .'" — higher. 48 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON XIX. The general government of our country has taken a decisive step towards improving the condition of the In- dians, in the fact of its discouraging the introduction of ardent spirits among them, as an article of traffic, and in various other measures which it has adopted for the pur- pose of securing the otherwise defenceless Indian from falling a prey to the cupidity of unprincipled traders, or of his own weakness and ignorance. The diligent efforts of piety and philanthropy, are thus effectually seconded ; and the result cannot fail of accom- plishing immense and permanent good for the natives. The demon of rum once expelled from their borders, and the blessing of a permanent home secured to them, the useful arts introduced among them, and the spirit of in- dustry infused into tiieir habits by the benign influence of-christianity, the Indian tribes will have a new career opened to them, in which to prove themselves men " of one blood" with those who are now exclusively invested with the higfh advantaa:es of civilization. CHAP. II.— DISCOVERY AND EXPLORATION. SEC. I.— EARLY VOYAGES TO NORTH AMERICA. Reading Lesson XIX. English claims to 'North America. — We proceed to offer to our readers an outline of the principal events which are recorded in the history of New York, from , the date of its discovery and exploration, to the present .J era. The plan of our work limits our histoincal sketch to 1 prominent features only ; and we shall feel satisfied if the matter which we present in this part of the Class- Book, shall have the effect of leading our readers to con- sult, for themselves, whatever volumes on this subject, may fall into their hands, in the course of their reading.* * It is earnestly to be hoped, by all who are interested in educa- tion, that an extensive and complete history of New York, for adult readers, may, ere long, be published. Mr. O'Callaghan's excellent volume is, we trust, the commencement of such a work. HISTORY.— 1407. 49 The history of any portion of the westei-n continent, refers us to the national custom, formerly current in Europe, of claiming possession of newly discovered coun- tries, in virtue of what was termed the right of discovery. The subjects of any European power, who happened to be the first christian visitants of any I'egion not occupied by civilized nations, claimed, in virtue of that circum- stance, the exclusive light to the actual possession, or, at all events, to the privilege of pre-emption, or first pur- chase, of the country which they discovered. This prac- tice, absurd though it was, had obtained a consent so general as to give it, in the minds of men who lived at the period of tlie discovery of this continent by Columbus, a sanction invested with all the sacredness of justice. The English nation, acting under the influence of the custom then prevalent, asserted a right, on this ground, to he whole northern portion of the American continent, Decause it had been discovered, though not explored, by lohn and Sebastian Cabot, during the voyage which they nade to the western hemisphere, under the patronage of Henry, the Seventh, of England, in 1497-98. Verrazano* — The bay of New York, however, was first I'isited in the year 1524, by Verrazano, a Florentine navi- ifator, in the service of the French sovereign, Francis the First, an ardent patron of science and art. Of this voyage t'^errazano's own account is extant. The French mon- irch, however, seems to have been content with the glory iccruing from the patronage of a voyage of discovery ; or no steps were taken by him or his subjects, to secure possession of the region then visited on behalf of the ?"rench crown. Hudson'' s Voyage, undertaken for tlie Amsterdam Com- oany. — The states of Holland, when they threw off their lubjection to the Spanish rule, lost, of course, the com- nercial benefits resulting from their connection with that )ower; and they now prosecuted, with great spirit, ex- ensive voyages of discovery and exploration, with a view () replace the advantages which they previously derived rom their extensive commerce, not only with Spain and ts colonies, but with all othef parts of the German empire, IS it existed under Charrles the Fifth. Among the proj- • Pronounced, Verratsdno ; — the accented a sounding as in the vord arm. c )0 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON XLX. ects then attempted for these purposes, was that of ex- ploring a northern passage to India. Repeated failures in such attempts, did not discourage Henry Hudson, an English mariner, from offering his services to the Dutch East-India company, for yet another voyage with the same object in view. The Amsterdam chamber of commerce accepted his proposals, and pro- vided him with a small vessel, rigged somewhat like a large wherry, or fly-boat, a favorite style of naval archi- tectui'e with the Dutch. This diminutive but somewhat clumsy " rover of the deep," was named the Half-Moon, and was manned with a crew, partly English and partly Dutch, amounting to nearly twenty men. The Half-Moon. [Drawn from the model which has been preserved.] Hudson sailed from Amsterdam, early in the month of April, 1609 ; and, baffled by ice and fogs, yet unwilling to relinquish his enterprise, he'boldly attempted the discovery of a northwest passage. That he should have failed of accomplishing what the united science, skill, and daring of British navigators, — furnished with the ample means °and the immense resources of England, at the present day, — HISTORY.— 1G09. 51 have not yet been able to effect, is no discredit to the gallant Hudson. His attempt, however, led to a result more useful to the world, than that at which he aimed. Reading Lesson XX. Hudson's voyage along tJic Amo-ican coast. — After a tempestuous voyage, in which his vessel suffered much damage, Hudson reached the banks of Newfoundland, early in July, descried, soon after, the American coast, and entered Penobscot bay, where he communicated with the natives, and refitted his vessel. Coasting southward, he passed cape Cod, which, under the impression that it was an island, he named New Holland. Here, too, he held friendly intercourse with the natives. Continuing his course, he entered Chesapeake bay, about the middle of August, but soon determined to relinquish the farther prosecution of his voyage in a southerly direction, and, returning, entered Delaware bay. Hudson's entrance into the hay and Jiarhor of J^ew York. — Resuming his voyage, Hudson coasted northward, till he descried the Highlands of Navesinck, and, early in September, rounded Sandyhook, and anchored, near the shore, in what he termed the Great North River of New Nelherland. Here he was visited by large numbers of the natives, who offered tobacco, in exchange for knives and beads. The dress of these savages consisted of man- tles of feathers and furs : their decorations were orna- ments of copper. The bowls of their pipes seemed to be formed of the same metal. Resolving to explore the river, which, in honor of his enterprise, has since borne his own name, Hudson de- spatched a boat's crew, in advance, to examine the chan- nel. These men, on their return, after a survey of a few miles, were attacked by the natives ; and one of their num- ber was killed. The name of this individual, Colman, was given to the spot near Sandyhook, where he was interred. On the occasion of the next visit of the natives, Hudson detained three as hostages ; but one made his escape. On the 11th of September, Hudson, in his solitary vessel, passed the Narrows, and anchored in the inner harbor, where now so often may be seen, entering and departing, in vast numbers and ceaseless succession, the stately mer- chantmen of both hemispheres. 52 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON XX. SEC. IL— EXPLORATION OF THE HUDSON. Hudson's passage up the North River. — The prompting idea of Hudson's mind, in his attempt to explore the river which he had entered, was that, in the distant i-egions of its source, might be discovered some accessible outlet con- nected with the long-desired passage to the Indies. Pui- suing his course, therefore, he reached the region of the gorge of the Highlands. Here his two remaining hosta- ges made their escape, venting, in yells of rage, their in- dignation at their detention. At his successive landings, Hudson and his people were kindly received by the natives, and furnished with all re- quisites for their comfort, which the resources of these rude people could aftbrd. A brisk traffic was carried on between the natives and their new visitants ; the latter re- ceivingfurs and other articles, in exchange for the commod- ities usually found attractive to the people of savage tribes. Here took place the memorable experiment on the poor natives, in which one of their number, an aged chief, fell the first victim to the intoxicating drink of the white men. And " the long arrear of" similar "guilt," since then con- tracted, by those who call themselves christians, is yet un- washed out. The Indians, in this case, were, at first, appalled at the effect produced on their sachem, and, in their joy on his recovery, innocently loaded with presents the author of the evil. But the exciting draught had wrought its fatal charm on the ignorant savage ; and the thirst for the insidious poison induced him to remain, for a time, with its dispensers. From that hour to this, the " fire-water," has been doing its accursed work, — con- suming man after man, and tribe after tribe, till the day seems not distant when not one of the unhappy race who welcomed the white man to their shoi-es, shall remain to intimate that they ever had an existence. Hudsori's return dotvn the North River. — The explorino- voyage of the Half-Moon, was prosecuted to a point a little below the city of Albany, where Hudson became satisfied that he could not proceed farther up, with any hope of success in his main purpose. He returned, there- fore, as speedily as a southerly wind would permit ; land- ing, however, occasionally, and enjoying the beauty of the scenery, and the hospitality of the natives. HISTORY.— 1G12. 5S Unhappily, the good understanding, hitherto maintained •with the natives, was broken up, while the Half-Moon lay at anchor off Stony Point, in Haverstraw bay. Here an Indian was killed, while making off with some articles ■which he had pilfered from the vessel. Farther violence followed ; and on the next day, large numbers of the na- tives attacked the vessel. The cannon of the whites kill- ed some, and dispersed the remainder of the assailants. The natives rallied, ere long, however, and again and again renewed the attack, but were, of coui"se, easily re- pulsed by the fire-arms of the Europeans, and several of their number, in every instance, slain. Hudsofi's komeivard voyage. — Early in October, Hud- son set sail for Holland, "via" England, vv^here, when he arrived, he despatched accounts of his voyage, to his em- ployers in Holland. But the English sovereign, jealous of the Dutch, would not permit Hudson to return to them. The issue was that Hudson entered the service of the London East-India company. His fate was a sad one, in the end; for, on a voyage undertaken for that body, having fallen a victim to a mutiny among his crew, he was exposed in an open boat, and perished at sea. SEC. III.— DUTCH TRADING VOYAGES, FROM 1610-1620. Reading Lesson XXL Estahlisliment of forts on Manhattan Island. — The ac- counts of Hudson's successful voyage kindled a spii'it of enterprise among the merchants of Holland, and, particu- larly, those of Amsterdam. The furs which Hudson re- ported as so easily to be obtained of the natives of New Netherland, were, to the Dutch people, a valuable article not only of domestic use but of foreign traffic ; and the fur trade of nearly all Europe subsequently continued long in their hands. A vessel was fitted out, in 1610, and despatched to the Manhattans, for the purpose of procuring furs in exchange for European goods. This voyage proved so successful as to lead to more extensive measures for prosecuting the profitable trade. In 1612, two vessels, bearing the char- acteristic names of the Little Fox and the Little Crane, though equipped ostensibly for the farther prosecution of the attempt to explore a northwest passage to India, 54 NEW- YORK CI-ASS-BOOK.— LESSON XXI. visited the North River, in the following year, anti estab- *lished some permanent forts on Manhattan island, for the protection of the fur trade, which they briskly resumed, and which now began to be of acknowledged importance U) the people of Holland. The Dutch establishments on Manhattan island, were all under the care of Hendrick Corstiaensen, a bold, ac- tive, and enterprising individual, who ran his small craft into every accessible inlet, and collected a vast amouut of valuable furs. ArgaVs usurpation of the Dutch trading estahlishments. — The imperfect ideas, as yet enteitained by Europeans, regarding the new regions hitherto but partially explored by the subjects of any government, led to great confusion regarding the rights and claims of various nations to the possession of certain parts of this western continent. The English asserted a right to the whole of North America, in virtue of the voyage of the Cabots, as formerly men- tioned, and pretended to regard as intruders the colonists of the Dutch, French, and Spanish nations, who succes- sively established themselves in different parts of the newly discovered regions. In 1613, accordingly, captain Argal of Virginia, on his return from a hostile expedition to the French settlements in Nova Scotia, called at Manhattan island, and compelled Corstiaensen to submit to the authority of the governor of Virginia, and to acknowledge dependence on the crown of England. Decree of the States General, in 1614. — With a view to avert, in future, the evils to which the Manhattan colony had been subjected, the States General, or Dutch parlia- ment, issued, in March, 1614, a decree securing to all dis- coverers the exclusive right of trading, for four successive voyages, in the regions which they had explored. This decree was doubtless intended to have the double effect of securing adventurers of the same nation against en- croachments from one another, and from any interference on the part of foreigners ; as the protection of the States General was thus pledged to the first occupants. Exjfedition of Block, Me?/, Corstiaensen, etc. — This de- cree, although it took no effect on the Manhattan colony, stirred up the Dutch merchants to gi'eat activity in the fitting out of fresh expeditions to the new world. The HISTORY.— 1614. 55 first oftlie.se vva^despatched from Amsterdam and Hoorn.* It consisted of the following ships, — the Little Fox, the Nightingale, the Tiger, and two vessels both beaiino^ the name of the Fortune. One of these two was from Hoorn, and was commanded by Cornelis Jacobson Mev, whose name is retained in cape May. The Tiger was com- manded by Adriaen Block, whose name was given to Block Island. The Amsterdam vessel, called the For- tune, was under the command of the energetic Hendrick Corstiaensen. Reading Lesson XXII. Block's exploring voyage. — Soon after the arrival of the above vessels, the three captains, before mentioned, pro- ceeded to explore the mouth of the Great River of the Manhattans, as it was then sometimes called. Here, Block had the misfortune to lose his vessel by fire. But the Dutch sailors of those times being generally ship-car- penters of great skill, he immediately set his men to work : and they soon constructed the first vessel built in North America, — a yacht, forty-four feet in length, and eleven and a half in width. This vessel, sufficiently well adapted to a coasting survey, was named the Onrest, (the Restless,) in allusion to the roving spirit of enterprise which caused her to be built. Origin of the name Hellgatc. — Setting sail in his new craft. Block proceeded to explore the coast east of Man- hattan island. To the East River he gave the name of Helletjatjt — that of one of the branches of the river Scheldt| in Flanders. This name the English corrupted into its present form, Hellgate, which was afterwards falsely supposed to have been given with reference to the perils which that rocky spot presents to navigation ; and -the desire to avoid the allusion suggested by the sound of this name, has led to the mistake of spelling it Hurl Gate. Discovery of Housatonic and Connecticut rivers. — Prose- cuting his voyage eastward, Block discovered the river called by the natives, Houestenuc, or River of the Red Mountain, and -tifterwards, by the English, Housatonic. * Pi'onounced, Horn. t Hellegat, (clear or bright river,) pi'onounced, Hayllaygdt. X Shaylt. ^ 56 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON XXIII. Proceeding still eastward, lie discovered and sailed up the Connecticut, as far as to latitude 41° 48' where he found a village of the Nawaa* Indians. To the stream he gave the name of Fresh River, which was not retained. Navigation of Long-Island Sound. — After returning down the Connecticut, he still pursued an easterly course through Long-Island Sound, which he imagined a bay, till he regained the ocean, and ascertained Long Island to be properly so called. To one of two small islands, at the eastern extremity of the great island, he gave his own name, which it retains to this day. To the other he gave the name of his fellow navigator Corstiaensen. But pos- terity has not, in this case, observed equal justice, by retaining the name of the hardy Dutch skipper who was so conspicuous in the early history of New Netherland. Narragansett Bay. — Block, on this voyage, discovered and explored Narragansett bay, which, in compliment to the prince of Orange-Nassau, of his native land, he called the bay of Nassau. The natives along its shores he found shy and distrustful, and could hold little com- munication with them. Pursuing his course to cape Cod, he there rejoined Corstiaensen, and thus terminated his explorino- voyage. Voyage of Cornclis Mey. — While Block was exploring the Sound, Mey coasted the southern shore of Long Island, which he examined with great care. He then followed the line of the coast southward to Delaware bay; and from his visit capes Cornells and May derived their names. The great south cape, now Henlopen, he named after Hindlopen, a town in the province of Friesland. Origin of the name Neiv Netherland. — The discoveries made by Block and his associates were duly reported in Holland ; and the company for whose benefit they had been made, secured their monopoly of trade, for the law- ful period, by presenting a map of the whole region, then first called " Nieu Nederlandt," — New Netherland. Reading Lesson XXIII. First trading-houses erected on the North River. — Over- looking the previous exploration by Hudson, the Dutch government granted to the claimants, in the present in- * Naw-waw. HISTORY.— 1618. 57 Stance, the exclusive right to trade in the whole region of New Netherland ; and the company, thus authorized, proceeded to erect a trading-house, strongly fortified, on an island, a few miles below Albany, at the head of navi- gation, on the North River, — then named Mauritius river, in honor of prince Maurice of Holland. They built also another, on the southern extremity of Manhattan island. The former was under the command of a humane and enlightened man, Jacob Eelkens,* who conducted the Indian trade on principles of strict justice and humane feeling. The latter station was assigned to the intelli- gent and enterprising Corstiaensen. To these two posts, the one serving as a check on the warlike Mohawks, and the other on the fierce Manhat- tans, flocked the people of the native tribes, to dispose of their furs ; and thither came, every year, the ships of the New-Netherland company to receive the furs which, during the year, had been collected from all the surround- ing region, and even from the remotest haunts of the Five Nations. No pains were spared to maintain extensive and friendly communications with all the native tribes accessible to Europeans ; and the traffic thus secured was, owing to the high value of furs, abundantly lucrative to the Dutch traders and their employers, many of whom thus accumulated immense fortunes. Dutch tre,at]i with the Five Nations. — The fort com- manded by Eelkens suffered such damage from the breaking up of the ice, and from the spring flood, in the year 1618, that it had to be abandoned. A new site was chosen on the Norman's Kill, — the name given to Tawalsontha creek, from the surname of an early settler, Andfies Bratt De Noorman, — of Danish origin. As a proper measure of security, at this time, a treaty was here ratified with the Iroquois,t or Five Nations. The territory of these tribes extended from the North River and lake Champlain, on the east, to lake Erie and the river Niagara, on the west, and from lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence, on the north, to the country of the Delaware Indians, on the south. The Iroquois, at the time when the Dutch established themselves in their country, were at war with the Algon- quins, a nation inhabiting the adjoining regions of Cana- * ProiiounccLl, Ailhinn. t Eeroqwatc. C* 58 NEVV-YOSK CLASS-nOOK.— LESSON XXIV. fla, then colonized by the French. The aid of fire-arms, derived from their French allies, gave to the Algonquins an easy surperiority over the Iroquois ; and the latter, therefore, gladly embraced the opportunity of cultivating the friendship of the Dutch, as the means of securing the .same advantages which their enemies enjoyed through, their alliance with the French. The treaty ratified on the banks of the Norman's Kill, was celebrated with all the forms and ceremonies to which the Indians were so devotedly attached. The advantages derived from it, by both parties, wei-e of the utmost value to each. The Dutch secured, by it, the whole fur trade of the Iroquois nations ; and the latter obtained the means of rendering themselves formidable to all the surrounding tribes. SEC. IV.— THE DUTCH W^EST-INDIA COMPANY.— 1621-1638. Reading Lesson XXIV. Origin of ilie Company. — One of the most opulent and powerful commercial establishments of Europe, in the seventeenth century, was the Dutch East-India company. The struggle which Holland so long and successfully maintained for its independence of the Spanish sovereign- ty, had imparted a spirit of energy and enterprise to the Dutch merchants, which led them to embark, on the most extensive scale, in colonial and maritime adventures, and to cherish, in their mariners, every means of attaining a consummate skill in naval warfare. Their magnificent East-India-men, equipped in the amplest style fur every purpose of commerce and of war, were among the won- ders of the day. They were the pride of the nation, and seemed to sanction the claim of the Dutch to the su- premacy of the seas. The brilliant success of their maritime enterprises in the East, led to the formation of the Dutch West-India company, — an association which extended itself through- out the principal cities of Holland. The executive authority of this powerful body, was vested in the cham- ber of commerce at Amsterdam. The States General, regarding the new company as an important source of national revenue and power, and an additional arm to be wielded aoainst the naval force of HISTORY.— 1624. 59 Spain, secured to the association the freedom of navi- gation and traffic, together with an ample marine for protection, in case of war. The privileges granted to jjrivate adventurers, were, in the meantime, restricted to tlie date anticipated for the commencement of operations on the part of the company. English i^rotest against Dutch colonization. — The En- glish colonial companies whose interests were at stake in Virginia and in New England, took the alarm at these formidable preparations, on the part of Holland ; and re- monstrances against these proceedings, were despatched to their " High Mightinesses," the States General ; as the English nation still asserted their original claim, in virtue of the right of discovery and partial occupation, to that part of America which lay between the Spanish posses- sions on the south, and those of the French on the north. The Dutch government at first parried this application by denying any intention of colonizing, although they per- sisted in the undertaking so far as regarded purposes of trathc ; and the English, content, for the time, with the implied concession of their claims, prosecuted the matter no farther. CHAP. III. — NEW YORK, UNDER THE DUTCH WEST-INDIA COMPANY. SEC. I.~ADMlNISTRATION OF DIRECTOR MLNUIT.— 1624-1633. Reading Lesson XXV. First Dutch colonial expedition. — After the death of King James I. of England, the silence of the English claimants seems to have induced a revival of the Dutch project of colonization. Preparations for this purpose were commenced in 1622 ; and, in the summer of the fol- lowing year. New Netherland was erected into a prov- ince of Holland. Colonists, consisting, at first, of the company's agents and servants, were sent out, to establish permanent settlements. Ofone of these expeditions cap- tain Mey, formerly mentioned, was commander ; and, re- GO NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON XXV. turning to the river which he had first explored, he erect- ed fort Nassau on a site near to the present town of Gloucester. A new post, called fort Orange, was, about the same time, established on the Hudson, a few miles north of that formerly mentioned as erected on the Nor- man's Kill. Peter Mimiit, the first Dutch governor of Ncic Nether- land. — In the year 1624, Peter Minuit, or Minnewit, a Westphalian, came out to New Netherland, with the formal appointment of director, or governor, of the colony. In company with the governor, arrived a colony of Wal- loons,* a people distinguished, since the days of Julius Ceesar, for fierce and warlike character, and, in modern history, for their steadfast devotion to the Protestant faitli. Origin of the names Wallahout and Brooklyn. — Some of these Walloon emigrants settled, at first, on Staten island, but afterwards removed to the vicinity of Walla- bout bay, — originally named from these early settlers, Waal-boght, or Wahle-bocht, (Foreigners' Bay.) This settlement extended, at a subsequent period, to the site of the modern city of Brooklyn, the original name of which was Breukelen, — that of a Dutch village, in the province of Utrecht. Colonial government of New Netherland. — The primi- tive form of government in New Netherland, included, in addition to the director, a council of five, and a prosecu- ting officer, called the " schout fiscal," whose duties com- bined those of sheriff and attorney-general. Purchase of ManJiattan Island. — Under the guidance and control of these guardians, the Dutch establishments advanced rapidly in prosperity ; and, in 1626, the West- India company deemed it worth while to assign an armed ship and a yacht, as a permanent naval protection to the colony, Manhattan island was also purchased of the na- tives, who, in their simplicity, accepted the paltry sum of twenty-four dollars, as an equivalent for one of the noblest sites which any commercial city in the world can boast. Origin of the name New Amsterdam. — The purchase of Staten island and other portions of the adjacent country, soon followed ; and a substantial blockhouse was erected at the southern point of Manhattan island. This post, * Inhabitants of the frontier region between Belgium anJ France. HISTORY.— 1C27. 61 called fort Amsterdam, in compliment to the city which was the European head quarters of the West-India com- pany, became the central point of New Amsterdam, — the capital of New Netherland, and the original of the modern city of New York. Correspondence with the English colony at New Ply- mouth. — The year 1627 is distinguished, in the early his- tory of New York, by the commencement of a corre- spondence between the Dutch authorities at fort Amster- dam and the English colonists established at Plymouth, in Massachusetts. This correspondence was opened by the former, with expressions of friendly regard, and proposals for traffic. The English governor replied in terms of courtesy, but warned the Dutch against trading with the Narragansetts, or extending their traffic beyond the limits of forty degrees, north latitude. The reply of the Dutch authorities, was friendly and respectful, but firmly maintained their right to trade, as previously, with the natives. A present of sugar and cheese, for the English governor's larder, accompanied the written communication. The coiTespondence, it may be observed, was maintained by the Dutch through the medium of the French language. Governor Bradford acknowledged the civilities of the Dutch colonists, and proposed that they should send a deputation to confer on the subject of trade at New Ply- mouth. In the meantime, he suggested the great impor- tance of a mutual imderstanding between the Dutch and English home governments, on matters of territory and commercial traffic. Isaac De Razier* was accordingly deputed from fort Amsterdam, and received with due ceremony at New Plymouth. An opening of the commerce between the two colonies, was made, on the occasion, by purchases, on the part of the English. The intercourse thus begun, was continued, for many years, to the great advantage of both pai'ties ; the English disposing of fish and corn, in exchange for the manufactures of Holland, and for the sewan, or wampum, which formed so important an article in trading with the natives. ♦ Pronounced, Ratseer.- The English pronunciation of Dutch names, is inappropriate, in reading our local history, till it comes down to the English penod. 62 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON XXVI. The terms of subsequent commerce, were, however, left to be adjusted at a future day ; as the English colony was awaiting the return of an agent who had been de- spatched to Europe for the purpose of securing appropri- ate supplies. In the meantime, the Dutch were again reminded of the urgent necessity of a formal recognition of rights of occupancy, on both sides, lest their claims should, hereafter, prove cause of hostility. Alarmed by this hint, the government at fort Amster- dam wrote home, on this subject, to the Dutch West-India company. But the application had been anticipated, and a treaty made with the English government, in conse- quence of which all British ports were thrown open to the trading vessels of New Netherland, as well as those of all other parts of the Dutch dominions. Reading Lesson XXVI. Efforts to j)^'Oinote colonization. — Tlie affairs of the Dutch West-India company, although well conducted by their agents in America, began to reti'Ograde, in conse- quence of the diminution in both the supply and the value of furs obtained from the natives. The attention of the company was, from this cause, directed to coloniza- tion, on a more extensive scale, as a means of furnishing requisite supplies, and diminishing the cost of trade, if not, ultimately, of affording a lucrative commerce. The Spanish fleet, returning from the Rio de la Plata, in the autumn of 1628, was captured in the bay of Matan- zas by admiral Heyn, in command of the Dutch com- pany's ships. The value of the prizes accruing to the company, was nearly five millions of dollars. This sea- sonable aid revived the spirit of the directors, and induced them to propose liberal and advantageous terms to per- sons who were disposed to establish themselves, as colo- nists, in New Netherland. Origin of the title " Fatroon.'"* — Among the induce- ments held out by the West-India company, for the purpose of securing an able and efficient body of colo- nists, was that of assigning to wealthy proprietors the * A term derived from the Latin patronus, — the designation of a ' Roman senator, — one of the patres, (fathers,) — with reference to his clients, or dependents. HISTORV.— lC-29. 63 nominal dignity of patroon, on condition of their planting a colony of at least fifty persons upwards of fifteen years old, within a limited period. The company retained the supremacy of " the island of Manhattes." But the pa- troons were at liberty to select, elsewhere, such tracts of land as they chose, to the extent of four Dutch miles, (sixteen English,) along one side of a navigable river, or two miles, (Dutch,) along both sides, and reaching as far inland as the situation of the occupiers should permit, with the reservation, only, of a distance of seven or eight miles from the limits of the neai'est colony, which space was reserved by the company, to be disposed of at their pleasure, or allowed to be temporarily enjoyed by the nearest patroon. All the rights of absolute ownership and possession, were to be enjoyed by the patroons and their heirs, under allegiance, merely, to the authority of the States General. Restrictions, however, were laid on traffic, requiring all ai'ticles, (with a few specified exceptions,) to be brought to the company's establishments on the island of the Manhattes, for farther disposal. The fur trade was re- served for the exclusive benefit of the company. The colonists, however, were exempted from all imposts whatever, for ten years, and were to be protected by the company, in case of war. Private individuals, not aspiring to the dignity of pa- troons, were allowed to select as much land as they could occupy and improve, and to enjoy the full and untrammelled possession of it. But all were forbidden to engage in any form of manufacture ; this unjust restriction being, then, a common stipulation, on the part of the mother country, with the colonists of all nations. Three other conditions, of very different character and consequences, formed part of the company's bill of stipu- lations and immunities. One of these was an obligation, on the part of the company, to provide the colonists " with as many blacks as they can," on certain stipulated terms. Another, and a more benign regulation, was, that the patroons and colonists should, " in the speediest manner endeavor to find out ways and means whereby they may support a minister and schoolmaster, that thus the service of God, and zeal for religion, may not grow cool, and be neglected among them ; and that they do, for 64 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON XXV IL the first, procure a comforter of the sick there." An express stipulation, universally binding, was that, in all cases, the Indian proprietors should receive a satisfactory compensation for whatever lands the patroons and other colonists should proceed to occupy. Reading Lesson XXVIL Colonics of Ztvanenclal* Rcnsselaerswyck, and Pa- vonia. — Sevei-al of the leading members of the Amster- dam chamber of commerce, anticipating the benefits likely to accrue from the special privileges offered, as a bounty on colonization, by the West-India company, secured by their agents the purchase of extensive tracts of land in New Nethai'land. Among the purchases thus made, was the region comprehended under the colony of Rensselaerswyck, extending over the present counties of Albany, Rensselaer, and Columbia. This vast tract was purchased for Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, pearl-merchant of Amsterdam, one of the directors of the company, and the ancestor of the present Van Rensselaer family. The agents of Samuel Godyn and Samuel Bloemraart, purchased, for them, an extensive tract on the South river, (the Delaware,) adjoining cape Hindlopen. This colony, originally named Zwanendal, or the valley of swans, — from the vast numbers of wild geese and swans, which annually resorted to the creeks in that vicinity, — was the colonial germ of the state of Delaware. Michel Paauw,t also a director, secured, by his agents, extensive tracts, including among others, the lands around Hoboken and Jersey City; and from this colony, named in honor of its founder, Pavonia, grew up, ultimately, the state of New Jersey. Disagreements hetivecn tlic jxitroons and the company. — The patroons soon found it to their advantage to unite their endeavors for the promotion of their schemes of colonization ; and they thus brought their principal estab- lishments to a state of great prosperity. They were not content, however, with agricultural improvement, but manifested, ere long, an eager desire to partake in the company's lucrative fur trade. The company appealed, for the defence of their rights, * Pronoimced, Tsivdncnddl. t Pdoo. HISTORY.-1632. 65 to the States General; and that body immediately pro- ceeded to take vigorous measures for the adjustment of the matters in dispute. One of the first steps taken to- wards this result, was the recall of director-general Min- uit, who embarked for Holland, in the spring of 1632. Detention of governor Minuit by the English. — The ship in which Minuit sailed, being compelled, by stress of weather, to put into the harbor of Plymouth, in England, was there seized, at the instance of the New-England company, for having obtained her cargo in countries per- taining to the English crown. Captain Mason, the com- pany's most active director, and the instigator of these proceedings, addressed a vehement letter of grievances to :he secretary of state, complaining of the proceedings of the Dutch in America, and charging them with the gross- 3st acts of injustice and aggression ; renewing, at the same time, the assertion of the English claims to the whole region in possession of the Dutch. Director Minuit, justly indignant at these measures, repaired immediately to London, and submitted his case to the Dutch ambassadors there. These functionaries applied, at once, to the king. His majesty, however, ^ave them an evasive though respectful answer, and de- ferred any decision till the affair should have been care- fully investigated. The ambassadors immediately wrote home, urging the full presentation of the national claims to the territory in dispute. Reading Lesson XXVIIL RigJits of the Dutch to tlicir possessions in America. — The Dutch West-India company were, in the meantime, busily occupied in pressing their cause upon the attention of the States General. They maintained that, even ac- cording to the showing of the English themselves, the Dutch territory ought to be considered as extending from latitude thirty-nine, inclusive, to forty-one. This representation was transmitted, in due form, to the ambassadors, and by them laid before the British government. The reply of the latter was peremptory, as to the English claim founded on discovery, and the crown grant for the colonization of Virginia. But, satisfied with the renewed assertion of their right to the territory claim- 66 NFAV-YORK CLAeS-BOOK.-LESSOX XXVIIl. eel, tlie T3ritisli cabinet advised the release of the vessel which had been seized under plea of infiingement of rights, but under jDrotest, as to the validity of his majes- ty's claims. Continued dissensions hctwcen tJie j^atroons and tlie com- j^any. — The misunderstanding which still existed between the patroons and the company, as to the right of trade, had now become a source of great injury to the infant colonies. The company enforced, in the most vigorous manner, their monopoly of not only the fur trade and the dealing in wampum, but even the disposal of maize, the great staple of the plantations. Destruction of the colony at Zwanendal. — The year 1632 was rendered memorable, in the history of New Netherland, by the melancholy catastrophe which befell the colony at Zwanendal. This event is thus related in the valuable work of Mr. O'Callaghan, to whom the people of New York are so deeply indebted for the commence- ment of an exact and authentic history of the state. "It happened that the Dutch, in keeping with the prac- tice prevalent in those days, had erected, on taking pos- session of this new plantation, a pillar on a prominent part of their territory, to which they affixed, in token of sovereignty, a piece of tin, on which they traced the em- blem, or arms, of the United Provinces. An Indian chief, in quest of a tobacco-pipe, took a fancy to this glittering sheet, for the purpose of supplying his want, and carried it off, ignorant that there was any impropriety in the act. " Gillis Hoosett,* one of the company's men, whom De Vriest had left in charge of his fort, inconsiderately viewed the innocent act of the untutored savage as a na- tional insult, and evinced so much dissatisfaction, that the Indians, to make amends for this unintentional offence, killed the chief who had taken the piece of tin away, and returned it with a token of the bloody deed. This natu- rally shocked the Dutch commander, who explained to the Indians that they had done wrong; that they ought to have brought the chief to him, and he WH-)uld have told him not to repeat the act. But the spirit of wild revenge had been roused, meanwhile, in the breasts of the friends and kinsmen of the murdered chief; and they determined on wreaking dire and dreadful vengeance. * Prououuced, Hbsct. t Day V recce. 11 HISTORY.— 16:«. C7 "The colony of Zwanendal consisted, at this time, of lirty-four persons. Of these, thirty-two were, one day, I work in the fields, while conmiissary Hoosett remain- d in charge of the house, where another of the settlers '.y sick abed. A large bull-dog was chained out of doors, n pretence of selling some furs, three savages entered le house, and murdered Hoosett* and the sick man. hey found it not so easy to despatch the watch-dog. It as not till they had pierced him with at least twenty-five rrows, that he was destroyed. The men in the fields ere then set on, in an equally treacherous manner, nder the guise of friendship, and every man of them ain. Thus terminated the colony of the Valley of wans, to the great loss of the projectors, as well as to the reat injury of their characters as cautious and prudent len. " It was after the occurrence of this melancholy and nforeseen catastrophe, that De Vries reached the mouth r the South River, at the close of the year, ' promising imself great things, jilenty of whales, and good land for iltivation.' He found his house destroyed, the palisades, y which it was surrounded, burned, and the heads and :)nes of his murdered men bestrewing the earth. No am of industry enlivened the gloomy solitude. Not a uman being appeared to respond to the signal gun, which >e Vries ordei'ed.to be fired, to give notice of his arrival." De Vries, however, wisely avoided hostilities with the itives, and even ratified a treaty of peace and amity with lem, without allusion to the past. This course, in a case here there was but one party surviving to tell the story f the fatal affair, seemed the only one which prudence ould sanction, in circumstances in which traffic, and not inquest, was the aim of the Europeans. ZC. II.— ADMINISTRATION OF DIRECTOR VAN TWILLER.— 1G33-1637. Reading Lesson XXIX. Wotiter Van TiciUer, second director-general. — On [inuit's return to Holland, Wouter Van Twiller, a clerk 1 the employ of the West-India company, was appointed irector-general. The new governor arrived at fort * This Hoosett was an active agent in purchasing the lauds around irt Orange, for Van Rensselaer. 68 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK— LESSON XXIX. Amsterdam, in tlie spring of 1633, accompanied by a small body of troops, for the defence of the colony, to- gether with the first schoolmaster, and, it is thought, the i first clergyman, of the colony at fort Amsterdam. Visit of the English ship William. — Soon after the ar- i gi rival of the new director, the struggle between the Dutch i tl and the English colonists, commenced. An English ship, ^ n the William, commanded by captain Trevor, in pursu- In ance of orders from home, after landing her passengers ' w and cargo at New Plymouth, and establishing a fishing »l station at Scituate, not far distant from the English colony, proceeded to Hudson's river, for the purpose of trading with the natives. The supercargo of the ship was the same Jacob Eel- kins, who was formerly mentioned as the successful con- ductor of the business of the New-Netherland company on Castle island, but who had now transferred his ser- vices to the English. He seems to have had entire con- trol over the movements of the vessel, and to have acted with the most zealous devotion to the interests of his new employers ; and, on being refused permission to ascend the rivei", boldly pei'sisted in passing up to within a mile of fort Orange, where he commenced trading with the natives. His former residence in the country, and his perfect knowledge of the Indian language, gave him great advantages in this respect. The Dutch commissary at fort Orange, used every ex ertion to thwart the proceedings of Eelkins, but withou effect ; as the Indians were much attached to him, in con sequence of their long experience of his amiable and just conduct in his official transactions with them, in former^ years. He pursued his enterprise, therefore, with greal success, till about a fortnight after his anchoring belo fort Orange, when an armament, despatched by directo Van Twiller from below, and consisting of a pinnace, caravel, and a hoy, fully equipped with a naval and mill tary force, aided by the garrison of fort Orange, broke u his establishment, reembarked his goods, took possessio: of his vessel, and carried her down to fort Amsterdam The remonstrances of Eelkins, who claimed his right t trade, as in the employment of British subjects, withi: the British dominions, were all in vain ; and he was, er long, compelled to leave the river, under convoy of a HISTORY.— 1C33. 69 •med vessel, not, however, without having refused to )mply with the demand of governor Van Twiller, to irrender the peltry which he had acquired in his traffic, he English company, in due season, presented to their ivernment a complaint against the alleged wrongs which ey had suffered, including the loss of the valuable furs hich they had expected to receive, if their vessel had ien allowed to prolong her stay in the river. This affair as not without its weight in the subsequent proceedings "England towards the Dutch colonies. Dutch establishment on the Connecticut river. — Director an Twiller appears, by the accounts of his contempora- es, to have been a person little suited to fill, with dignity, e office which he held. Himself and his council seem have been addicted to intemperance, and to have been Ltremely deficient in energy and decision of character, hey were not, however, without zeal for the interests of e company, and the rising prosperity of New Amster- im. They perceived distinctly the advantages that must suit from the possession of a station which should secure e trade of the region intervening between the North iver and New Plymouth, and accordingly took measures obtain such a position. Sequen, an Indian chief, had possession of a beautiful id fertile ti'act, around the present town of Saybrook, on e western side of the Connecticut river, or, as it was en called, the Fresh river of New Netherland. But s right to this tract had been disputed by the Pequod lief on the eastern shore. A fierce war between the aimants ensued; and the result was the entire subjuga- jn of Sequen. The lattei*, however, obtained the con- nt of his conqueror to put himself, and the remnant of s tribe, under the protection of the Dutch, who had •eviously secured a footing at the mouth of the Connec- ;ut. Jacob Van Curler,* a clerk in the service of the com- my, was employed to conduct a treaty for the purchase ' the tract before mentioned, which was done, to the itire satisfaction of the Indians, on the receipt of " one ece of duffels, twenty-seven ells long, six axes, six ket- 3S, eighteen knives, one sword-blade, one shears, and »me toys," in return for a tract of country represented * Frououuced, Coorler. 70 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON XXX. as nearly sixty miles in extent. On a portion of the land thus obtained, Van Curler erected a fortified tradiiio^- house, which he named " Good Hope," — in the usual style of the Dutch, with whom that was a favorite designation of similar establishments, as one deemed auspicious of future success. The people of Holland, it may be recol- lected, were conspicuous, at that day, for their belief in omens. Reading Lesson XXX. An English trading-house estahlished on the Connecti- cut. — The governor and council of New Amsterdam, were, in the autumn of the same year, surprised by the receipt of letters from the English governor at Boston in Massa- chusetts, announcing that the whole country extending from the Narragansetts to the Manhattans, had been granted by the English sovereign to certain of his sub- jects ; and warning the director to attempt no settlement ii within these limits. To this communication a peaceable and friendly answer was returned, but due mention made of the procedure of the Dutch company's servants on the Connecticut, and a delay solicited of any proceeding, on the part of the En- glish, till matters should have been arranged by the re- spective authorities in Europe. In the meantime, however, the colony at New Plymouth had made preparations for establishing a trading-house on the Connecticut, for the express purpose of counter- acting the proceedings of the Dutch in that quarter, and though dissuaded by the colony of Massachusetts, fitted out a vessel containing the frame-work of a block-house, and, disregarding the protest of the Dutch officer at fort Good Hope, passed up the river, as far as Windsor, and there erected their house and fortification, subsequently to which unjustifiable acts, they despatched their vessel home, as an intimation of their design to keep permanent possession of the spot which they had occupied. Against these proceedings Van Twiller sent an earnest protest to the English officer at Windsor, who, however, avowed his intention to remain there, as an English sub- ject on English ground. An account of this encroach- ment was forthwith despatched to Holland, and, in the meantime, an armed force sent to compel the English to HISTORY.— i(;:m. 71 remove. The intruders, however, immediately set them- selves on the defensive, and the Dutch force was with- drawn ; the instructions of the commander not author- izing him, in the absence of express directions from the company, to proceed to extremes. GrowtJi of New Amsterdam. — Measures were, this year, adopted for enlarging and strengthening the growing set- tlement at New Amsterdam. A guard-house and barrack and a church, (the first erected in New Amsterdam,) a mansion for the director-genei'al, and other edifices, all indicating the extension of the settlement, were oi'dered to be built. The affairs of the Dutch West-India company, wore, at this time, an aspect of the highest prosperity; and director Van Twiller seems to have acted up to his own impres- s-ions on this subject, by his liberal expenditures and ef- fective undertakings for the farther extension of the com- merce of the colony. In pursuance of these views, an extensive tract of land on the Schuylkill, was purchased of the natives, and a trading-post established there. But reverses, ere long, began to be experienced at the hand of the Indians, who, from unknown causes of dissatisfaction, committed various acts of hostility against several of the Dutch establish- ments. The most serious of these were the warlike pro- ceedings of the Pequods, who not only murdered the natives who resorted to the trading-house at fort Hope, but invited the English to establish themselves near. Proceedings connected with tire e.r pulsion of the ship William. — On the return of the ship William to England, her owners applied, for damages, to the Dutch ambassa- dors, who, in turn, submitted the affair to the States General. That body appointed a committee of investiga- tion ; and the latter referred the whole matter to be pre- sented by a statement from the agents of the company. On the application thus made, the States General refused to interfere, and recommended a conference between the officers of the company and the English ambassador. The fatal delay thus incurred was ultimately unfavorable to the rights and claims of the Dutch, as subsequent events will show. 72 NEW-YORK CLASS BOOK.— LESSON XXXL Reading Lesson XXXI. Origin of Bergen, New Jersey. — Jan* Evertsen Bout.t in the employment of the Dutch West-India company, was, this year, sent out by Mr. Paauw, as superintendent of his colony of Pavonia. This individual obtained, in 1638, the grant of a farm within the limits of the present town of Bergen, which was the first actual settlement in that quarter. Continued encroacliments of the English. — The reports heard by the English colonists of Massachusetts, of the fertile valley of the Connecticut, induced more and more of their people, yearly, to migrate to that region ; and extensive settleinents were soon effected by them, along the most desirable portions of the river. To these en- croachments the inefficient government of Van Twiller opposed no effectual resistance ; and a body of English- men, who had actually attempted the capture of fort Nassau on the Delaware, were, on the failure of their attempt, and their transmission to fort Amsterdam, as prisoners, peaceably allowed to establish themselves, as colonists, in the vicmity. Character of Van Twiller. — The convivial habits of the dii-ector, seem to have disqualified him for the decent discharge of his official duties, so far as to call down the unmeasured and sometimes insulting rebukes of Mr. Bogardus, the chaplain, or clergyman, of the colony. The disputes of these dignitaries seem to have been nearly alike disgraceful, to the station of each. But the positive malversations of Van Twiller extended to the appropriation of large portions of the company's domain to his personal uses ; and his connivance at similar pro- ceedings on the part of others, led to extensive peculation, as a general practice among the company's servants. Origin of Flatlands, Long Island. — It was in such ways that the first settlements were effected at Flatlands, Long Island; Van Twiller, Curler and others, having purchased of the Indians, extensive tracts in that vicinity, without the knowledge of the directors at home, and commenced plantations, for their personal benefit. Dinclage's\ opposition to the irregxdarities of Van Twil- ler. — The fiscal Dinclage was the only member of the * Pronounced, Ydn. t Boot. X Dincldgay's. HISTORY.— 1G38. 73 administration at fort Amsterdam who opposed the un- righteous proceedings of the director ; and his honest; opposition drew down upon him the resentment of Van T wilier, who condemned him to lose his salary, now long in arrear, and to return to Holland there to justify his conduct before the company. Dinclage, on his return, made application to the direc- tors and to the States General, and at last succeeded in attracting attention to the shameful state of things at New Amsterdam. The result was the appointment of a new director-general, Willem Kieft, before whose arrival, how- ever, Van Twiller had pursued his system of private dealings with the natives, and become possessed of what are now called. Governor's and Blackwell's islands, be- sides other valuable tracts. Measures adopted by the States General, Jor promoting colonization. — The investigation into the affairs of New Netherland, which led to the appointment of Kieft as director-general, disclosed such a scene of inefficiency, mismanagement, and loss, that the States General became desirous of adopting vigorous measures for rescuing the sinking colony, and securing its future prosperity. The extensive introduction into the country of substantial colo- nists, who would devote their attention to agriculture, seemed the only adequate measure for this end ; as the irregular life of the traders and soldiers, and the grasping imbition of the patroons, seemed to operate as a fatal ninderance to the vital prosperity of the colony. SEC. III.— ADMINISTRATION OF CIEECTOR KIEFT.— 1638-1646. Reading Lesson XXXII. WiUem Kieft, third director-general. — The new director- general, Kieft, arrived in the spring of 1638, and pro- ceeded to organize his government, and regulate public affairs. A vigorous system of prohibitions and penalties, was adopted, as a check on the dissolute and intemperate babits which had disgraced the colony ; and efi'ective measures were taken for securing the prosperity of future immigrants. In the former of these attempts, little success seems to bave followed the well-meant endeavors of the new direc- tor. But, in the latter, he was greatly aided by the fitTi- D 74 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON XXXU. val and settlement of many excellent colonists, some of whose names continuetl to be favorably known, as borne by their descendants. Among those who, about this time, established themselves in New Netherland, we fitid the names of La Montagne, Verplanck, De Foreest, and others. First arrangements for the inspection of tohacco. — The high value of the tobacco of New Netherland, in foreign markets, now required some protective measure for se- curing its character, and guarding against fraud and deterioration. Inspectors were accordingly appointed, and other steps taken, to effect the desired object. Swedish establislimciits on the Delaware. — Usselinx,* the original projector of the Dutch West-India company, disappointed in his attempts in his native country, sub- mitted his plans for trade and colonization to the govern- ment of Sweden. The death of king Gustavus, how- ever, caused the failure of the project. But the scheme was revived by Peter Minuit, on his dismission from the service of the Dutch West-India company, and was adopted with gi-eat spirit, by queen Christina. Minuit was accordingly furnished with a man-of-war and tender, fully equipped for his purpose. He set sail for the Delaware, and ari-ived in that river, in the month of April, after a visit to the English colony at James- town in Virginia. Notwithstanding the objections and protests of the Dutch commander at fort Nassau, and of director-general Kieft, he proceeded to trade with the natives in the vicinity of the present city of Philadelphia, bought a tract of land of them, and erected a fort, which,, on his subsequent departure for Holland, he left well; garrisoned, — so much so, that governor Kieft was un- able, for the time, to attempt the reduction of it. Abrogation of the charter of the West-India comj)any. — 1 The States General, now r-esolved to promote the colo-l nization of the national domain in America, urged uponl the attention of the company the necessity of modifyingl the charter under which they held their possessions, sc as to throw open the benefits of colonization and com- merce to private individuals. To such a change th( company and the patroons manifested an unfeigned re-j luctance ; and each of these bodies proposed such * Pronounced, Oosselinx. HISTORY.— 1639. 75 remodelling of the charter as was not only inadequate to the views of the States General, but utterly incompatible with any course which had any other object than the immediate and exclusive benefit of the parties interested in upholding the principles of monopoly and exclusion. The committee appointed by the States General to confer with the Amsterdam chamber, acting for the com- pany, perceiving the impossibility of accomplishing any thing for the benefit of the colony, by half-way measures, reported in such terms as induced the States General to aboHsh the monopoly of trade and colonization, and to throw open, to all who were willing to comply with certain regulations, the advantages of free communication with the native race, and untrammelled occupation of the soil. Reading Lesson XXXIII. Good effects of the abolition of the company^ s monopoly. — No sooner was the new order of things, consequent on the abrogation of the exclusive privileges of the West- India company, fairly established, than the whole region of New Netherland, but, particularly, the colony at New Amsterdam, began to make rapid advances in j)rosperity. The directors in Holland had the good sense to perceive the advantages which would result to themselves from the establishment of permanent settlements, and held out the most advantageous offers of land, stock, and even pro- visions and clothing on the most accommodating tei-ms, as inducements to hardy and enterprising emigrants to re- sort to the colonies. The settlements were, accordingly, soon reinforced with large numbers of able and industrious people, dis- posed to take up their residence, for life, in New Nether- land. In addition to emigrants of this description, there were also not a few whose wealth, and even rank, at home, tended to raise the enterprise of colonization, in the estimation formed of it both in Europe and America. At the same time, the persecution suffered in New England, by all who did not conform to the Puritan faith, drove many families, for refuge, to the Dutch colo- nies ; and numbei-s of persons who had completed their period of service on plantations in Virginia, came to New Amsterdam, to employ themselves, on advanta- 76 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON XXXIV. geous terms, with the Dutch planters. The most vahi- able accessions of labor and skill were thus secured to the gi'owing interests of New Amsterdam. Continued encroachments of the English. — Disregarding all the remonstrances and resistance of the Dutch, the English colonists in New England still pressed onward ; extending their offshoots into the region of Connecticut, and even assailing the Dutch colonists in the very vicinity of their forts. Hartford and New Haven had, in this way, already become flourishing villages ; and it was plainly the intention of the English to extend their set- tlements even to the Hudson. The rights of actual discovery and exploration, and of actual settlement and positive possession, which the Dutch justly asserted, and which the nations of Europe then held sacred, were thus utterly disregarded by the English, under the flimsy plea of a prior claim, founded on the bare circumstance that the Cabots, as before mentioned, had sailed past, — with- out being aware of it, — the coast of this portion of the American continent. Vigorous prosecution of the colonization of Long Island. — The encroachments of the English now began to extend themselves even to Long Island ; the eastern portion of which had been arbitrarily granted by the Plymouth company, in 1635, to the earl of Stirling, and disposed of by the agents of that nobleman. Director Kieft proceeded, therefore, to extend, on be- half of the Dutch West-India company, his purchases of the native proprietors, so as to secure the western portion of the island, and made grants of land, to a con- siderable extent, in Brooklyn and the vicinity. Reading Lesson XXXIV. Violent proceedings of the English at Hartford. — The following graphic scene, sketched in Mr. O'Callaghan's interesting work on the history of New Netherland, gives the reader a vivid impression of the spirit of the times, at this period of conflict between the colonists of the two nations which laid claim to the fertile valley of the Connecticut. " The spring of 1640 opened with a renewal of the differences between the Eno^lish and the Dutch on the ni3TORY.-1640 77 Connecticut river, touching the title to the soil around fuit Hope. Commissary Op Dyck,* being about to make preparations for sowing the ground in the rear of that post, advised Mr. Hopkins, governor of Hartford, of his intention, and warned him, at the same time, against permitting any of his people to interrupt him. " Hopkins, however, pertinaciously denied the validity of the Dutch title to the land, and maintained that the English had acquired their title from the right owners, — that he was prepared to prove, by a chief of the Mo- rahtkans, residing near the Pequods, that the latter never owned the soil, and that the right owners had left for the purpose of obtaining assistance from their friends. " Op Dyck, on the contrary, insisted on the superior right of the company, — referred to their long possession, which dated many years before the English knew of the existence of the river, and to their purchase, which had been made with the approbation of the natives. Where- upon the English governor called on the Dutch commis- sary to exhibit his title. ' Show your right,' said he, ' we are prepared to exhibit ours ;' adding, at the same time, that he was desirous to live in peace with the Dutch. " To all this Op Dyck responded in suitable terms. He wished only to use the company's lands. But to this neither the governor, nor the English people, would, in any wise, consent. On the contrai-y, the constable was sent with a posse of some ten or eleven men, who attack- ed the D^tch, on the following day, while ploughing the field in dispute, beat the horses, and frightened them so that they broke loose. They then returned, next morn- ing, and sowed the ground which the Dutch had ploughed. " Commissary Op Dyck protested forthwith; but gov- ernor Hopkins refused to make any reply to this protest, ' as it was written in Low Dutch.' He called again on the commissary to produce his title. ' The king,' he said, ' would support the English in their right, as firmly as the prince of Orange would the Dutch.' The commissary maintained that he was not bound to produce his title ; and as for the king of England, he well knew that his majesty did not desire to do anything that should injure another. * Pronounced, Op Dyke. 78 NEW- YORK CLASS BOOK.— LESSON XXXIV. " Hereupon, he took his departure, and sent a party to plant barley in the field. These were also driven off. Op Dyck then went himself to do the work ; but the English remained on the watch, and would not suffer him to proceed. " Evert Duyckingh,* another of the company's servants, having, in the meantime, succeeded in getting into the field, with a hat full of barley, commenced sowing the grain ; but had not proceeded far, when he was knocked down with an adze, from which he received a severe wound on the head. Op Dyck was, thereupon, obliged to withdraw his men, having previously warned the English of the injury and wrong which his masters had sustained at their hands. " These criminations and recriminations did not termi- nate here. The English were evidently determined to hunt the Dutch from the river. They therefore continued their aggressions in every possible shape, during the re- mainder of the year. They seized the horses and cows belonging to fort Good Hope and impounded them for trespass. The clergyman of Hartford seized a load of hay, which a Dutch driver was conveying to the fort, and applied it to his own use, without giving anything in re- turn ; and when the crop became ready for the sickle, the English drove off the man sent by the Dutch commis- sary to cut it down, and harvested it themselves. " It was in vain that Op Dyck protested, or the director- general remonstrated. They lacked either the will, or the means to vhidicate their rights ; and the people of Hartford treated them accordingly." This extract presents, in a striking light, the aggressive temper of the English, and the humane and patient yet persevering spirit of the Dutch. The peaceable submis- sion of the latter to many of the wrongs inflicted on them, is to be accounted for, in part, however, by the inadequacy of the Dutch force, to maintain the rights of their people, and, in part, also, by the extreme reluctance of the director- general to commit any overt act of hostility, which might embroil the two nations at home, and disturb the peaceful and prosperous traffic which was so highly prized by the peopje of Holland. The director-general seems, all along, to have understood that the company would sanction no ♦ Pronounced, Dyking. HISTORY.-1640. 79 act of hostility committed without their special authority. Hence the frequent parade and show of resistance, with- out any actual violence. The extent of the commission entrusted to the local authorities, seems, uniformly, to have been, to intimidate, but, on no account, to shed blood, or offer personal vio- letice. The colonists of the rival nation, taking advantage of this forbearance, seem to have regarded their oppo- nents as incapable of anything beyond bluster and protest, and to have acted under this impression, not less than that of the factitious claims of England. Reading Lesson XXXV. Farther attempts of the English to encroach on Long Island. — Director Kieft continued to extend, still farther, his purchases of land from the natives of Long Island, and to resist all attempts made by the English, to settle on the western part of the island. The extent of juris- dicticm claimed by the Dutch, was bounded, on the west, by the East River, and, on the east, by the present county of Suffolk. No resistance, therefore, was offered to the proceedings of the English, when they commenced their settlements at Southampton and Southold. Additional immunities offered to colonists. — The States General, desirous of still farther promoting the interests of New Netherland, by quieting the dissensions still ex- isting between the company and the patroons, proceeded to grant a new charter of privileges, still more liberal than the former, and to establish a more efficient admin- istration than had hitherto existed. The colonies were to be under the immediate control of a governor, a body of counsellors, and other officers, who were to act as efficient guardians of virtue and morality. One item in the new charter, appears, however, to have been at variance with the usually mild and tolerant spirit of Dutch legislation. This was, that no other religion should be publicly tol- erated or allowed, save that of the "reformed church" in the Dutch United Provinces. This virtual prohibition, seems, however, to have remained, in point of fact, a dead letter ; for we hear nothing of its ever having been en- forced. Origin of Indian hostilities. — The enlargement of the 80 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.-LESSOX XXXV. I original charter of the company, while it promoted the growth and prosperity of the colony, tended to produce serious injury, in regard to communication with the In- dians. The new charter induced many adventurers, of doubtful character, to go among the natives, for the pur- pose of securing the advantages of the profitable traffic in furs, and to introduce among the simple sons of the forest their final bane, the use of intoxicating liquors. The English traders, also, furnished their Indian customers witli fire-arms and powder, which the company had strictly forbidden their servants to do ; and the colonies were thus left exposed to all the evils of warfai-e, under the most disadvantageous circumstances. Unfortunately, also, at this juncture, the director-gen- eral undertook the unwise measure of taxing the natives in corn and furs, or in wampum, for the alleged protection afforded them against their enemies, by the garrisons and forts of the colonies. This proceeding roused, as might have been expected, the wrath of the Indian tribes ; and they were by no means sparing either in their taunts or threatenings. The director-general, observing this state of affairs, deemed it necessary to issue an order, that every colonist should pi'ovide himself with arms, and hold himself in readiness for immediate muster, at a given signal. Hostilities commenced on the Raritan. — The outbreak of the long and harassing war that followed, was occa- sioned by the following circumstances. A watering party, belonging to a vessel trading southward, carried of!" from a plantation on Staten island, some hogs, the property of the company and of the planter. The Iqdians on the Raritan were blamed for the theft; and an armed party was despatched, under the command of the secretary of the colony at New Amsterdam, to levy damas^es. The party, on arriving at their destination, became disorderly, and, in spite of the remonstrances of the secretary, pro- ceeded to murder the unoffending Indians, and to burn their crops. Thus commenced, in wanton and cruel aggression, the hostilities which first disturbed the peace- able communication hitherto maintained between the Dutch and the native tribes. But, while the occurrence of such an event reflects disgrace on the European ag- gressors, it is, so far, satisfactory to know that the act HISTORY.— 1641. 81 was not authorized by the administration of the colony, but perpetrated, by a lawless and mutinous body of indi- viduals, in open violation of express command. Reading Lesson XXXVI. Continued aggressions of the English. — A detachment from the colony at New Haven, in Connecticut, estab- lished themselves, in the spring of this year, on the Dela- ware and the Schuylkill rivers, notwithstanding the protest of the Dutch director-general. At Hartford, the violence of the English colonists was carried to extremes, which would have drawn down upon them an attack from a strong military force despatched from fort Amsterdam, had not the apprehension of Indian hostilities caused the detention of the troops. Patroon of State?i island. — Cornells Melyn,* a Dutch merchant, who possessed great influence with the directors in Holland, had, after visiting New Netherland, obtained, as patroon, a grant of Staten island, — with the exception of the land owned by captain De Vries, — and arrived, in August, 1641, prepared to take possession. A flourishing farm, (or "bouwerie,") and an extensive orchard, were, this year, planted at Hoboken. Commencement of hostilities, on the part of the Indians. — The Raritan tribe of Indians, determined to avenge the injuries they had suffered, in the attack committed on them, as formerly mentioned, retaliated by an attack on the plantation of De Vries, on Staten island, in which they killed four of his people, and burned his dwelling- I house and other buildings. Governor Kieft, enraged at what he deemed the treach- ery of this proceeding, — as the Indians were, at the time, proposing terms of peace, — pi'oceeded to excite the ad- joining tribes against the Raritans, by offering stipulated rewards, not only for the heads of the offenders, but of any members of the Raritan tribe. This measure was so far successful as to issue in the bringing in of the head of the sachem who had conducted the attack on De Vries's plantation ; soon after which event, a permanent peace was concluded with the Raritans ; and so faithfully was it kept by the latter, that, afterwards, when all others of the * Pronounced, Maylinc. D* 82 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON XXXVL surrounding tribes had united in hostilities against the Europeans, the Raritans alone remained friendly. Indian retaliation. — The colony of New Amsterdam was, not long after, thrown into the greatest alarm by the murder of a peaceful and aged man, perpetrated by an Indian. The savage, in the present case, was nephew to an Indian, wantonly murdered by some of director Minuit's people, many years before. The Indian custom of retri- bution or compensation, in such cases, had been over- looked by the authorities of the colony ; and the Indian law of justice and honor demanded a retributive act of vengeance, at whatever distance of time. On this estab- lished custom the savage had acted ; and when Kieft made a requisition on the chief of the tribe, for the surrender of the murderer, the answer was a decisive refusal, on the ground of national custom and equitable retribution. First " town-meeting'^ at New Amstcrdajn. — Kieft, whose personal dislike and hatred to the natives were deeply seated, was determined on vengeance. But, aware of the extensive evils which might result to the colony, and desirous of screening himself from blame, he submitted the whole affair to the decision of a meeting of masters and heads of families, residing in New Amsterdam and the vicinity. The answer returned, w'as, that it would be imprudent to attempt anything, at that season of the year, while the harvest was not yet secured, and the colonists and their cattle were scattei-ed abroad. It was suggested, however, that, in the meantime, all due preparation, in the way of arming and equipment, should be made, and every pre- caution taken to lull the Indians into security ; but to prevent, if possible, the evils of war, that the message demanding the surrender of the assassin, should be re- peated. Twelve men were appointed as delegates, to aid in carrying into effect the requisite measures. On the approach of winter, Kieft did not fail to remind the colonists of their engagements; as no concession had been made by the natives. But the prudent spirit of the people would not yet sanction any active measures ; and delay was still deemed advisable. HISTORY.— 1642. 83 Reading Lesso.v XXXVII. preparations for attacking the Indians. — The winter of 1641-42 having at length set in, Kieft again urged the subject of the murder, on the attention of the people ; and they, at last, assented to his wishes, after having stipulated for the personal presence of the governor, in the expedition, and the arrangement of a proper commis- sariat, which, in those primitive times of simple habits, extended only to a due provision of "bread and butter." The just, prudent, and humane spirit, so characteristic of " Fatherland," appears conspicuous in the language of the following stipulation, as translated in the pages of Mr. O'Callaghan's instructive history. The passage is an ex- tract from one of the documents obtained by Mr. J. Romeyn Brodhead, during his visit to Holland, while prosecuting the interesting researches which he conducted for the Historical Society of New York. " If it happened that God Almighty were pleased to permit one or more of the freemen to be wounded in the expedition, or in the attack on the savages, the noble director and council were to remain obliged to support such wounded persons, and their families, in a decent manner, and to have them cured at the expense of the provident company." - Representations of the " Twelve^ — Human history is, in no point, more uniform than in the fact that councils sum- moned by leaders, in emergencies, have usually taken occasion to volunteer their services as representatives, for the time, of the rights of the body of the people, whence they were selected. The arbitrary temper of director Kieft was, in this way, severely tried by some of the sug- gestions offered by his special council of Twelve, whom he proceeded, with all haste, to dismiss, not without due commendation of their zeal and readiness in relation to the interests of the colony, but, at the same time, with a very explicit assurance that any farther meeting or pro- ceedings, on their pait, would subject them to Solomon's established remedy for the wonted aberrations of fools. The reformations suggested by the Twelve, seem, in many instances, to have been loudly called for. Kieft was accustomed, at all times, to act as autocrat of tlie colony. He had but one official aid and acting counsel- 84 NEW- YORK CLASS BOOK.— LESSO:* XXXVIII. lor, La Montagne; and, to avoid the glaring impropriety of such a mode of conducting public affairs, he had called in occasionally, and at random, such of the commonalty as he thought proper, to make up the show of a colonial council. Ill his answer to the representations of the Twelve, while he petulantly challenged them to show proof of any injustice done by such aids to his delibera- tions, he admitted the importance of being supported by a suitable body of persons of consideration, and expressed his pleasure in the prospect of the arrival of such, duly appf)inted in Holland. Failure of the Dutch expedition against the India?is. — Kieft's first step towards inflicting chastisement on the Indians, was to despatch Van Dyck, ensign at fort Am- sterdam, with a band of eighty men, to ravage the pos- sessions of the Wickquaeskeek Indians, the tribe to which the offender belonged. Fortunately for the Indians, Van Dyck, a true marti- net, in the proprieties of warfare, made a regular halt, contrary to the wishes of his party, at a small stream on the borders of the territory of the offending tribe, instead of pushing on, at once, and taking the enemy by surprise. His guide, too, here missed the way, and Van Dyck, in a rage, returned to fort Amsterdam, without striking a blow. The natives, however, on tracing the foot-prints of the troops, perceived the peril they had escaped, and lost no time in suing for peace. The suiTender of the murderer, however, was never obtained ; as he had, in all probability, fled for jirotectiou to a distant tribe. Reading Lesson XXXVIII. Proceedings against tlie English intruders. — Irritated by the continued encroachments of the English, director Kieft formally prohibited all intercourse with the settle- ments in Connecticut. He despatched a force, likewise, to break up the recent attempt of the colonists from New Haven to establish themselves on the Schuylkill. The latter of these measures was rigorously executed ; and the settlers and their goods transferred to New Amster- dam and New Haven. In the latter place, the utmost indignation was expressed against the proceedings of the Dutch. HISTORY.— 1642. 65 An unsuccessful attempt, on the part of the English, was made, in the summer of this year, to come to terms sf agreement and purchase, with the Dutch, for the lands irouud Hartford. But both the American and the Euro- pean parties interested, were still as far as ever from joming to satisfactory terms. Co?itinued immigrations froTn the English into the Dutch colonies. — The persecution which was encountered by some European emigrants, in the New-England set- lements, continued to drive them, for refuge, to those )f New Netherland. Additional companies of skilful md industrious agriculturists, were thus secured by the atter, especially on Long Island, Among those planted, his year, were the original settlements at Mespath or S^ewtown, and at Gravesend, formerly Gravenzande, — lo called after a village of that name, near the mouth of he river Maas, in Holland. The frequency of com- nunicalion with English people, in these and other (Vays, now rendered necessary the appointment of an English secretary at New Amsterdam. First stone church erected at New Amsterdam. — The lecayed condition of the church erected under Van Fwiller's administration, being now felt as a public lisgrace, director Kieft prosecuted, with great zeal, the •equisite measures for the erection of one more credit- ible to the colony. But his good intentions were, for a ime, thwarted by factious opposition, and by the general ilarm prevailing in regard to the danger of an attack on he colonies by the Indians. Hostilities with the Indians. — The apprehensions re- erred to, were founded on the efforts of the Narragan- ett chief, Miantonimo, to rouse the Indian tribes to form , general confederacy against all the Europeans now istablished on their borders. The utmost teiTor was :xcited throughout the colonies by the diffusion of this umor. Local incidents, however, precipitated the outbreak if hostilities between the natives and the Dutch. An ndian who had been robbed of a dress of beaver skins, vhile in a state of intoxication, took vengeance by the aurder of two white men. On applying for the surrender of the murderer, Kieft vas informed that the offender had fled to the Tanki- 86 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON XXXIX. tekes. This tribe was therefore cautioned by a formal message threatening hostilities. Massacre of the 2Qth February. — In the meantime, a powerful party of the Mohawks had invaded the river Indians, who fled, for protection, to Manhattan island, and the adjacent settlements. The destitute and suffei'- ing condition of these unfortunate beings, excited the compassion of most of the colonists. But a number were bent on retaliation for the unatoned murders before men- tioned, and succeeded in inducing the director to sanction a scene of midnight massacre, unparalleled for atrocity, in the colonial records of America. Upwards of a hun- dred Indians fell victims, in one night, to this horrid scheme. The murders thus pei'petrated were, by the unsuspecting natives attributed, at first, to the Mohawks ; as the deed was perpetrated at the dead of night. On the following day, the Indians having discovered their mistake, retaliated on a party of marauding colo- nists, and killed a Dutchman and his wife. A rescue of the remainder of the whites was effected, and several Indians slain, and a number taken prisoners. Reading Lesson XXXIX. Indian league formed for the extermination of the whites. — Some of the colonists on Long Island com- menced, not long after, a series of outrages on the natives in their vicinity ; and the consequence was an extensive alliance formed among the Indian tribes ad- joining the Dutch settlements, for the purpose of exter- minating them. The usual scenes of Indian atrocity followed : men, women, and children were murdered or captured ; the dwellings and barns of the settlers were burned ; their cattle were killed ; and their crops destroyed. Director Kiefs ■perplexities. — Kieft, and all who could escape the tomahawk of the natives, fled to the shelter of the fort, where a miserable company of widows and orphans daily rang their reproaches in the ears of the in- fatuated director. All his attempts to appease them were unavailing. His consent to the massacre of the unoffend- ing Indians, was universally regarded as the cause of the general sufferings ; and so high did the feeling of public HISTORY.— 1643. 87 indignation run, that it was even proposed, at one time, to seize him, and send him home to Holland, for trial. A personal assault was made upon him by Maryn Adriaen- sen, one of the leading instigators of the massacre, on whom Kieft wished to lay the blame. Adriaensen was foiled in his attempt, by the seasonable interference of the bystanders, and was disarmed and committed to prison. The partisans of Adriaensen rallied for his rescue, and headed by his son, made an attack on the director, in which the youth Marynsen fired at Kieft, and was imme- diately shot down by a sentinel. A parley ensued, in which the terms demanded by the insurgents were refused, and Adriaensen was sent to Holland, for trial. After an interval of some years, we find, to our sur- prise, this same Adriaensen returning to New Amster- dam, and receiving from the hand of director Kieft, a grant of a tract of land, including what was then called Awishaken, (Weehawken.) Treatij of peace. — The return of spring reminding the Indians of the necessity of resuming their wonted occu- pations, they made proposals for peace, which issued in the ratification of a treaty, on the basis of mutual forgive- ness and amnesty. De Vries,. in whose veracity the In- dians reposed entire confidence, conducted this treaty, on the part of the Dutch, and thus secured, for a brief sea- son, a respite to his countrymen from the hoiTors of In dian warfare. Unsettled condition of Dutch and English claivis. — Mu tual remonsti'ances continued to be made by the colonists of both nations, in regard to the disputed territory on the> Connecticut river, but without any nearer approach to an amicable termination. The aspect of affairs, indeed, seemed less favorable than ever, to the interests of the Dutch. The English colonies had now formed a union, in which they bound themselves to support one another in all emergencies ; and they plainly intimated to the gov- ernment at New Amsterdam, their intention of adhering to their claims on the settlements in Connecticut. Hostilities resumed, on the part of the Indians. — The slight compensation made to the natives, for the injuries which they had sustained at the hand of the whites, was, even at the conclusion of the treaty, a subject of mur- muring and displeasure among the former. But the dis- 88 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON XL. satisfaction, ere long, broke out in open complaint.'', on the part of the Indians; and one of their chiefs, Pachaui, the leader of the Tankitekes, inhabiting around Haver- straw, proposed to the adjoining tribes a simultaneous rising for the massacre of all the Dutch. The Wappinecks, a tribe inhabiting the river region, midway between the Manhattans and fort Orange, com- menced the outbreak, with the murder of one of the crew of a trading boat, soon after its depai'ture from the fort. Two other boats shared the same fate. Several secret anrotest and declare, in the name of our said lords, the states General, before God and men, that you will act m unjust violence, and a breach of the articles of peace, o solemnly sworn, agreed upon, and ratified by his najestie of England, and my lords, the States General ; ind the rather, for that, to prevent the shedding of blood, n the month of February last, we treated with captain Fohn Scott, (who reported he had a commission from his aid majestie,) touching the limits of Long Island, and loncluded for the space of a year, that, in the meantime, he business might be treated on, between the king of jrreat Britain and my lords, the high and mighty States general : and again, at present, for the hinderance and )revention of all differences and the spilling of innocent )lood, not only in these parts, but also in Europe, we )frer unto you a treaty, by our deputyes, Mr. Cornelius i^an Ruyven, secretary and receiver of New Holland ; [Cornelius Steenwick, burgomaster ; Mr. Samuel Mega- )olensis, doctor of physic ; and Mr. James Cousseau, leretofore shei'iff. As touching the threats in your con- ilusion, we have nothing to answer, only that we fear lothing but what God, (who is as just as merciful,) shall ay upon us ; all things being in his gracious disposall ; ind we may as well be preserved by him with small brces as by a great army; which makes us to wish you ill happiness and prosperity, and recommend you to his protection. My lords, your thrice humble and affection- ite servant and friend," (signed,) " P. Stuyvesant. At he fort at Amsterdam, the second of September, new .tile, 1664." Still hoping to avert the surrender of the colony, Stuy- vesant wrote, once more, proposing an accommodation. 3ut Nicolls cut the matter short by a decisive answer; md the director, at last, acceded to a surrender, on the lole condition that the limits of the Dutch and English no NEW-YORK CLAS5S-BOOK.-LESSON XLIX. possessions should be ultimately settled by the European authorities on both sides. On the moi-ning of the 27th August, old style, the capit- ulation was signed by the commissioners of both parties at the director's " bowery," The terms of surrender were honorable and liberal. But the sturdy spirit of the director was manifested, to the last, in his refusing to ratify the act, till two days had elapsed. His Roman heart seems to have merited a happier issue than it was his lot to experience, in being compelled to surrender one of the noblest colonies of his native country. Origin of the name of " Neio York." — New Amsterdam, on its sui-render to England, took its present name, in compliment to the duke of York. As yet it consisted of but several narrow and short streets, skirted by a few. straggling plantations. Such was then the condition of. what is now the chief city of the union, and one of the i greatest commercial emporia of the world. Retiretnent of the eoc-dircctor. — The site of the farm of director Stuyvesant, was then remote from the town ; and to it he withdrew, — with what feelings we may judge, — preferring a life of retirement, on this side the Atlantic, to a return home, where the mortification attending his con- dition would be more exposed to lemark. His remains Governor Stuyvesant's House, on the Bowery. HISTORY.— 1665. 1 1 1 were interred in a chapel which he had caused to be erected on his farm. Peaceable submission of the Dutch. — The transfer of the colony to the English, seems to have had but little effect on the limited population of the town. Most of the in- habitants remained, and became contented subjects of the new government. Reduction of the remoter settlements. — Sir Robert Can- took command of the detachment of the English force to which was assigned the reduction of the colony on the Delaware ; and Sir George Carteret that of the force designed for the reduction of fort Orange. These com- manders were successful in their respective undertakings ; and, on the surrender of fort Orange, the settlement there, now waxing to a town, received, as formerly mentioned, the name of Albany, in compliment to the duke of York md Albany. mAP. IV.— NEW YORK, UNDER THE SUPREMACY OF ENGLAND. 8ec. i.— administrations of governors nicolls, lovelace, colve, and andros.— 1664-1682. Reading Lesson L. Character of the first English governor. — The colony of Mew Netherland, being now entirely under the control of he English, the government was assumed by commis- ioner Nicolls, who, during his short period of office, eems to have acquitted himself with honor and discre- ion, in the performance of his duties. Neic York incorporated as a city. — In June, 1665, the inhabitants of New York were incorporated, — though vithout the formality of a charter, till 1686, — under a nayor,* aldermen, and sheriff, after the manner of En- * The first mayor of New York was captain Willet, ancestor of ■olonel Marimis Willet, mayor of the city in 1807. See the life of ■aptain Willet, on a subsequent page. 112 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON L. glish towns. But so judicious were the proceedings of governor Nicolls, and so easily did the Dutch and English civil ai-rangements coalesce, that everything went on harmoniovisly, notwithstanding the war, of two years' continuance, between England and Holland. The war, however, was terminated by the treaty of Breda, in July, 1667. Nicolls returned, this year, to England ; leaving a rep- utation highly creditable to him, as an individual, not less than as a governor. ^Administration of colonel Lovelace. — In May, 1667, Nicolls was succeeded by colonel Lovelace, a man of humane and affable qualities, who, like his predecessor, was highly esteemed by the people of the colony. Recapture of tlic colony hy the Dutch. — Charles II, of England, having dishonorably deserted his alliance with the Dutch, and united, in 1672, with Louis XIV, of France, then at war with that people, a Dutch squadron, at the close of July 1673, made its appearance off Staten island; and, — by secret communication with John Man- ning, the commandant of the garrison at New York, — succeeded in capturing the fort, without resistance. The Dutch power was soon reestablished and recognized, throughout the colony ; and governor Lovelace obtained leave to return to England. Resumption of the colony hy tJie English. — The new Dutch governor, Colve,* however, remained but a short time in office ; Holland and England having concluded a peace in February, 1674, the terms of which were, that all captured possessions, on both sides, should revert to their previous occupants; and, on the 31st of October of the same year. Sir Edmund Andros, the English governor, received the peaceable surrender of the colony which was thus placed under his power. Punishment of Manning for his treasonous surrender. — One of the first public acts of governor Andros, was to bring to trial, before a court martial, commandant Man- ning, who had so basely surrendered the fort at New York, to the Dutch squadron. The culprit seems to have found means, on an intermediate visit to England, to make his peace, in part, with the king and the duke of York ; for he suffered no farther penalty than degradation and * Pronoxmced, Colvay. HISTORY.— 1683. 113 jisgrace. He was led to the city hall, in front of which ins sword was publicly broken over his head ; and he was there proclaimed incapable, thenceforward, of wearing a sword, or sustaining any public office. Character of Andros's administration. — The circum- stances in which Andros was placed, in his government of New York, gave little occasion for the manifestation of that arbitrary and tyrannical spirit which he manife.sted in New England. New York was the special province of the duke of York, heir apparent to the English crown ; and Andros was one whose servile spii'it was an effectual oarrier to any latitude of conduct, which might have displeased his superior, in the management of affairs, in 1 colony which it was his interest, as far as possible, to :;onciliate. Removal of Andros. — The government of East Jersey lad, in 1675, been entrusted, by Sir George Carteret, to lis relative Philip Carteret, who was now, (1680,) exer- cising jurisdiction there. Andros disputed the right of he latter, and, in the quarrel which ensued, went so far IS to imprison him in New York. This unauthorized md arbitrary act is thought, by some, to have been the ihief cause of the removal of Andros fi'om his office ; as lis proceedings, in this affair, were disapproved in Eng- and. But there could have been no very great dissatis- action actually felt ; for Andros was merely transferred o the honorable post of governor at Boston. SEC. II.— ADMINISTRATION OF GOVERNOR DONGAN.— 1683-1688. Reading Lesson LI. Character of governor Dongan. — Colonel Thomas Don- an, though appointed governor in September, 1682, did lot arrive till the end of August, in the following year. '^He was a gentleman of polished and conciliatory deport- ment and sound principles ; and although, as a professed ;atholic, he could not be so acceptable, as he might other- vise have been, to a community consisting chiefly of )resbyterians, he was regarded with much respect and jood will, for his personal qualities and official conduct. It was under his enlightened administration that the )eople were first permitted to elect representatives, and snjoy their due place in the management of public affairs 114 NEW- YORK CLASS-EOOK.-LESSON LI. Dongan's proceedings in this matter, however, seem to have been expressly authorized by his superior, the duke of York, to whom earnest petitions for the recognition of popular rights, had been previously made, and to whom a formal letter of grateful acknowledgments, was duly] forwarded by the sheriffs of New York, in the name of the community at large. Hostilities bcticeen the French and the Five Nations. - The victorious career of the Indians of the Five Nations! in their attempts to subjugate the surrounding tribes, hac all along excited the greatest apprehension, in the minds of the French colonists of Canada, for the safety of theii possessions. Hostilities, in fact, had existed between the French and the natives, from a very early date. Thia^ warfare, in the infant condition of the French coloniesj had well nigh proved fatal to them ; as the tribes wit! whom they wei-e at war, were formidable both for numl bers and valor. Governor Courcelles* had, in autumn, 1665, despatched a force to ravage the territory of the Mohawks. But this body of troops, from ignorance of the country, imperfect equipment, and deficient supplies, reached Schenectady in a state of utter exhaustion; and, but for the humane in-| terference of Van Curler, the Dutch commissary at Al-j bany, so distinguished for his peaceful mediation betweer the European settlers and the natives, — they would have been cut off", to a man, by the Mohawks. A more formidable force was, in the spring of the following year, sent into the country of the MohawksJ but with no effectual results ; as the red men retired to| their inaccessible fastnesses, leaving only their aged anc helpless to the mercy of the enemy. Feeling the utter uselessness of their attempts to re- duce or punish their enemies, the French concluded a peace with them, in 1667 ; and, for successive years, pur- sued an advantageous traffic with the Indians ; but, at the same time, took care to protect their settlements against invasion, by a line of eflfective fortifications. Courcelles had, on the eve of his return to France, in 1672, obtained permission of the natives to erect a fort on lake Ontario. This his successor, count Fi'ontenac, com- pleted ; and the fort continued long to bear his name^ * Pronounced, Coorsell. HISTORY.— 1684. 115 t was, at length, in 1678, rebuilt with stone, by M. De I Salle, who first launched vessels of European con- .ruction, on lakes Ontario and Erie, and commenced a )rt at Niagara. Governor Dongaii's communicaUons witJi the Indians. — . leading feature in the policy of colonel Dongan's ad- linistration, was the judicious care which he bestowed n the relations of the colony with the natives. He bems, moreover, to have pursued an independent course, igarding the instructions of his government at home, he Romish partialities of the English monarch, induced im to enjoin it on the governor that he should aid the rench, in their hostilities with the natives. This he de- ined doing; being aware of the unfriendly disposition the French towards the English, which, about this me, was manifested in their stirring up the Indians to tack the western settlements of Maryland and Virginia, his aggression gave occasion for the great convention 3ld at Albany, in 1684. At this convention, a treaty of amity was formed be- feen the English and the Five Nations ; and governor ongan, — true to its stipulations, disregarded the injunc- ijn of his government, to facihtate the hostile measures the French, then intending to invade the Indian coun- ^, — sent information of this intention, to the Indians, d gave them assurances of his readiness to assist them any emergency. Reading Lesson LIT. Failure of De la Barrels expedition against the Five itions. — De la Bane, then governor of Canada, pro- leded, with a force of seventeen hundred men, to lake (itario ; but, being long detained by the sickness of his t)ops, at fort Frontenac, and poorly supplied with pro- ■vion, he found it necessary, in the exhausted state of li army, to conclude a treaty, at which the Indians ride no scruple of freely expressing their contempt for ti French, lay the mouth of Garrangula, chief of the (londagas. But circumstances admitted of no redress. The galling eloquence of the Indian orator, on this ccasion, is preserved in the following passage from j.dge Smith's History of New York, — one of the valu- 1 1 6 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.-LESSON LII. able sources of authentic information regarding the colo- nial period with which we ai'e now occupied. At the convention for forming the treaty, governor De^ la Barre had closed his address in threatening language. " Garrangula heard these threats with contempt, be- cause he had learned the distressed state of the French army, and knew that they were incapable of executing the designs with which they set out ; and, therefore, after walking five or six times round the circle, he answered the French governor, in the following stj-ain : ' Yoiinondio,* I honor you ; and the warriors that are^ with me likewise honor you. Your interpreter has finished your speech : I now begin mine. My words make haste to reach your ears : heai'ken to them. ' Yonnondio, you must have believed, when you left Quebec, that the sun had burned up all the forests,* which render our country inaccessible to the French,! or that the lakes had so far overflowed the banks, thab they had surrounded our castles, and that it was irnpossi-i ble for us to get out of them. Yes, Yonnondio, surely you must have dreamed so ; and the curiosity of fleeing so great a wonder has brought you so far. Now you are* undeceived ; since I, and the wai'riors here present, arei come to assure you, that the Senecas, Cayugas, Ononda-i gas, Oneidas, and Mohawks, are yet alive. ' I thank you, in their name, for bringing back into their' country the calumet, which your predecessor received^ from their hands. It was happy for you, that you leftf under ground that murdering hatchet which has been so often dyed in the blood of the French. ' Hear, Yonnondio, I do not sleep, I have my eyeS' open ; and the sun which enlightens me, discovers to me a great captain at the head of a company of soldiers,- who speaks as if he were dreaming. He says that he only came to the lake to smoke the great calumet withi' the Onondagas. But Garrangula says that he sees thei contrary ; that it was to knock them on the head, if sick-, ness had not weakened the arms of the French. * I see Yonnondio raving in a camp of sick men, whosei lives the Great Spirit has saved by inflicting this sickness^i on them. Hear, Yonnondio, our women had taken theiri clubs, our children and old men had carried their bowSj j^ * The Indian appellation of governor De la Barre. tv HISTORY.— 1G84. 117 and arrows into the heart of your camp, if our warriors had not disarmed them, and kept them back, when your messenger came to our castles. — It is done ; and I have said it. ' Heal", Yonnondio, we plundered none of the French, but those that carried guns, powder, and ball to the Twightwies and Chictaghicks, because those arms rriight have cost us our lives. Herein we follow the example of the Jesuits, who stave all the kegs of rum brought to our castles, lest drunken Indians should knock them on the head. Our warriors have not beaver enough to pay for all these arms that they have taken ; and our old men are not afraid of the war. — This wampum belt preserves my words.* ' We carried the English into our lakes, to trade there with the Utawawas and Quatoghies, as the Adirondacks brought the French to our castles, to carry on the trade which the English say is theirs. We are born free; we neither depend on Yonnondio nor Corlear.t ' We may go where we please, and carry with us whom we please, and buy and sell what we please : if your allies be slaves, use them as such, command them to receive no other but your people. — This belt preserves my words. ' We knocked the Twightwies and Chictaghicks on the head, because they had cut down the trees of peace, which were the limits of our country. They have hunted beavers on our lands : they have acted contrary to the customs of all Indians ; for they left none of the beavers alive, they killed both male and female. They brought the SatanasJ into the country, to take part with them, after they had concerted ill designs against us. We have done less than either the English or French, that have usurped the lands of so many Indian nations, and chased them from their own country. — This belt preserves my words. ' Hear, Yonnondio : — what I say is the voice of all the * Every topic introduced in the public speech of an Indian orator, was indicated, as formerly mentioned, by the delivery of a wampum belt, by reference to which every subject was recalled to memory. t The Indian appellation of the governor of New York, — given, as fonnerly mentioned, in honor of Van Curler, or Corlear, the commis- saiy at Albany, and the great friend of the Indians. t By the French called Sauounons. 118 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON LIII. Five Nations. Heai" what they answei*, — open your ears to what they speak. The Senecas, Cayugas, Onon- dagas, Oneidas, and Mohawks say, that when they buried the hatchet at Cadaracqui, in the presence of your pred- ecessor, in the middle of the fort, they planted the tree of peace in the same place, to be there carefully preserved, that, instead of a retreat for soldiers, that fort might be a rendezvous for merchants ; that instead of arms and ammunition of war, beavers and merchandise should only enter there. ' Hear, Yonnondio, take care, for the future, that so great a number of soldiers as appear there do not choke the tree of peace planted in so small a fort. It will be a great loss, if after it had so easily taken root, you should stop its growth and prevent its covering your country and ours with its branches. I assure you, in the name of the Five Nations, that our warriors shall dance to the calumet of peace, under its leaves, and shall remain quiet on their mats, and shall never dig up the hatchet till their brother Yonnondio or Corlear shall either jointly or separately endeavor to attack the country wliich the Gieat Spirit has given to our ancestors.' " Rkading Lessox LIII. Prorccdings of tlic French governor, De Nonvillc. — The manjuis De Nonville, De la Barre's successor in the gov- ernment of Canada, brought with him a fresh supply of troops from France, and, with high expectations of suc- cess, commenced operations against the Indians. To secure the French establishments against both the natives and the English, he proposed the erection of a strong stone fortification at Niagara. Governor Dongan, observ- ing his intentions, protested against these proceedings, as obstructing the English right of trade, and encroaching on the English territory. He intimated farther his readi- ness to support the confederated tribes of the Five Na- tions, as allies of England, against any attack made ujjon them by the French. Dc Nonville's expedition against the Senecas. — The Indian confederates were meditating retaliation on tlie Twightwies, or Miamis, for certain acts of hostility, insti- gated by the French. De Nonville determined at once HISTORY.— 1687. 119 to protect his allies, and anticipate the hostilities of the confederates, by invading the territory of the Senecas, one of the most formidable members of the Indian league. Resolved to strike an effectual blow, he concentrated at Montreal, in 1687, a force of two thousand troops and six hundred Indians. Emboldened by these extensive preparations, the French officers stationed on the lakes, seized and impris- oned two parties of English traders; notwithstanding the stipulations of the existing treaty between France and England, for open traffic with the natives. The first victims to the French invading force, were two villages of the confederates, the inhabitants of which had yielded to the invitations of the French, and established themselves near to lake Ontario. Of these unfortunate beings part were abandoned to the savage cruelties of their enemies, — the natives in alliance with the French, [and part were transported to the galleys in Europe. Stratagem and successful resistance on the fart of the \Senecas. — De Nonville's army, setting out from the fort at Cadaracqui, marched without obstruction to the prin- cipal village of the Senecas, in anticipation of making an easy conquest of their retreating enemy. But the retreat. ;was only a feint; and when the French had just passed the village, the Seneca warriors, to the number ot five hundred, sprang from their ambush, and, attacking their unsuspecting enemy in front and rear, made dreadful havoc among them, till checked by the reserved force of ijlndiaqs in alliance with the French. ij This disastrous repulse so discouraged the French Icommander, that, after burning the villages and corn of [the adjacent region, he threw up a fort on the southeast fpide of the straits at Niagara, and, having posted there a Igarrison of a hundred men, withdrew the body of his Ijarmy, and desisted from farther hostilities. The force jwhich he left, was strictly blockaded by the Indians, and, Ivith the exception of a small remnant, ultimately perished, hrough famine. Governor Dongan's interview with the chiefs of the con- federates at Albany. — Not long after the unsuccessful ex- pedition of the French, colonel Dongan met the chiefs of the Five Nations at Albany, cautioned them, once more, against the approaches of the French, and gave them as- 120 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON LIV. surance of his protection and support, if they would ab- stain from any negotiation with the French, unless after having duly consulted with him. The confederates retaliate on the French. — Soon after i the interview mentioned, the Mohawks and Mahicanders, or River Indians, made an assault on fort Chambly, burn- ed several houses, and carried off many captives. A party of Onondagas surprised some French soldiers near fort Frontenac, and seized them, as hostages for the safety of the Indians sent to the French galleys. In reply to the messenger sent to open negotiations with the Onondagas, in 1688, colonel Dongan declared, in their name, that no peace could be made with any of the f Five Nations till the captured Indians were returned, the French forts razed, and satisfaction made to the injured Senecas. Reading Lesson LIV. I Negotiation with the confederates at Montreal. — King James II, who now occupied the English throne, being friendly to France, would not support governor Dongan, in his endeavors to secure the dependence of the Five Nations on the crown of England, but commanded him td\ ■ use exertions to induce the confederates to make peace, i with the French. | A cessation of hostilities, and an exchange of prisoners, , were accordingly brought about, and a great council held . at Montreal, at which it was stipulated that the French i might supply fort Frontenac with provisions, and have ! their allies among the Indians secured from hostility. . The Mohawks and Senecas, who had absented themselves ) from the council, were, it was stipulated, to send in their : concurrence. Renewal of hostilities between the French and the Indians. — An unexpected cause prevented the long continuance of peace betweeru the contending parties. Adario, the chief of the Dinondadies, — a tribe which had lately fallen i off from the French interest to the English, — apprehensive ' that the occasion of peace might be used to punish the '•. defection, resolved to embroil the French and Indians anew, and to ingratiate himself with the former. To ac- complish his treacherous scheme, he attacked a body of ambassadors belonging to the Five Nations, on their way S.i 8 cen tior.; L leu:: HISTORY.— 1688. 121 to holil communications with the French. Some of these he killed, and informed those of them whom he took pris- oners, that he had received his information of their pass- ing, from the French governor. Indignant at the appa- rent treachery of that officer, the confederates determined on a bloody revenge. Invasion of Montreal by the covjcderates. — On the 26th of July, 1688, they landed with a large force, on the south side of the island of Montreal, surprised and massacred the French, burned their houses, and devastated their farms. A few of the whites were resei-ved to suffer the horrors of torture at the stake. A second attack was made, in the month of October, and the devastation of the lower part of the island completed. Many hundreds of the French perished miserably, in these merciless at- tacks. Such was the terror inspired by these savage atrocities, that the garrison on lake Ontario hastily abandoned their fort to the enemy, and, with difficulty saved themselves by a precipitate retreat to firmer strongholds. Nothing but the inability of the Indians, to conduct a systematic blockade or siege, preserved, at this time, the French settlements from utter destruction. SEC. III.— ADMINISTRATION OF LEISLER.— 1688-1690 Discontents at Nciv YorJc. — The gi-eat majority of the inhabitants of New York being either of Dutch or En- glish origin, were much dissatisfied with the apparent as- icendency of the Roman-catholic religion, among the offi- Icers of the government. The partiality of king James for jthe Romish faith and worship, had led l;im to confer office principally on individuals of that persuasion ; and the col- onists began to fear for the infringement of their religious jrights. As yet, however, no active movement took place, on the part of the colonists ; although it was now under- stood that the people of England were, — from apprehen- sions similar to their own, — already engaged in negotia- tions for inviting over William, the protestant prince of Orange, to take possession of the throne. Leislcr's Insurrection. — News, at length, arrived that the people of Boston, aware like themselves of the rriove- ment in England, and impatient of the misgovernment of F 122 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK— LESSON LV. Atidros, had risen and seized his person, and sent him home to England. This intelligence stirred up some of the more active spirits in the colony of New York, to attempt a rising in favor of the prince of Orange. The leader, in this movement, was Jacob Leisler, an I individual not personally competent for the conduct of so important a step as a colonial revolution, but guided by . the advice of his son-in-law, Milborne, an Englishman, a|| man of greater intelligence, although not of so active and "^ energetic a temper. Leisler seizes the garrison. — As a captain of militia, ] Leisler, taking advantage of the customary practice of , having the militia mount guard at night, entered with a I body of forty-nine men, resolved to hold possession till i the whole militia of the province should declare in favor of his movement. This step was a bold one ; for Leisler, although popular with the majority, was, by no means, a leader whom the officers and magistrates of the colony would choose to follow. The result, therefore, remained, for some days, doubtful ; and the moie so that governor Dongan, who had shortly before resigned his office to the charge of his lieutenant Nicholson, was yet lingering- in the bay, previous to his departure for Eno-land. Success of Lcisler's movement. — At this crisis, a false report of the arrival of a squadron from England, with orders from the new sovereign, operated powerfully in favor of Leisler; and, on the 3d of June, 1689, brought to his support the mass of the people. Dongan, seeing farther delay fruitless, set sail for England ; and Nichol- son, fearing for his personal safety, withdrew from the place. Reading Lesson LV. Leisler's communication to England. Authentic in- formation of the accession of William and Mary, having, at length, reached America, Leisler assumed the directicm of affairs, and sent over an address recounting the meas- ures which, in conjunction with the people oflhe colony,', he had taken. But Nicholson, who had speedily em- • barked for England, having anticipated the arrival of the 3 bearer of the colonial despatches, had so artfully colored i his 'representations of them, that little regard was paid to • Leisler and his coadjutors, and no reward conferred for r HISTORY.— 1689. 123 tlieir zealous and effective services ; vi^hile Nicholson found means to secure for himself the government of Virginia. Dongan, soon after his return to England, re- tired to his estate in Ireland. Resistance to Leisler's authority. — The former officers and magistrates of the colony, resenting the authority- assumed by an individual so humble as Leisler, withdrew to Albany, and there endeavored to excite opposition to his measures. To counteract the effect of such proceed- ings, Leisler enlarged his council, and, to a certain ex- tent, abstained from the exercise of personal authority. In this state of affairs in the colony, a despatch arrived from England, with instructions addressed to Nicholson, or his representative, for the administration of the local government. This document Leisler received, as virtu- ally addressed to himself, and proceeded to act according to its directions. Overtures of the Neiv-En glanders on Long Island. — The inhabitants of the eastern part of Long Island, desirous of profiting by the change of administration, made overtures, at first, to be received under the pro- tection of the colony of Connecticut, from which many of them had emigrated. These overtures, however, were declined ; and matters were quietly suffered to take their natui'al course, by which the whole island continued un- der the control of the government of New York. Reduction of Albany. — The people of Albany, influ- enced by the malecontents from New York, held out firmly against the attempts of Leisler to gain possession of the fort, and even solicited armed assistance from Connecticut, to enable them to retain it. Milborne was empowered to reduce the place, and though, at first, de- terred from the attempt, succeeded, at last, in securing possession. French scheme for the invasion of Neiv York. — War having broken out between England and France, the moment was deemed favorable for the invasion of the English colonies ; and a force was accordingly despatched for this purpose, under count Frontenac. On the arrival of the force, however, the disastrous accounts from Mon- treal discouraged the general from attempting any active measures for that season ; and, on the withdrawal of De Nonville, he succeeded to the charge of the duties of 124 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON LV. governor. Among other measures of security, he deemed it prudent to contract a treaty of peace and alliance with the Five Nations, in January, 1690. Attack on Schenectady. — Strengthened by the pacifica- tion of the confederates, count Frontenac ventured to send out invading parties against the English settlements in New York. One of these detachments, composed of a mingled body of French and Indians, succeeded in surprising and ravaging the village of Schenectady. Colonel Schuyler, at that time mayor of Albany, gave the following account of this tragic scene. " After two and twenty days' march, the enemy fell in with Schenectady, on the 8th of February ; and were reduced to such straits, that they had thoughts of sur- rendering themselves prisoners of war. But their scouts, who were a day or two in the village, entirely unsus- pected, returned with such encouraging accounts of the absolute security of the people, that the enemy deter- mined on the attack. They entered, on Saturday night, about eleven o'clock, at the gates, which were found un- shut ; and, that every house might be invested at the same time, divided into small parties of six or seven men. The inhabitants were in a profound sleep, and unalarmed, till their doors were broken open. Never were people in a more wretched consternation. Before they were risen from their beds, the enemy entered their houses, and began the perpetration of the most inhuman barbarities. " No tongue," says colonel Schuyler, " can express the cruelties that were committed. The whole village was instantly in a blaze. Women were barbarously murdered, and their infants cast into the flames, or dashed against the posts of the doors. Sixty persons perished in the massacre ; and twenty-seven were car- ried into captivity. The rest fled, naked, towards Albany, through a deep snow, which fell, that very night, in a terrible storm : and twenty-five of these fugitives lost their limbs in the flight, through the severity of the frost. " The news of this dreadful tragedy reached Albany about the break of day, and universal dread seized the inhabitants of that city ; the enemy being reported to be one thousand four hundred strong. A party of horse was immediately despatched to Schenectady ; and a few HISTORY.-1691. 125 Mohawks then in town, fearful of being intercepted, were with difficulty, sent to apprise their own castles. " The Mohawks were unacquainted with this bloody scene, till two days after it happened ; our messengers being scarce able to travel through the great depth of the snow. The enemy, in the meantime, pillaged the town of Schenectady till noon of the next day ; and then went off with their plunder, and about forty of the best horses. The rest, with all the cattle they could find, lay slaughter- ed in the streets." Retaliation by the corifederates on tlie French settlements. — The French, in their assault on Schenectady, had abstained from offering any violence to the Mohawks in the vicinity ; as they hoped, in this way, to secure their friendship and to detach them from the English. But re- gardless of this exception, they rose in common with the other members of the confederacy, to avenge the suffer- ings of their ancient allies, and carried war and devasta- tion into the border settlements of the French. sec. iv.— administrations of governors sloughter, fletcher, and bell amont.— 1691-1702. Reading Lesson LVI. Governor Sloughter. — As early as January, 1689, colonel jHenry Sloughter had been commissioned as governor of New York. But, from various causes, he did not assume his new office till his arrival in March, 1691. Unfortu- nately for the colony, he proved unfit for the discharge of duties so arduous as those of governor of a disturbed colony, at a momentous crisis ; and his incapacity for any office involving high responsibility, was soon evinced. Condemnation of Leisler. — Governor Sloughter, on his arrival, met with an unexpected resistance to his author- ity, on the part of Leisler. This individual, although he knew of Sloughter's appointment, foolishly refused to surrender the garrison, or to give up Bayard and Nichols, whom he had arbitrarily imprisoned, for. their opposition to his proceedings. On a second demand of surrender, he deputed Milborne and another, to confer with the new governor. These :wo individuals were immediately seized as rebels ; and Leisler intimidated, withdrew from the fort, and was soon 126 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.-LESSON LVI. after apprehended and brought to trial for treason. He and Milborne were both found guilty, and condemned to death. Execution of Leisler and Milborne. — The enemies of Leisler, fearing that his partisans might rally for his res- cue, as the govei'nor was about to leave for Albany, suc- ceeded in inducing both the assembly and the council to advise the immediate execution of the criminals. Slough- ter, however, fearing the issue of so serious a step, in the case of men who had so zealously and effectually pro- moted the revolution, deferred giving his sanction to the sentence. But his consent was, at last, obtained when he was in a condition of inebriety ; and Leisler and Milborne were accordingly executed. Their estates, however, were afterwards exempted from the confiscation usual in cases of treason, and restored to their families, on the repre- sentations of Leisler's son, at the English court. The bodies of the deceased, moreover, were taken up, and honorably interred. Temporary government of captain Ingoldshy. — Govein- or Sloughter having died suddenly, the government de- volved, by legislative provision, on the president of the council. Joseph Dudley was entitled thus to administer the government of the colony, but yielded his right to captain Ingoldsby, whose chief public act seems to have been the holding of a council with the confederate In- dians, to encourage them to continue their hostilities with the French. Major ScJiuyler's expeditions against the French settJe- ments. — The war between England and France contin- ued to be vigorously prosecuted in the colonies. Major Schuyler led a force consisting in part of friendly Mo- hawks against the French settlements on lake Charoplain, and inflicted a signal defeat on a superior force of the enemy at La Prairie. Beaucour's encounter tvitJi a body of the confederates. — A distinguished young officer of the French, led, in the fol- lowing winter, a force of a few hundred men, through in- credible hardships, to attack a body of the confederates, at Niagara. The Indians, amounting to but eighty, fought bravely, but were cut off", nearly to a man. Their tribes, in revenge, continued their incursions on the French settlements. These they harassed to such an HISTORY— 1693. 127 extent, that count Frontenac, exasperated by their cruel- ties, so far forgot^ the principles of humanity as to per- mit, in retaliation, the death of a captive, by extreme tor- tures, at the hands of the Indian allies. Reading Lesson LVII. Character of governor Fletcher. — On the 29th of August, 1G92, colonel Benjamin Fletcher arrived with a commis- sion, as governor of the colony. Like some of his prede- cessors, however, he does not seem to have been a fit person to undertake the duties of such an office. He possessed the active habits of a soldier ; but he was pas- sionate and avaricious. It was more through his good sense in submitting to the guidance, and adopting the suggestions of major Schuyler, than any abilities of his own, that he succeeded in controlling the Indian tribes, whose action had now become- so important, for weal or woe, to the colony. Descent of the French on the Mohawks. — In January, 1693, the French governor of Canada, despairing of effect- ing a lasting peace with the Indians, determined to strike an effectual blow at the Mohawks. He equipped, accord- ingly, an army of nearly seven hundred French and In- dians, for this purpose. This force, passing Schenectady, on the 6th of February, surprised the forts of the Mo- hawks, and returned with no fewer than three hundred captives. The people of Schenectady seem to have been culpably negligent about apprizing the Indians of their danger. But colonel Schuyler instantly set out with a volunteer force, from Albany, and overtaking the rear of the enemy, ' succeeded in retaking a large number of captives. The French, in their retreat, fortunately found a portion of the north branch of the Hudson frozen over, by which they escaped to their own territory. Both armies endured, incredible hardships from famine ; as the provisions of the French had been exhausted by the length of their campaign, and the English, in the zeal of pursuit, had started with but a scanty supply. Governor Fletcher, hearing of the French invasion, hastened to the scene of action, and, in a very few days, was at Schenectady with a competent force of volunteers. 128 NEW-YORK CLASS BOOK.— LESSON LVIII. But the rapid retreat of the French rendered the move- ment unavaihng, any farther than to confirm the faith of the Indians in their alHes. In admiration of Fletcher's despatch, on this occasion, the natives conferred on him the appellation of the " great swift arrow." Disposition of the confederates toward peace with the French. — The influence of the French priests among the Indian tribes, was now so decidedly in the ascendant, that all but the Mohawks were brought over to a desire for peace; and the Oiieidas, in particular, made express and earnest application for it. The English governor, Fletcher, aware of the evil consequences of such a meas- ure, to the interests of the colony, did all in his power to prevent it, but without ultimate success. Reneival of hostilities. — For two years, the French con- tinued their endeavors to induce the Indians to make peace. But the latter gave a decided refusal to two of the stipulations proposed ; — one being that of liberty to rebuild fort Frontenac ; the other, to include, in the treaty, the Indians in alliance with the French. Enraged at the opposition to his purposes, which was so steadily manifested by the Mohawks, count Frontenac broke off negotiation, and proceeded to invade their terri- toiy. Apprized of his intentions, however, the Indians eluded his attempt ; and all he effected was the capture or death of a few straggling hunters near Niagara. The indehble stigma of atrocious cruelty, still attaches to the conduct of the French governor, in permitting his Indian allies to perpetrate their accustomed tortures on the cap- tives. Reading Lesson LVIII. Preparations for a united effort against the French. — Count Frontenac having succeeded in rebuilding the fort at Cadaracqui, it was felt to be necessary that a united and concentrated effort of all the English colonies should be made against the French. The cooperation of the con- federated Indians, was also secured by governor Fletcher, on a special visit to Albany. Peace between the Dinondadies and the Five Nations. — The French finding it difficult to supply and protect the Dinondadies, this tribe sued to the confederates for peace, and, to conceal their proceeding from the French, used, HISTORY.— 1697. 1 29 for negotiators, the captives then in their power. One of these was seized by the French, and, — to the disgrace of the national name, — pat to death by the hands of Euro- peans, with worse than the fiendish atrocities of savage cruelty displayed by the Indians themselves. Frontenac's grand invasion of the country of the Five Nations. — Tlie aged governor of Canada was not to be repressed by weight of years, in his attempts to subjugate the hostile Indians. In 169G, he convened, at Montreal, his whole force of regulars, militia, and Indian allies, and, after dividing his army into the most serviceable and effective portions, for every species of operation, marched for the enemy's country, maintaining vigorously, through- out the expedition, the most systematic forms of European military science and display. Frontenac's first aim was the country of the Onondagas. But the natives had adopted the usual precaution of burning their village, and retiring into the impenetrable depth of the forests ; and all that this magnificent expe- dition accomplished, was but the destruction of a small store of Indian corn, and the inhuman sacrifice of a brave old chief, who had survived to the age of a hundred years, and who chose to remain, to show the enemies of his tribe how an Indian could die, under the most excruciating torments. The French commander, wishing to give an air of triumph to his return, basely took prisoners a few of the pacificated Oneidas, who had waited at their forts, to pay him due honor, as he passed. Unable otherwise to wreak his vengeance on the English, the old count continued to harass Albany and its vicinity by scalping parties, for which the confederates retaliated on Montreal, till the conclusion of peace by the treaty of Ryswick, in September, 1697. Goverywr Bellamont. — As early as 1695, lord Bella- ; mont was appointed to succeed Fletcher, as governor of the colony of New York. But his commission was not j conferred till June, 1697 ; and, having encountered a I severe equinoctial gale, by which he was driven to Bar- ! badoes, where he wintered, he did not arrive till April ! of the following year. Lord Bellamont's commission was extended, with some- thing like vice-regal power, over Massachusetts bay and New Hampshire, as well as New York ; and, to enable V* 130 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON LVIII. him to fulfil more easily the duties of his offices, he brought with him his relative John Nanfran, commis- sioned to act as lieutenant-governor of New York. Measures for the suppression of piracy. — To the dis- grace of the English name, many of the privateers au- thorized to act against the French, had, of late years, become pirates ; infesting the whole American coast, and the lower latitudes of the Atlantic ocean. Lord Bellamont had special orders to exterminate these free- booters, and consulted, for this purpose, Mr. Robert Livingston, then prosecuting his claims before the En- glish court, and who was known to be well informed on all colonial affairs. Kid's cruise and its issue. — Kid, afterwards so notori- ous as a pirate, was, as yet, known only as a mariner eminent for his integrity and courage ; and him Living- ston recommended as an individual peculiarly competent for the task of extii-pating the piratical cruisers. So entirely did Mr, Livingston confide in Kid's character, that he advanced a fifth of the cost of an expedition, and became security for Kid's faithful discharge of the office assigned him. The king himself, and several of the no- bility, took shares in the enterprise. Kid sailed, on his cruise, in April, 1696. But the opportunity which his new station offered, to enable him to become possessed of immense wealth, was too strong a temptation for his firmness of principle. He became, himself, one of the most daring and noted pirates of the day, and was, at length, arrested in the town of Boston, which he had the audacity to visit, after having burned his ship. Judging the trial of so conspicuous a villain to belong properly to English jurisdiction, lord Bellamont wrote to the home government, desiring that Kid might be sent for, A national ship was accordingly despatched to bring him over; but having been driven back by adverse weather, the popular surmise arose that the whole affair was a matter of- collusion among all con- cerned ; and so strong was this impression, that it was even used, though most unjustly, as a theme of party invective, in parliament. HISTORY.— 1098 131 Reading Lesson LIX. Investigation of the conduct of ex-governor Fletcher. — One of the first steps of the new governor, was to submit to the council the allegations of the East-India company against Fletcher, of his having participated in the pro- tection of the pirates. But nothing farther could be ascertained, than that one of the council had extended protection to recognized privateers, as such. Fletcher's position in society, — for he remained in America, as governor under the proprietors of Pennsylvania, — ren- dered such allegations absurd ; yet the servility of some members of the council would have authorized the new governor to send him home for trial. The only commu- nications with known pirates, were those kept up by some of the inhabitants of Long Island, who occasionally sup- plied them with provisions, in a clandestine manner. Hence, in subsequent yeai's, the infatuated perseverance of some of the people of the island, in digging for the treasures supposed to have been buried along the shore, by piratical cruisers, on their stolen visits to the coast. Lord Bcllamont's partialities in his administration. — Fletcher had, during his whole term of office, been in- fluenced by the enemies of Leisler; and governor Bella- mont commenced his career with a similar prejudice against his immediate predecessor and his partizans, which was a copious source of trouble, in the conduct of public affairs, and an injury to the peace and prosperity of the colony. Difficulties attending the mutual surrender of prisoners^ \f.tween the French and the English. — The French gov- ernor was notified, in due form and season, of the peace of Ryswick : and arrangements were made for the res- toration of all captives, on both sides. The count, how- ever, being unwilling to recognize the supremacy of the English over the Five Nations, insisted on the French prisoners among them being brought direct to Montreal. But the English governor persisted on their being brought, in the first instance, to Albany. The indefatigable old count died during this dispute ; and his successor, De Calli^res,* conducted the exchange of prisoners without reference to the English governor. J * Pronounced, Calydre. 132 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON LIX. Death of governor Bellamont. — The affairs of the colony were but beginning to assume a regulated form under lord Bellamont, whose integrity and activity had excited great hopes of benefit to the colony, when, in March, 1701, he was called away, by death, from the discharge of earthly duties. Liieutcnant- governor 'Navfran. — Unfortunately for the peace of the colony, the lieutenant-governor was absent, in Barbadoes, at the time of governor Bella mont's de- cease ; and a dispute arose among the council, whether the government should be administered by a majority of that body, or by the president. This question continued to agitate the community till Nanfran's return ; and the more so, because it was mixed up with the party feelings originally excited between the friends and enemies of Leisler. To the former, Nanfran showed manifest favor, which tended to keep up, for several years, the spirit of party animosity in the colony. Reversal oj' Leisler^ s attainder of treason. — Jacob Leis- ler, prosecuting, with determination, the exculpation of his father's memory, succeeded, at length, in obtaining, from the English parliament, a reversal of the attainder under which the elder Leisler had suffered. He received, in addition, an order on the colonial authorities, for pecu- niary indemnificaticm of his father's losses, in consequence of his disbursements for promoting the revolutionary movement in the colony. The majority of the legislature being of the Leislerian party, a vote was easily obtained for the appropriation of a thousand pounds for this pur- pose. Colonial party troubles. — Information of the appoint* ment of a new governor having now reached New York, the anti-Leislerian party, at the instigation of Nicholas Bayard, forwai-ded petitions and memorials to the English court, and to the expected governor, lord Cornbury, con- demning the proceedings of the local government and legislature, in terms of great bitterness. Nanfran's indignation was excited to the highest pitch, by these proceedings; and he imprisoned Bayard, and Hutchins, an alderman, at whose house the memorialists had assembled. Resolving to anticipate the arrival of the new governor, he hurried on the trial of the accused, and, aided by the unrighteous decisions of Atvvood, the HISTORY.— 1703. 133 chief-justice, succeeded in having^ Bayard convicted of high treason, and condemned to death. A reprieve was, with difficulty, obtained, till communication could be had with England ; and, in the meantime, lord Cornbury ar- rived, empowered and directed to reverse the proceed- ings ; the queen having had opportunity to give a personal hearing to the parties or their proxies, and to become satisfied of the illegality of the whole procedure. SEC. v.— ADMINISTRATIONS OF LORD CORNBURY, LORD LOVE- LACE, AND LIEUTENANT-GOVERNORS INGOLDSBY AND BEEK- M AN.— 1702-1711. Reading Lesson LX. Lord Cornhury. — The new governor was the son of the famous earl of Clarendon, the English historian, and a steadfast partizan of the Stuarts, the former occupants of the English throne. But the son was one of the first to desert that interest, and attach himself to the new sov- ereigns. His commission, as governor of New York and New Jersey, was the reward of his services. Unfortu- nately for the colony, he was needy and avaricious ; and his main study was to secure his personal and pecuniary interests. He began his administration, on the 3d of May, 1702 ; and, as he adopted the anti-Leislerian faction, the leaders of the opposite party were obliged to succumb, or withdraw from the province. Ecclesiastical troubles at Jamaica, Long Island. — The great mortality of the summer of 1703, in the city of New York, having driven away many of the inhabitants, lord Cornbury held his residence and court at Jamaica, on Long Island. Here, his lordship, whose zeal for episco- pacy knew no bounds, had, unfortunately, an early oppor- tunity of displaying it, at the expense of his character as an upright governor. The presbyterian inhabitants of the village, had, at an early period, erected a church, and obtained a parsonage for their minister. But, towards the close of the preced- ing century, several families, of the episcopal commu- nion, having established themselves in the place, and, ulti- mately, having increased in numbers and influence, be- came jealous of the privileges held by their neighbor community, and formed the determination to take posses- 134 NEVV-yORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON LX. sion of the church; as there was, unfortunately for the presbyterians, no clause, in the town vote, appropriating the edifice exclusively to their use. The plan was car- ried into execution, one Sunday, between forenoon and } afternoon service, and an ejectment effectually accom- plished. I Possession was resumed by the presbyterians, but, ere long, forcibly wrested from them by their opponents ; the governor abetting the latter in their proceedings, and in- i flicting fines and imprisonment on the former. His lord- | ship even debased himself so far as to act a conspicuous 1 part in these iniquitous doings. At the time when he re- 1 tired from the city, in consequence of the pestilence, the j largest and best house in Jamaica was the parsonage, t then occupied by the presbyterian minister. His lo7-d- i ship condescended to solicit the loan of it ; and the cler- jj gyman complied, to his own great inconvenience. The | retui-n which the governor made, was, to deliver the par- ^ sonage and the glebe to the episcopal party. The just indignation expressed at these acts, excited . his lordship's anger against the whole presbyterian body ; and he proceeded so far as to prohibit their clergy from preaching, and their schoolmasters from teaching, without his special license. In this proceeding, however, it should be borne in mind, that he was formally upheld by the letter of the royal instructions to the governors of all the English colonies. Meeting of the colo?iial legislature, at Jamaica, 1703. — Among the subjects to which the governor directed the attention of the legislative assembly which met him at Jamaica, were the proper fortifying of the port of New York and the frontiers of the colony, the erection of pub- lic schools, and the due examination of the accounts of the province. Of the importance of proper provision for the last of these items, no deeper impression could be made than by his lordship's own act of deliberately appro- priating to his private use the sum voted for erecting a fortification at the Narrows. Misicnderstanding between the governor and the legisla- tive assembly. — The successive assemblies of 1704 and 3705 seem to have respectfully but firmly protested against the governor's unauthorized disposal of the public money. But, to all their remonstrances, he returned indignant and HISTORY.— 1703. 135 arrogant answers. Measures, however, seem to have been taken, at the English court, to secure, in this respect, the rights of the subject. For, when a panic was caused in 1705, by the appearance of a French privateer in the bay, and the assembly voted supplies on the condition of having them expended under the eye of a special treasurer, the governor, at length, announced that he had her majesty's permission to sanction such an arrangement, which, how- ever, was not carried into effect, till the following year. Persecuting spirit of the governor. — One of the most arbitrary and tyrannical acts of Cornbury, was his im- prisoning and prosecuting two presbyterian preachers, who arrived, about this time, in the colony, and became guilty of the heinous offence of preaching without his lordship's license. They were arrested at Newtown, and publicly led through Jamaica to New York, as crimi- nals, and, by a precept to the sheriff there, committed to prison, where they were detained upwards of six weeks, owing to the absence of the chief-justice, who was then in New Jersey. An indictment against one of them was found ; and, although, on trial, he was unanimously ac- quitted, the court was servile enough to his lordship, the governor, to devolve on the innocent man the entire costs of the prosecution, amounting to a large sum for the times. General discontent with governor Cornhury. — The illegal and oppressive conduct of the governor, both in New York and New Jersey, and his habitual misapplications of the public funds, together with his inveterate spirit of enmity, on religious grounds, towards the Dutch and New-England population, at last reached such a height as to attract the royal notice, through a petition presented by the legislature of New Jersey ; and he was dismissed fi'om office, with expressions of indignation, on the part of the queen. When divested of his office, he was thrown into prison at New York, by his creditors, and there re- mained till his father's death, which put him in possession of the earldom of Clarendon, and, with it, the means of his release. Reading Lesson LXI. 1 Governor hovelace. — Lord Lovelace, the new governor, arrived in December, 1708, and, owing to the character 1 36 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON LXI. of his predecessor, was gi-atefully -welcomed, in the hope of better times for the colony. He did not live, however, to fulfil such expectations ; for he died within a year, on the 5th of May, in consequence of exposure in crossing the ferry, at his arrival. Lieutenant-governor Ingoldsby. — This individual who had before administered the government, on the death of governor Sloughter, was again called to the temporary charge of the colony. During this period, however, noth- ing of moment occurred, except the memorable failure of the projected invasion of Canada. Proposed invasion of Canada. — The scheme for this measure, was submitted to the colonies by colonel Vetch, and readily adopted by them all, especially by New York, which even incurred a public debt, to sustain its share in the enterprise. The most extensive preparations were made, in every form, for this undertaking. A large force was raised and despatched to Albany, where forts and block-houses were constructed, and provisions forwarded and accumulated, with great despatch. But the expected fleet from England never made its appearance ; the exi- gences of the war in Europe, having suddenly demanded all the disposable English force, and diverted that intended for America, from its original destination. Loud but un- availing complaints and representations were made, in all directions, but particularly by New York, which had made so large sacrifices in the cause. Colonel Schuyler's visit to England. — No one in the colony was more deeply disappointed by the failure, in this instance, than colonel Schuyler, who labored so inde- fatigably for the interests of England, with the native con- federates. So deep was his impression of the necessity of sti'iking a decisive blow against Canada, the peipetual source of so much danger to the colony of New York, that he resolved to visit England, and make a personal representation on the subject, at court ; and, to secure a favorable impression on the minds of the Indian allies, he proposed to take with him five of their chiefs, to hold an interview with the queen. The assembly, hearing of his intentions, gave him a warm recommendation to the sovereign. On Schuyler's arrival in England, a great sensation was excited by the presence of the Indian chiefs, who were not only the pop- HisTORY.-nn. ] 37 ular wonder of the day, but were admitted and welcomed in the circles of rank and fashion. They had a formal audience of the queen on the 19th of April, 1710, and made a brief but highly characteristic speech, on the occasion, urging the necessity of decisive measures against the French. Temporary/ administration ofGerardus Beekman. — Dur- ing Schuyler's visit to England, lieutenant-governor In- goldsby was superseded by Gerardus Beekman, who acted as governor, jtro tern., till the arrival of general Hunter, which took place on the 14th of June, 1711, SEC. VI.— ADMINISTRATION OF GOVERNOR HUNTER.— 1711-1720. previous life of governor Hunter. — The new governor aad commenced life as a soldier of fortune, and had risen, by virtue of his personal qualities, to rank and station. He had been appointed governor of Virginia in 1707, but tvas taken by the French, while on his voyage. On his eturn to England, he received the appointment of suc- cessor to lord Lovelace, both in New York and New Jersey, German immigrants. — One of the many judicious steps vhich governor Hunter took for the improvement of the :olony, was his liberal encouragement of immigration. He induced several thousand Germans, of the Palatinate, vho had taken refuge from persecution in their native jountry, by fleeing to England, to emigrate to the colony. ^ memorial now existing, of a portion of these emigrants, the ancient Lutheran church in Frankfort street, in the ity of New York. But the larger number settled on a ract of Livingston manor. These proved a valuable ac- lession to the colony, as regarded its agricultui-al pros- >enty, and not less so, in respect of the higher considera- non of an inteUigent, peaceable, and moral community, )lended with the population of^the province. The lib- irality of the English queen towards these immigrants, n facilitating their removal and settlement, was well re- )aid by the acquisition of a body of loyal and grateful ubjects. Peaceful policy of governor Hunter. — Another salutary neasure of governor Hunter, soon after his accession, was lis renewal of the league of friendship with the Indians, 138 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON LXIL without involving them in hostilities with the-Prench. They were thus converted into a shield of protection to the colony, against the inroads of the latter. Frankfort Street Church. Reading Lesson LXII. Leading men in the assembly. — The improving condi- tion of the colony Of New York, was, at this time, in nothing more conspicuous than in its increasing number of able and active men, competent to see to the right management of public affairs. Among these were Mr. Nicoll, the speaker, an individual distinguished for firm- ness and energy of character, and vigilant discharge of official duties ; — Mr. Livingston, distinguished, both at home and abroad, for sagacity and comprehensive views, not less than for practical ability ; — Mr. Delancey, a protestant refugee from Normandy, connected by mar- riage with the Courtlandt family, the most opulent of the province, — himself an eminent and successful mer- chant. But the most influential person of that day, was colonel Morris. This individual was equally distinguished for native force and refined culture of mind ; nor was he less HISTORY.-1711. 139 remarkable for individuality and strength of character. An orphan in early life, he fell under the stern rule aa well as the patronage of his uncle, an ex-officer of Crom- well, who had saved himself, at the restoration, by assum- ing the profession of quakerism, and retiring to the beau- tiful estate of Morrisania. The impassioned temperament of young Morris, brought jhim into frequent collisions with his well-meaning but aus- tere, and, perhaps, harsh protector. On one such occa- sion, he absconded to Virginia, apd thence to Jamaica, in the West Indies, where, young as he was, he commenced business, as a scrivener. After several years' trial of a roving life, he returned to his uncle, who received him with pleasure, and established him in life, to the best ad- vantage. Previous to governor Hunter's arrival, he had been, for years, an active and useful public servant, in the colony of New Jersey. He was both the writer and the bearer of the complaint against lord Cornbury, and, on all occasions, proved his ability and efficiency in political business. Another unsuccessful attempt to invade Canada. — Colonel Nicholson, at the head of an effective English force, vig- prously supported by a large body of troops furnished by the New-England colonies, succeeded on the 2d October, 1710, in taking Port Royal, afterwards named Annapolis, in honor of the English sovereign. Encouraged by this success, Nicholson urged, once more, the project for the Bvasion of Canada. Measures were duly concerted to :his effect, both in England and the colonies ; and a large force, accordingly, arrived at Boston, on the 4th of June, 1711, under the command of general Hill. Unfortunately, the supplies expected to be furnished at Boston, were not in readiness ; and the troops had, there- Fore, to be landed, for a time. Nicholson, who was to ommand the whole land force of the expedition, imme- liiately set out for New York, to expedite preparations in this quarter. The colonial assembly responded cheer- fully and readily to the requisitions made upon them, and raised a large supply of men and money. Disasters exjjerienccd by the maritime portion of the expe- dition. — The fleet, in the meantime, having been furnished with supplies, to a certain extent, sailed from Boston, on the 30th of July ; and, at its departure, displayed one of 140 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON LXIL the most magnificent spectacles, of a warlike description, ever exhibited in America. The armament consisted of twelve ships of war, forty transports, and six store-ships ; and the force included a detachment of cavalry and. a train of artillery. Sir Hoveden Walker, admiral of the fleet, found his duties extremely arduous. On arriving at the mouth of the St. Lawience, on the 14th of August, he was com- pelled to delay till the 20th, in the bay of Gaspe, to avoid parting company with the transports. Two days after- wards, the fleet was in extreme peril, from a high easterly wind and a heavy fog, without the possibility of obtaining either observation or soundings. The pilots were at fault; and their first notice of their error, was the finding themselves drifting among the rocks and islands of the north shore. The men of war all escaped ; not, however, without much difficulty. But eight of the transports, with all on board, perished. The fleet then put into Spanish-River bay ; and here it was judged necessary, from the limited supply of provisions, to desist from the prosecution of the expedition, and to return to England, — which was accordingly done. Failure of the invasion by land. — Colonel Nicholson had, in the meantime, mustered, at Albany, a colonial force of four thousand men, drafted from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, under the command of colonels Schuyler, Ingoldsby, and Whiting. Governor Vaudreuil,* on his part, used all possible despatch, in putting Canada in a state of defence against this formidable invasion, and collected a large body of friendly Indians, in addition to his regular levies, at Mont- real. As soon as he was satisfied of the failure of the English maritime expedition, he proceeded to Chambly.t and there encamped, with a force of three thousand men, to meet the advance of Nicholson. But the latter having been apprized of the withdrawal of the fleet, and being aware of the difficulty of a campaign at that season of the year, had prudently retired ; and thus ended another threatened invasion of Canada, with an enormous amount of expense and suffering incurred, and nothing accom- plished. * Pronounced, Vbdrul', — u, sounding as in up, nearly, and I as lU in William. t Shamblee. HISTORY.— 1713. HI Reading Lesson LXIII. Disagreements between the house of assembly and the cotincil. — It is interesting to trace, at this stage of our colonial history, the incipient spirit of steady resistance to encroachments on popular rights. The house had had, for many years, much reason to complain of the unjust modes of disposing of the money which they had, from time to time, voted for public uses ; and some of the council being, not unfrequently, inclined to support or connive at the doings of the governor, the house firmly opposed all attempts of the council to amend or modify the votes of supply. A disagreement had arisen between the two branches of the legislature, on the occasion of attempting to devise ways and means for retrieving the condition of the treas- ury, now exhausted by the expenditures attending the unfortunate expedition to Canada. On this occasion, the house used the following characteristic language, in reply to the council. " The inherent right the assembly have to dispose of ;he money of the freemen of this colony, does not proceed from any commission, letters patent, or other grant from the crown ; but from the free choice and election of the people, who ought not to be divested of their property, (nor justly can,) without their consent." The spirit of this response was manifested in all the lotion of the house, for successive years. Governor Hun- :er in vain endeavored to secure a revenue which might 3e wasted at his option ; and so firmly did the assembly idhere to their determination, as even to avoid acting on ;he requisitions made from the English government. Effects of the peace of Utrecht. — On the 31st of March, L713, peace was concluded at Utrecht, between England ind France. Among other topics in dispute which were K)\v adjusted between the belligerents, was that of the lupremacy over the Indian confederates of the Five Na- ions. This point was decided in favor of England, — a ■ircumstance justly deemed auspicious to the peace and velfare of the colony of New York. A treasurer for the province created. — The assembly, by heir firm adherence to their determination of not leaving he supplies voted by them to be directed to private pur- 142 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON LXIII. poses, succeeded, in wringing from the governor his con- sent to the appointment of a colonial treasurer, account- able to the assembly. Governor Hunter's successful endeavors to bend the assemhhj to his will. — Governor Hunter, finding his meas- ures often thwarted by the vigilance and steadiness of the assembly, dissolved that body, a second time, within the year 1715, and, in the following year, succeeded, to a cer- tain extent, in accomplishing his purpose, as we perceive by the apparent acquiescence of the house, in the wishes of the council, in 1716 and 1717; and by the resignation of Mr. Speaker Nicoll, in May 1718, who seems to have retired in disgust at the prevailing subserviency to the governor. Governor Hunter's return to England. — On the 24th of June, 1719, governor Hunter announced to the assembly his intention of visiting England, and, on the occasion received, from that body, a highly flattering address; of the; perfect unanimity and sincerity of which it is rather difficult: to be convinced. Policy, however, may have dictated its terms; as the governor left a partial expectation of his re- turn, SEC. VII.— ADMINISTRATION OF GOVERNOR BURNET.— 1720-1 T28. Accession of governor Burnet. — On the withdrawal of governor Hunter, the temporary discharge of his duties devolved on colonel Schuyler, the senior member of the council, who continued in office till the arrival of governor Burnet, in September, 1720. This individual was the son of the celebrated bishop Burnet, so distinguished for the excellence of his official and private character, for his ex- tensive erudition, his valuable contribution to the history of his times, and his zealous activity for the revolution which secured the protestant succession, on the throne of England. Mr. Burnet was, in all respects, a worthy son of so eminent a man. Though devoted, by habit, to science and letters, he was by no means a recluse, but mingled freely and affiibly in society. He possessed, also, the happy talent of ingratiating himself with the people, and of dispensing, on proper occasions, with the formal dignity of official station. Previous to leavinsf Enjrland, he was on terms of intimacy with the former governor. Hunter, inSTORY.— 1720. 143 to whom he relinquished the office of controller of the customs, and through whose mediation he obtained his own appointment, as governor of the colonies of New York and New Jersey. Reading Lesson LXIV. Leading men in the council of governor Burnet. — Actu- ated by the suggestions of ex-governor Hunter, Mr. Burnet addicted himself to the councils and support of the tried friends of the former administration. Mr. Morris, the chief- justice, was his principal adviser, and, next to these. Dr. Golden and Mr. Alexander, — men eminent for learning and ability, as well as personal worth. Dr. Colden's knowl- edge of the actual state of Indian affairs, was exact and ex- tensive ; although his interesting work on the history of the Five Nations, is, as formerly mentioned, chargeable with some inaccuracies, inseparable from all attempts to com- pile history, derived, in part, from oral tradition. This dis- advantage must ever attend whatever regards the early accounts of the Indian tribes. Mr. Livingston was the principal adviser of the new governor, in relation to matters connected with the influence of the French upon the Indians of the colonial borders; and the vigilance of governor Burnet, on this vital point, was eaily and uni- formly manifested. I Resentment of certain merchants excited against governor Burnet. — The new governor being anxiously desirous to cut off, as far as practicable, the habit of communicatioti between the Indians and the French as unfavorable to British interests and the safety of the colony, secured the passage of a law forbidding the sale of goods designed for the Indian trade, to French dealers. The importers who, in the first instance, suffered by this regulation, expressed the greatest dissatisfaction with it, and carried their resentment so far as to transmit to EnMand the most disparaging representations touching the governor, besides endeavoring to excite popular odium against him at home. The exporting merchants of Lon- don were also incited to petition for the interference of royal authority, to annul the governor's restriction of trude. To this petition Dr. Golden and Mr. Alexander fur- nished an elaborate and able reply, showing that the new 144 NEW YORK CLASS-BOOK— LESSON LXIV. regulation would tend to keep the trade in the hands of the colonists, and to j^reserve the fidelity of the Indians. Governor Burncfs measures to secure the friendly dis- position of the confederates. — To thwart the intentions of the French, who were desirous of enclosing the English settlements within a chain of forts, extending from Cana- da to Louisiana, and to facilitate the communications with the Indian allies of the colony, governor Burnet, in ^ Y122, commenced the erection of a fortified trading-house at Oswego, in the Seneca country, and urged on the as- sembly the appointment of a resident agent among the Onondagas. He renewed, also, at Albany, the league with the confederate chiefs, now become additionally powerful, by the accession of a portion of the Nicariagas, ■ in addition to the Tuscaroras, who, being driven from their original homes by the advancement of the white settlements in Virginia, had removed and settled near lake Oneida. The governor, on this visit, rendered a valuable service to the New-England colonies, by inducing the confederates to send a message to the Indians on the east, threatening them with war, in case they invaded the white settlements. Dissensions in the French protestant church in New York. — The persecution of the protestants in France, under Louis XIV, had driven many of them to America. Those who settled in New York were, in general, per- sons estimable for their character and cultivation, and highly respectable in condition. According to the cus- tom of the times, the French protestant church in New York, — which was somewhat numerous, — had two pas- tors. Of these M. Rou, a man of excellent abilities but arrogant disposition, was inclined to treat with disrespect his humbler colleague M. Moulinaars. The latter, at length, succeeded in exciting a reaction in his favor, and, ultimately, in procuring the dismissal of the former. Ron's learning and ability had made him a favoi-ite with governor Burnet ; and his party found it easy to secure a reversal of the proceedings, on which occasion the party of M. Moulinaars withdrew from the church. Among the latter was Mr. Delancey, one of the most eminent men of the colony, and unfortunately for the '.'"f governor, one of tho most decided enemies of the re- !''« etrictions laid on the commerce with the Canadians. H IIICTORY.— 1726. 145 The governor'' s treatment nf Mr. Delancey. — The subse- quent conduct of the governor towards Mr. Delancey, seems to have been a departure from Mr. Burnet's usual courtesy and strict regard to justice, and savors more of arbitrary and oppressive rule, than of respect for equity and the rights of the subject. Nor was his harshness, in this instance, without its reactive effect on popular feel- I ing, and on his own continuance in office. Original Frekch Protestant Church, Erected in 1704, on Pine Street, near Nassau. Reading Lesson LXV. Ii Fart Niagara rehuilt hy the French. — The French, 'earing that the new trading-house, built by governor Burnet on the Onondaga river, would cause them the OSS of their Indian trade at the west, launched two essels on lake Ontario, in 1726, and proceeded to re- )uild the fort formerly erected by them at Niagara. Baron De Longueuil, then governor of Canada, was so ealous in this business, that he went, in person, to blicit permission of the Onondagas, for the purpose, and ucceeded in obtaining it. The other confederates, how- iver, protested against the grant as null, — the work lying pithin the limits of the Senecas, — and commanded the G . 146 NEW-yORK CLASS-BOOK.-LESSON LXV. French to desist. The latter, however, persevered, and, in spite of all the opposition and protests of governor Burnet, both at home and abroad, pursued their design to its completion. All that the English governor could now do, was, in the following year, to erect a fort for the protection of the trading-post at Oswego. Cession of the territory of the covfederates. — The viru- lent opposition to governor Burnet, now fermenting in the colony, weakened his power so effectually that he was unable to counteract the proceedings of the French. But he succeeded, by an eloquent address to the chiefs of the Six Nations, (now so called in consequence of the accession of the Tuscaroras,) in obtaining from them a deed, surrendering their whole territory to the king of England. The humane and philanthropic character of Burnet, would make this transaction appear wholly unaccount- able ; were it not for the fact that the confederates had already acknowledged the supremacy of the English sovereign, and that the defence of the colony of New York, against the encroachments of the French, seemed to require such a measure as one of self preservation. For governor De Callieres had, long before, spoken of the conquest of New York as " a thing rendered lawful by necessity." Increasing discontents with the admimstration of gover- nor Burnet. — One of the odious measures adopted by Burnet's predecessor, and continued by himself, was the establishment of a court of chancery, in which the gover- nor presided. This court was necessarily more exposed to the influence of personal authority and arbitrary decision, than any other. Its fees, in all cases, were exorbitant, and its decisions often ruinous to the parties concerned. It had therefore been, all along, a source of universal dissatisfaction and bitter complaint. Nor can we wonder that it should have been so, when we remember that neither Hunter nor Burnet had any special degree of legal knowledge ; that the former had more the peremp-' tory spirit of a soldier, than the dispassionate calmness of a judge, and that the latter freely expressed his in- competency for such an ofiice, in the remark which he sometimes was frank enough to make, — that he occa- sionally " decided first and judged afterwards." So in- HISTORY.— 1729. 147 •tolerably oppressive, in fact, had this court become, that the legislative assembly of 1727, passed several stern resolutions, condemning it as illegal. This protest, at the time, only drew down on the assembly the penalty of dissolution ; but it had the effect of procuring measures for a partial reformation of abuses, in the following spring. — In this, and many similar instances, we see the evils inseparable from a colonial condition, which ex- poses the people to all the contingencies of caprice and tyranny, on the part of a governor ; and we can easily understand from what a train of evils the country was delivered, when it attained a state of independence. SEC. Vin.— ADMINISTRATIONS OP GOVERNORS MONTGOMERIE AND COSBY.— 1728-1736. Reading Lksson LXVI. Governor Montgomerie. — The dissatisfaction with gov- ernor Burnet's administration, had now become so gen- I eral that it was deemed best, at home, that he should re- linquish his station, and be transferred to the government of the colony of Massachusetts. The new governor, • colonel John Montgomerie, succeeded to office, on the 15th of April, 172S, and soon proved himself a very differ- ent person from his predecessor. His early years he had spent in the army ; but the greater part of his life had been occupied in a station within the precincts of the court, and in attendance on his duties as a member of parliament. He was a quiet, modest, easy man, who as- sumed little authority, and gave very little trouble. Fully conscious of his inability to preside in a court of chancery, he had as little to do with its affairs as possible, and thus exempted himself from the popular odium which attached itself to his predecessor in office. Measures of security against the French. — One of the I first public acts of governor Montgomerie, was to renew, at Albany, the league with the Six Nations, and to strength- en, by an additional force, the trading establishment and 'fort at Oswego, against which the French were medita- ting an attack. Reopening of the trade with Canada. — About the close of the year 1729, the royal mandate arrived, annulling all governor Burnet's restrictions on the trade with Canada- 148 NEW- YORK CLASS BOOK.-LESSON LXVI. The English ascendency over the Indians was thus great- ly impaired ; as the Canadian traders were always patri- otic enough in their feelings, to desire the advantage of their own countrymen, and to do all in their power, to prejudice the minds of the natives against the English. Settlement of the question of the boundary line between New York and Connecticut. — The imperfect knowledge of Nicolls and the other commissioners who attempted to decide this matter, in the year 1664, laid them open to a serious error. They were, in fact, outwitted by the more knowing commissioners of Connecticut, at whose sugges- tion the line was so drawn as actually to strike the Hud- son river, instead of keeping at the stipulated distance of twenty miles fi-om it. In the years 1683 and 1684, suc- cessive attempts were made, and with apparent satisfac- tion on both sides, to adjust this affair. But a dispute having arisen, regarding the jurisdiction over the towns of Rye and Bedford, an appeal was made to king Will- iam, who, in the year 1700, confirmed the decision of 1683. In 1702, the governor was empowered to resurvey the line ; and, notwithstanding the opposition of the Con- necticut agent, the authority was confirmed in 1723. The commissioners of both colonies, at length, com- menced the work of resurveying, in 1725 ; but the set- tlement was not completed till 1731. By this arrangement a tract of land, called the Oblong, on the Connecticut side, was ceded to New York, as an equivalent for lands on the Sound, ceded to Connecticut. The conflicting claims of the English and American pat- entees of the Oblong, neither of whom were at first aware of the rights of the other, were afterwards a fruitful source of trouble to the colony of New York. Temporary administration of Riji Van Dam. — Gov- ernor Montgomerie died on the 1st of July, 1731 ; and the administration devolved, pro tem., on Mr. Rip Van Dam, senior counsellor, — an upright and honorable man, but not well qualified for the discharge of duties so onei'ous as those which it now fell to him to perform. The French, taking advantage of his quiescent disposition and the in- activity of the colony, secured themselves in possession of the formidable position of Crown Point, which was, in 3. manner, the key to the whole frontier region of the IIISTORY.-1734. 149 English colonies of New York, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. Governor Belcher of Massachusetts apprized Mr. Van Dam of the peril incurred by this movement of the French, and urged the importance of a speedy check to their farther proceedings. But the dilatory and inde- cisive measures of Van Dam and the council, allowed the opportunity to slip, till interference was too late. Governor Cosby. — On the 1st of August, 1732, Mr. Van Dam was relieved of his responsibility, by the arrival of colonel Cosby, commissioned as governor of New York and New Jersey. He brought with him, from Minorca, of which he had been governor, no very advantageous repute for courtesy or even integrity ; and his petulant expressions on hearing what he deemed the inadequate amount of the first appropriation for himself, seemed to give note of warning as to what might be expected of his subsequent official career. Establishment of a free grammar-scliool. — The year 1732 stands distinguished, in our colonial annals, as that in which a generous public provision was first made for classical education. This measure was found indispensa- ble ; as all attempts to support private seminaries for lib- eral education, had wholly failed. Governor Cosbifs injustice to Mr. Van Dam. — The English government had made the equitable arrangement that the new governor should share with Mr. Van Dam the emoluments of office, during the former's detention in England. The mean, avaricious, and oppressive con- duct of Cosby, in this affiiir, excited general indignation. This feeling was still farther increased by his arbitrary act in appointing Mr. Delancey, junior, to supersede chief-justice Morris, who had had the independence to pronounce an unfavorable judgment on his case, in the prosecution of Mr. Van Dam. Reading Lesson LXVII. Popular excitement against the courts of law. — The (abuses and extQrtions connected with law proceedings, 'had long been a subject of complaint in the colony ; and the odium connected with the proceedings against Mr. Van Dam, had taken the direction of a strong hostility to the court of exchequer. Even the legislative assembly 150 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON LXVIL carried matters so far as to listen to a long and elaborate argument on its legality and constitutional authority. Newspaper xoarfarc between the governor''s party and that of the people. — In the angry discussions which arose from the feelings of the day, the two prominent newspa- pers of the colony, were, naturally enough, enlisted. Zenger's Weekly Journal was the organ of the popular party, and Bradford's Gazette, that of the government. The former had admitted several scurrilous articles, which the council had indignantly ordered to be publicly buined by the hands of " the common whipper." The city authorities, however, being of the opposite faction, protested against the injunction, as illegal; and the order had, at length, to be carried into execution, by the hands of a negro slave of the sheriff'. Trial of Zenger. — Zenger, not long after, was seized and imprisoned, and even denied pen, ink, and paper ; but his friends procured his liberation ; and he resumed his editorial labors, till the spring term of court, in the following year. On the occasion of his trial, chief-justice Delancey, irritated by the objections to his jurisdiction, offered by the lawyei's, Messrs. Smith and Alexander, whom Zenger had employed, arbitraiily refused to hear them, and struck their names from the roll of attorneys of the court. Measures such as this, inflamed, to the highest pitch, the general feeling of resentment against injustice so flagrant ; and the delight of the people knew no bounds, when Mr. Hamilton of the Philadelphia bar, who had been engaged on Zenger's behalf, succeeded, by an irre- sistible strain of eloquence, wit, argument, and humor, in obtaining the acquittal of his client. Shouts of applause at the result, were repeated within the court-house ; and no threats could suppress them. Mr. Hamilton was es- corted to a public entertainment by the people, and after- wards presented with the freedom of the city, and saluted, at his departure, by the firing of cannon. Governor Cosby'' s partiality to the English patentees of the " Oblong." — A patent for the tract called the Oblong, had been secured by a company in New York. But one Harison, whose dishonorable conduct ultimately caused him to flee the country, had, in the meantime, from resent- ment against certain members of the colonial company, HISTORY.— 1736. 151. excited persons in England to apply for and obtain a patent, — unknown to tlie authorities of the colony. A long and exciting litigation ensued between the pajties; and governor Cosby, adopting the interests of the English patentees, used every means to defeat the success of the colonial proprietors, and, as chancellor, gave judgment ac- cordingly. The counsel of the American patentees protest- ed against the governor's procedure, as illegal ; and the assembly passed a formal vote, condemning the constitu- tion of the court under the presidency of a governor, as not only illegal, but subversive of the rights of the people. Other causes of hostility to governor Cosby, were his unrighteous destruction of certain deeds originally granted to the city of Albany, and his avowed intention of resur- veying some of the ancient patents of Long Island. In the latter project, he was arrested by the hand of death, on the 10th of March, 1736. Disjjuted succession to the administration. — The death of governor Cosby was heard, with undisguised joy, on the part of the people ; and high expectations were formed of the benefit to the colony from the temporary reinstate- ment of Mr. Van Dam, who ought to have succeeded to office. Mr. Clarke, however, was installed. The strug- gles of these leaders for the possession of power, and the hostilities of their partizans, occupied several months, and were about to come to an open rupture, when de- spatches arrived from England, addressed to Mr. Clarke, as acting governor. SEC. IX.— ADMINISTKATION OF LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR CLARKE.— 173G -1743. Reading Lesson LXVIII. Policy of lieutenant-governor Clarke. — This individual who had, from his early years, filled the post of secretary, was a native of England, — a man of limited education, but of practical talent and business habits. He had the art and tact of a consummate politician, and contrived, for successive years, to avoid collision either with the popular or the aristocratic faction, and, at the same time, to keep on a good footing with the authorities in England. Eloquence of Mr. Smith. — The comparative quiet of the colony, at this period, leaves us at leisure to dwell. 152 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.-LESSOX LXVIIT. once more, on the eminent men of the time. A disputed election for a member of assembly, in the year 1738 called forth the eloquence of Mr. Smith, in a style memo- rable, m the annals of our colonial history, and clearly indicative, also, of the extent and force of popular preiu- dice, at that day. _ Mr. Smith, in his zeal for the cause of his client, called in question, when pleading before the assembly, the legal- ity of certain votes, given by individuals of the Jewish community, in favor of his client's opponent. In support of his position, he declaimed against the admission of such votes, as derogatory to the christian re;igion, and subver- sive of the constitution of the state ; he enlarged on the degradation of the Jewish race, as a judicial punishment Irora heaven, in answer to their imprecation of the guilt of the Saviour's blood upon their heads, and dwelt on the scene of the crucifixion, in terms so impassioned and pathetic, as to call forth tears and exclamations from his hearers. The interference of persons of influence with the populace, was even necessary to restrain them from violence on the unoffending Hebrews, and to prevent the streets of New York from becoming a scene of ruthless and lawless violence, such as used to disgrace the cities of Europe, in former times. The result of the pleadin^r was the rejection of the Jewish votes. Judge S^mith in his history, gives the following impressive sketch of this powerful speaker. The passage is no ordinary specimen of manly eloquence, in a son delineating the mental por- tiait of a noble father. ^ "Mr. Smith. Was a native of England, and was now at he age of forty He left London, with his father's famt ly. and arrived at New York, in 1715. He had the natural advantages of figure, voice, vivacity, memorV imagination promptness, strong passions, volubility in^ yention, and a taste for ornamenl. These talents we.^ mproved by the assiduous industry of a robust constilu! ton, with uninterrupted health and temperance,-in he Fn th"! 1.1??" ^vI'T'^^ ""^ ^^^^"^^' -d' particularly! in he law and in theology. His progress in the latter was the more extensive, from an early turn to a life of piety and devotion. He studied the Scriptures in their ongma s, when young; and, in advanced life, they were so famihar to him. that he often read them t^ his family HISTORY.— 1738. 153 in English, from the Hebrew or Greek, without the least hesitation. He was bred a dissenter, in Buckinghamshire, and attached to tlie doctrines of Calvin ; and a great part of his time was spent in perusing the works, French, English, and Latin, of the most celebrated divines of that stamp. He was, for some time, in suspense about enter- ing into the service of the church. He prepared no notes for his memorable speech : it was delivei'ed within a few hours after the thought of an implicative exception in the election act was first conceived ; and the astonishment of the audience rose the higher, by the rare instance of so much pulpit eloquence from a law character at the bar of the house." Mr. Smith, and his colleague, Mr. Alexander, — the law- yers who had been employed by Zenger, when prosecuted for libel, and who had been silenced by chief-justice Delan- cey, — were, at the term following the memorable speech referred to, restored to their places at the bar ; as it was judged inexpedient to continue the effect of a sentence .so unpopular. I Reading Lesson LXTX. I "Political craft of lieutenant-governor Clarice . — Governor Clarke had contrived, thus far, to keep on tolerable terms with the party attached to ex-governor Cosby; but being now desirous of acting without the restraint which their influence imposed on him, he artfully induced them to accept his offers of advantageous offices ; having first, however, taken pains to secure the veto of his council to the consummation of the arrangement. The policy of governor Clarke, in this proceeding, resembles more the intrigues of European cabinets, in the middle ages, than appropriate measures for the political management of a young American colony. The stratagem, however, fully succeeded ; and the party who thus committed them- selves, were completely undermined, and found them- selves odious in the eyes of the people. The governor failed not to take all possible advantage of the false position of the only party whose influence he dreaded, and used little reserve in urging on the legislature the measures he deemed most important for the support of his government. Firmness of the Legislature of 1738. — The body, how- G* 154 NEW-yORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON LXIX. ever, to whom these demands were addressed, manifested the characteristic firmness of their Dutch and English ancestry, and refused to grant a revenue. but on such conditions as seemed, to them, just to their constituents. The governor, irritated at their opposition to his views and purposes, exercised his right of proroguing the as- sembly, at short intervals ; thinking, by this means, to harass them into compliance. But the legislature re- mained firm ; and the governor, at last, resorted to his higher prerogative of dissolving that body, and issued writs for a new election. Sessions of 1739. — The new legislature met in July, 1739, at a time when the small-pox was raging in the city ; and, from the earnest desire of the country mem- bers to return to their homes, a temporary supply was voted. On reassembling in August, the same spirit of opposition, as before, was manifested, in regard to the wishes of the governor for a permanent revenue. The governor resorted, once more, to a prorogation, which, however, took no great effect ; as but few of his sugges- tions were attended to, and a revenue for one year only, was all that he obtained. Sessions of 1740 (md 1741. — The same reluctance to grant a long revenue, and to entrust the public funds to the control of the governor, continued to actuate the legis- lature ; although they granted supplies for occasional pur- poses. Governor Clarke exerted himself, in vain, tO; induce that body to concede his favorite objects. His: eloquence and his threats were alike unavailing ; although,^ when, in one of his speeches, he charged them with giv- ing countenance, by their action, to the rumor that the colonies were conspiring for independence, the charge was indignantly repelled. Here, we trace the first dim intimation of the existence of that idea which was fully developed in all minds, within the space of thirty years,; and consummated in the American revolution ; but which was now disavowed, as treasonous and absurd. The spirit of loyalty to Great Britain was still predominant in the colonies, and continued so till the odious and oppressive measures of parliament drove America to resistance. The '' hard winter" of niO-il.— The following pas- sage gives a vivid picture of the condition of New YorkJ at this period. HISTORY.-mi. 155 " The winter," says judge Smith, " which ushered in this year, (ever since called the hard winter,) was distin- guished by the sharpest frost, and the greatest quantity of snow, within the memory of the oldest inhabitant. The weather was intensely severe, from the middle of No- vember to the latter end of March. The snow, by re- peated falls, was at length six feet above the surface of the earth ; and the Hudson river passable upon the ice, as low as the capital, within thirty miles from the open sea; cattle of all sorts perished from the want of fodder; and the deer of the forests were either starved or taken, being unable to browse or escape, through the depth of the snow. The poor, both in town and country, were distressed for food and fuel ; and, by the scarcity of these articles, the price of almost everything else was raised, and though since reduced, yet never so low as in the pre- ceding year. "When the frost relaxed, there was a continuation of the flight of wild pigeons from the southward, in greater flocks than were ever before known ; and, what was still more singular, in the month of March, five or six weeks earlier than in more temperate seasons. These birds nest in the northerly woods of the continent, and retire, towards autumn, to the southerly provinces. Their flesh is admired here, and, being taken in nets, in such plenty, greatly contributes fo the relief of the poor. While nest- ino- the males and females resort alternately to the salt meadows for food, and, by turns, brood over the eggs. The t'vo sexes, at this season, are never taken together; thou""!! the flocks are innumerable, and sometimes miles in length. It is often asserted, and generally believed, that undigested rice has been found in their crops; and, because the pigeon is a bird of very swift wing, it is con- jectured that they bring this food from the Carolinas; and yet there certainly, in the spring, is no standing ripe rice in the fields." Reading Lesson LXX. The " Negro plot" o/'1741.— On the 18th of March, 1741, occurred the conflagration of the chapel and the buildings within the fort. The fire was unquestionably, in this in- stance, the result of inadvertency on the part of a work- 156 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON LXX. man employed on the roof of the governor's house. But successive fires, in various parts of the city, having broken out within a few days, a report was circulated, by some timid and injudicious individuals, that a plot had been laid to fire the city, and massacre the inhabitants. The panic spread, and threw the whole city into com- motion. In the course of the legal investigations which were held, with a view to quiet the people, or ascertain the danger, the servant girl of a tavern-keeper, of the lowest class, testified that a plot had been laid, at her master's house, by some slaves who made their resort there, to set fire to the city. In subsequent examinations, she varied her testimony, so as to involve a large number of citizens, and nearly two hundred slaves. The whole summer was consumed in the prosecution of alleged criminals. Circumstances were magnified, statements exaggerated, and the excitement of the^people daily increased ; till the contradictions and falsehoods of the informer Vcame so glaring as to be altogether incred- ible and ridiculous. But we read, with horror, that the popular mama was not allayed till after thirteen Africans had been burned at the stake, eighteen hanged, and seventy . transported The tavern-keeper and his family were ex- ' ecuted, and, with them, one Uvy, a catholic priest, who ^ seems to have been most unngV.reously condemned. A calmer state of public feeling, at last, made it appa- rent, that, at the worst, the plot which hcul so terrified the community, was but an undigested attempt to set fire to some dwellings, with a view to take advantcx^re of the confiisioii, for the purpose of committing tlieft, with greater security. Legislative sessions o/"1742 and 1743.— The same strug- gle, as before, between the governor and the legislature continued to keep the colony in the excited mood of oppo- silion to arbitrary authority, and was silently layincr [he foundations of that alienation of feeling, which vvas at a later day, manifested in the spirit of the Revolution. 1 hi3 state of things continued till the arrival of the new governor. Retirement of lieutenant-governor Clarke.— HVx^ politic and successful individual, having made good use of his peculiar ppportunities of amassing wealth, during his ad- ministration of the affairs of the colony, retired ?o enjoy HJSTORY.-1743. 157 fjis acquisitions in England, His life and character fur- bish a striking instance of the general spirit of colonial Dfficers at that period. The main object in view, with iiost officials of the day, seems to have been personal emolument ; a second, — as necessary to the first, — was ;he maintaining of a good understanding with the govern- nent at home ; a third was a due care to maintain the iignity and authority of the crown; a fourth, to preserve he honor of the British name and nation ; a fifth, to pro- ess a great regard for the rights and liberties of the sub- ject ; and, the last, and least, to promote the welfare of he colony. Had the last link in this descending chain jf objects, been always, as it ought to have been, regarded jy our colonial governors, as the true means of securing ill the rest, our fathers might have been disposed to per- I petuate the condition of colonial dependence, and might lave left to another generation the task of achieving American freedom. SEC. X.— ADMINISTRATIONS OF GOVERNORS CLINTON AND SIR DANVERS OSBORN.— 1743-1753. Accession of governor Clinton. — In September, 1743, jhe new governor, Mr. Clinton, son of the earl of Lincoln, ,nd a naval officer in early life, — arrived, to assume the barge of the colonial administration. Governor Clinton vas a man of rather indolent disposition, — prone to in- lulge in the pleasures of a sailor's easy life on shore, and o enjoy the comforts which his station offered him. Action of the legislature, in 1743. — The governor was net by the legislature, in the spirit of generous courtesy ; md his easy disposition took no offence at the limitation )f his revenue to a single year; nor did he object to the sill for septennial assemblies, or to such a modification of egal proceedings as extended the jurisdiction of the ;ommon-law courts, and limited the business of chancery, — a favorite wish of the people. Reading Lesson LXXI. Preparations for Iwstilities with France. — The aid ren- iered by the French government to the Stuart family, in ;heir attempt to re-cover possession of the British crown, ivas regarded as the signal for warlike preparation in the 1 58 NEW-YOEK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON LXXL colonies. New York had ever been zealous for the protestant ascendency, and had taken a decided step in recognizing the movements which terminated in the Brit- ish revolution of 1688. Large supplies were now eagerly voted, and readily accepted and applied, on the receipt of news of the declaration of war. The governor recom- mended various measures for strengthening the colony, and protecting it against invasion, and, among others, the building of a fort at Crown Point, and one, also, at Irondequot. Proceedings in 1745. — The New-England colonies hav- ing formed the daring plan of attacking Louisburg, gov- ernor Clinton despatched aid in arms and ammunition, and ui'ged on the legislature various measures, in addition to those adopted in the preceding year. The formation of a general union of the colonies, was one of the subjects then suggested ; and the long-deferred appointment of a colonial agent, was another. The last of these topics was one on which the assembly felt sore, as conscious that the neglect of it had caused the proposal of a bill in par- liament to prevent colonial paper money being accepted, as a legal tender. The legislature, accordingly, took oifence at the governor's urgency in this case, and mani- fested their displeasure by voting very meagre supplies for public objects. The governor, in return, expressed the greatest displeasure at what he deemed personal in- civilities, and, convening both houses, at once dissolved the assembly. Indian hostilities, — The new legislature, although con- sisting of nearly the same members as before, evinced a disposition to comply with several of the governor's re- quirements, and voted an immediate supply to enable him to secure the good will of the Indian confederates, at his interview with them in autumn. The French Indians, in the month of November, com- menced the invasion of the New-England settlements, and ere the whites or the confederates could prevent, ac- complished the destruction of Saratoga. The attack was made on the night of the 16th. The fort and other build- ings were burned, some of the inhabitants killed, and others carried into captivity. The frontier inhabitants fell back on Albany ; and a general alarm was spread throughout the adjoining region. HISTORY.-1746. 159 The governor took occasion to rebuke the legislature for non-compliance with his repeated suggestions regard- ing the better fortification of the frontier ; and the as- sembly bestirred themselves in earnest, about supplies. Among the revolting features of the times, we recognize, with horror, the practice of offering rewards for Indian scalps, and, (with grief and shame must it be acknowl- edged,) for the scalps o{ females. The atrocities practised by the Indians, seem to have seared the feelings of our ancestors to every prompting of humanity, on their behalf. Measures for defence. — Colonel Philip Schuyler of Al- bany, whose brother was slain at Saratoga, importuned the governor for a body of troops, and for the rebuilding uf the fort ; and the people of Massachusetts renewed heir solicitations for the formation of a general league of he colonies, for their common defence against their sav- age enemy. These, and other subjects connected with them, the governor urged on the attention of the assem- bly. But, impatient of so frequent meetings, that body requested an adjournment till the month of January fol- lowing. In the meantime, however, a sum was voted to cover the expense of repairing the fort at Oswego. On the reassembling of the legislature, several impor- tant resolves were passed, for the better fortifying of the colony. But want of unanimity among the members, and the alarming prevalence of the small-pox, which induced ihe assembly often to shift their place of meeting, hinder- 3d the accomplishment of anything effectual. Fixing, at length, on Brooklyn, as their place of meeting, they pro- ceeded to the work of devising ways and means for meet- ,ng the emergencies of the time. preparations for invading Canada. — The government it home having despatched orders for the invasion of Canada, governor Clinton communicated the royal orders o the assembly. An invasion of Canada seems always ''^to have been a favorite measure with the colonies ; and no sooner was the communication made, than the assem- bly eagerly responded to it, and proceeded to vote, with- out delay, the requisite supplies. Endeavors to secure the aid of the Six Nations. — The governor hastened to Albany, to enlist anew the feelings of the Six Nations, who had, of late, seemed cold and 160 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON LXXII. wavering, and had even, in one instance, refused their cooperation. The influence of the governor over the confederate Indians, had been seriously impaired, in con- sequence of a quarrel between himself and Mr. Delancey, To the latter, colonel Philip Schuyler, (who exerted the same influence that his father had, in his life-time, over the majority of the confederates,) was greatly attached. This circumstance naturally made him slack in any effort to promote the views of governor Clinton. The govern- or, however, enjoyed a powerful coadjutor in colonel Johnson, whose authority was unbounded with the Mo- hawks. This individual is the same afterwards so distin- guished by his victory over baron Dieskau and the French troops at lake George, in 1755., At the meeting now held, Mr. Golden — acting for the governor, who was, on that occasion, severely indisposed, — harangued the Indians in their own style of figurative eloquence, with immense effect ; and, on the following day, a leading Onondaga chief answered, in presence of the governor, for the confederates in general. He gave the firmest assurances of their cordial support, expressed their inveterate hatred of the French, and their readiness to commence the war without delay. In confirmation of his speech, the representatives of the Six Nations, sus- pended the war-kettle, and danced the war-dance, till late at night. The Indians are said, however, not to have been perfectly satisfied with the presents made to them, on this occasion ; and, indeed, the governor's allusion to parsimony, in his next speech to the assembly, seems to imply that there was foundation for the surmise. Reading Lesson LXXII. Disagreements hetween the governor and the assemhly. — On the next occasion of meeting the assembly, the gov- ernor did not fail to complain of the difficulty of exerting any influence on the Indians, owing to the inadequate provision made for such purposes. He enlarged, in the spirit of reproof, on many other points in which the legis- lature seemed insensible to the credit of the national name, and exhorted to unanimity and liberality in future meas- ures. The governor's address received a deliberate and i HISTORY.— 1747. 161 formal answer, in which nothing of the spirit of conces- sion was evinced ; but, on the contrary, remonstrance and innuendo were freely used. The house contended that the governor's officers had transcended their powers, in authorizing and enforcing the furnishing of provisions for he troops, to an extent greatly beyond the grant or the ecessity of the case. The prosecution of the delinquents was even recommended. The governor, in his next message, furnished an elab- Drate reply, in which he concluded with grave admonition ind reproof, i-egarding the liberties in which the assembly lad indulged towards himself and Mr. Golden. The as- sembly made a rejoinder, in very explicit terms, refusing arther aid, without assurances of its proper application. With this announcement, the governor had to remain jontent. Appropriation Jbr the founding of a college. — One of the pquestionable benefits conferred by the legislature, at his session, was the appropriation of two thousand two iundred and fifty pounds, — to be raised, however, by ottery, — for the establishment of a college. This grant vas the germ of Columbia college, which has since effected . much for the state, by diffiasing the benefits of classical ducation. 1 The following is judge Smith's language, commenting in this fact. " To the disgrace of our first planters, who, beyond omparison, surpassed their eastern neighbors, in opu- pnce, Mr. Delancey, a graduate of the university of Cam- ridge, and Mr. Smith, were, for many years, the only cademics in this province, except such as were in holy rders ; and so late as the period we are now examining, e author did not recollect above thirteen more, the [oungest of whom had his bachelor's degree at the age f seventeen, but two months before the passing of the ove law, the first towards erecting a college in this ilony, though at the distance of above one hundred and enty years after its discovery and the settlement of the apital, by Dutch progenitors from Amsterdam." Continued disagreements between the governor and the ssemhhj. — The Canadian and Indian troops were now, 1 1747, cruelly devastating the frontier. But the dis- lUtes between the governor and the assembly, embarrassed 1G2 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.-LESSON LXXIT. all public affairs, to such a degree, that no opposing force could be maintained. The governor complained bitterly of the reluctance of the assembly to provide the means of effectual defence, and hinted at the unwillingness of the ablest men in Albany to aid in any expedition against Canada, because of the advantage they derived from the traffic with Canada. The disputes between the governor and the assembly continued, for years, to embroil the colony, and hinder the defence of its territory. The house seemed bent on driving Mr. Colden from his place as chief confidant and adviser of the governor. The only public measure of lasting consequence, passed within this period, was the appointing, in 1748, of a resident agent, to represent the colony at court. Mr. Robert Charles was the person appointed to this office, who, from his political relations, was of the party opposed to the governor, and became, therefore, the willing channel for complaints against his administration. Governor Clinton perceiving, now, that the arbitrary tone of Mr. Colden, and the inveterate opposition of Mr. 'Delancey, might lead to his dismissal from office, began to cultivate a good understanding with Mr. Morris, for- merly mentioned, and who was now about to visit Eng- land, for the purpose of soliciting the royal sanction to the design of the proprietors of New Jersey, for deter- mining the boundary between that colony and New York. Against this measui'e Mr. Charles had received instruc- tions to protest. Mr. Morris gladly accepted, on terms of secrecy, the office of advocate at court for the governor ; as he ex- pected thus to secure, doubly, the prospect of being appointed lieutenant-governor. To such a result, Mr, Colden could not be expected to contribute; and he was accordingly dismissed fi'om the governor's confidence, and bis place supplied by Mr. Alexander. The lords of trade, on whom devolved the control of colonial affairs, were easily won to favor governor Clin- ton, in his struggles with the house of assembly. But matters proceeded so slowly, that the governor was fain to dissolve the assembly, and abide the results of a new election. HISTORY.— 1753. 163 Reading Lesson LXXIII. Legislative proceedings in 1750. — The new assembly /as, with few exceptions, composed of the same members s the former. But, hearing through their agent, Mr. /harles, of the intention at court, to have a thorough ivestigation of the causes of dispute between the assem- ly and the governor, the tone of the legislative body, in nswering the governor's address, was comparatively aim and moderate ; and the business of the session pro- eeded and terminated quietly and satisfactorily, on both des. Dissolution of the assemhly. — The legislature having 3sumed, in 1751, something of their former lone of op- or>ition to the governor, the latter convened both houses, tid instantly dissolved the lower. This measure took le liouse entirely by surprise. But the service bills aving been passed, there was nothing left but submission ) the exercise of the governor's prerogative. I))fluence of the governor's new counsellors. — The new =;sembly met in October, 1752; and the brief, quiet style f the governor's address, sufficiently evinced the pru- ence of his new counsellors, Messrs. Alexander and mith. The small-pox still continuing its ravages, the members f the house expressed, in an equally brief answer, their esire to be excused as speedily as practicable. To this le governor expressed his readiness to assent, imme- iately on proper provision being made for the public Srvice. The house, accordingly, voted to provide, at leir next meeting, for various important objects, and, mong the rest, for the establishment of the projected pllege. Remission of the opposition to governor Clinton. — Mr. )elancey, who was the prime leader of the party opposed ) the governoi-, perceiving the turn which affairs were iking at court, in favor of the latter, began to moderate is opposition to his measui'es ; and this change of posi- jOn, on his part, influenced, of course, the action of his ssociates. State of colonial affairs in 1753. — The assembly was ext convened at Jamaica, Long Island ; as the preva- 3nce of the small-pox continued unintermitted in the city. 1 64 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON LXXIU. The business of this session proceeded with the utmost harmony ; and the governor's health not permitting his personal attention to the annual duty of visiting the In- dians, colonel Johnson was deputed to supply his place. Towards the close of the session, the governor announced his expectation of a successor, and his purpose of return- ing to England. Disputed boundary between New YorJc, and MassacJiu- setts and New Hampshire. — The last mentioned of these colonies, had arbitrai-ily extended its jurisdiction to within twenty and thirty miles of the Hudson river; alleging, in justification, that New York had consented to such a line of separation from Connecticut. Acting under these assumptions, governor Wentworth, of New Hampshire, had made large grants of land lying within the limits of New York. Against these proceed- ings governor Clinton protested ; and it was, at length, agreed to submit the whole affair to the decision of the king. Mr. Wentworth, however, did not abide by this agreement, but secretly forwarded his claims to London, and resumed the practice of granting lands within the disputed territory. This clandestine procedure led, after- wards, to the most serious evils. Governor Osborn. — On the 7th of October, 1753, Sir Danvers Osborn, the new governor, arrived in New York. Mr. Clinton, the ex-governor, was then residing at Flush- ing, but waited on his successor, on the following day. It was customary, on such occasions, for the governor to be sworn into office, before the council, after which, that body, with the new incumbent at their head, walked, in pro- cession, to the town hall, where the commission was read. On the present occasion, a mortifying humiliation was inflicted on the ex-governor, by the indecent demeanor and hooting of the crowd. To such extent were these in- dignities carried, that he quitted the procession, soon after its departure from the fort ; and Sir Danvers was left to his reflections, amid the shouts of the throng. The infei'ence drawn from such premises, by the new governor, was, by no means, prepossessing. He was aware, moreover, that the instructions which he brought over, were such as would probably bring great odium on his administration ; and laboring, at the time, under the depressing and melancholy effect of the death of his wife, HISTORY.— 1753. 165 is disordered health and excited feelings, left him a prey ) insanity. Both in public and in private, he seemed tterly dejected. His inauguration took place on Mon- ay ; and he held his first meeting with his council, for usiness, on Thursday. The discouraging answers which e received from the members, in regard to the spirit of le assembly, caused him much distress. He called a hysician, in the evening, complained of increasing ill- ess, retired to his chamber, and, in the morning, was )und dead, suspended from the spikes of the garden 'all belonging to the house in which he had taken up is temporary residence. Thus suddenly and tragically jrminated the official and personal life of governor •shorn. Reading Lesson LXXIV. I Character of Sir Danvers Osborn. — The excited state c public feeling in the colony, was such at the time of overnor Osborn's decease, that popular clamors of foul lay were unthinkingly uttered on the occasion. But lese were effectually put down by the plain narrative of s secretary, Mr. Pownal, who accompanied him, as ad- ser. Sir Danvers's friends who had procured him the upointment of governor, were well aware of his de- jressed and partially deranged condition, and had ob- |ined the office for him, in the hope that change of ene, and active exertion, might have a salutary effect 1 his case. The deceased was universally esteemed, — use the words of judge Smith, who had frequent per- nal communications with him, — " a man of good sense, ■eat modesty, and of a genteel and courteous behavior," id " strictly conscientious" in the discharge of such du- r?s as his limited term of office devolved on him. Character of ex-governor Clinton. — " Mr. Clinton," con- hues the historian, " had no soonei' given up the reins, Ian he retired to the east end of Long Island, whence V embarked ; but not till he had suffered the keenest tDrtification, under the late unexpected vicissitudes; for I not only heard himself execrated, and saw his enemy jvanced and applauded, but was a witness to the un- {ateful desertions of some of those he had raised and (liged. He had, nevertheless, the spirit to reject some isidious advancements made by Mr. Delancey, towards 166 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.- LESSON LXXV. a reconciliation ; and thus parting foes, that artful poli- tician, who could not win him by blandishment, resolved to parry his resentments, and enervate his testimony, hy loading him with disgrace. Thus he cut him out work, when he arrived in England, for the defence of himself He sailed in the Arundel, about the beginning of Novem- ber. Easy in his temper, but incapable of business, he was always obliged to rely on some favorite. In a prov- ince given to hospitality, he erred by immuring himself ir the fort, or retiring to a grotto in the country, where his time was spent with his bottle and a little, trifling circle, who played at billiards with his lady, and lived on his bounty. His manner of living was the very reverse of that requisite to raise a party or to make friends. He was seldom abroad ; many of the citizens never saw him ; he did not even attend divine worship above three or foui times during his whole administration. His capital error was gratifying Mr. Delancey with a commission, which rendered him independent and assuming, and then re- posing equal confidence in Golden, who was interested in procuring his recall, or rendering the country his abhorrence. He saw that event ; and to prepare for it, ventured upon measures that exposed him to censure. " Mrs. Clinton prompted her husband, wh(jse good na- ture gave place to her superior understanding, to every plausible device for enhancing the profits of his govern- ment. He sometimes took money for offices, and sold even the reversions of such that were merely ministerial. He set the precedent f )r the high fees since demanded for land patents, and boldly relied upon the interest of his patrons, to screen him from reprehension. He became afterwards governor of Greenwich hospital. Mr. Clin- ton's accounts for expenditures, in consequence of the duke of Newcastle's orders of 1746, amounted to eighty- four thousand pounds sterling ; and it was supposed that the governor returned to England with a fortune very little short of that sum." SEC. XL— FIRST ADMINISTRATION OF LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR DELANCEY.— 1753-1755. Reading Lesson LXXV. Accession of lieutenant-governor Delancey. — Governor Clinton's last official act was the delivery to Mr. Delan- HISTORY.-1T53 167 :ey of his commission, as lieutenant-governor, imme- liately after the surrender of the seals of office to 8ir Danvers Osborn. Mr, Delancey, accordingly, became governor, pro tern., on the death of Sir Danvers. Special instruction to governor Osborn. — The British ministry, aware of the distracted state of the colony, from Dolitical faction, had sent over, by governor Osborn, a strict injunction to urge the appropriation of a fixed and permanent revenue, and an adequate provision for all public disbursements, rendered necessary, in any form, for the interests of the crown or the colony. All expendi- iuies weie directed to be made by virtue of the governor's warrant, with the advice and consent of his council, and ivithout the interference of the assembly. The governor's salai'y was fixed at a definite sum, not to be increased by iny occasional grant, although susceptible of permanent enlargement, if the addition should be made within a year f the governor's inauguration. Cordiality between the assembly and the lieutenant-gov- rnor. — The new articles of instruction seemed likely to mbarrass the administration of the new incumbent. But py dexterously managing to rebuke, in public, and foster, 'n private, the well-known spirit of the house, the acting governor contrived to keep on good terms with that body, md to receive a high salary for himself, and reasonable ippropriations for the emergencies of the public service. File assembly, however, continued firmly to refuse a per- nanent revenue, for which refusal a guarded reproof was idministered in the governor's speech, at the close of the ;esslon. TJie assembly''s addresses to the king and the lords of rade. — An exculpatory address to the king was drawn ip, at this session, and transmitted to England. In this Daper, all imputations of disaffection or disloyalty, were ndignantly repelled. An address, or rather, a complaint, vas, at the same time, forwarded to the " lords of trade md plantation." The chief object of this communication, A'as to complain, in bitter terms, of the conduct of ex- governor Clinton. The most grievous accusations and reproaches were, in this paper, heaped on his whole idministration, as unjust, dishonorable, incompetent, and 3very way disgraceful to the colony and the nation. Free access given to the public library. — Amid the polit- 168 NEW-YORK CLASS-EOOK.— LESSON LXXVI. ical perplexities and social troubles of the times, it is pleasing to see traces of a generous interest in the welfare of the people, manifested by men of education and of influence. In 1754, a handsome sum was raised for the purpose of facilitating access to the public library, to non- subscribers ; and measures were adopted for procuring, at a subsequent day, the addition of an appropriate build- ing for a museum and an observatory ; the books being as yet deposited in the town hall, though under the care of a librarian. Legislative proceedings in 1754. — Governor Dinwiddia of Virginia, having, at this time, called on the other colonies for aid to suppress the attempts made by the French, to erect forts on the Ohio river, lieutenant-govern- or Delancey called on the house for means. The assem- bly, when voting the usual supplies of the year, made a limited appropriation for this purpose, but complained of the large draughts already made on the public treasury, for objects connected with the defence of the colony. The appropriations voted, however, were all to be made under the inspection of the house. To this arrangement, the council objected, of course; and, in remodelling their grants, the assembly, in displeasure, omitted the provision for aid to Virginia. When admonished on this subject, by the governor, they asked for a prorogation. This was granted and accompanied with a threat to report the undutiful behavior of the legislature to his majesty. This threat, however, was thought to be made more for form's sake than otherwise. Reading Lesson LXXVI. Meeting of colonial deputies at Albany. — The 14th of June, 1754, was distinguished by an event hitherto un- precedented in American history, — the assembling of a congress of deputies from all the British colonies, for the purpose of concerting measures for the common defence. Of this congress, Mr. Delancey was president. Extensive schemes were here proposed for a permanent union of the colonies, in one general government, M'hile each colo- ny should retain its own constitution. But the coldness of Mr. Delancey, and a want of unanimity on the part of the other members, defeated all attempts at regular action, HISTORY.— 1751. 169 in this body ; altliougli a very systematic plan was pre- sented by Ml-. Smith, — a plan which that of Dr. Franklin afterwards so closely copied, and which was, in fact, an imperfect outline of the present federal constitution of the United States. Nothing, however, was effected, on this occasion, beyond a favorable impression on the minds of the confederated Indians who were present; and who expressed their readiness to cooperate with the English colonies against the French. Farther action of the legislature, in 1754. — News of the repulse of colonel Washington, by the French force, hav- ing arrived at Albany, during the session of the temporary colonial congress, governor Delancey, on his return to New York, urged the assembly to make appropriations for the aid of Virginia and Pennsylvania. The answer returned was apparently grudging and unfavorable, al- though accompanied by a grant of five thousand pounds. 1 Discontents occasioned hy the chartering of King's col- lege. — The proceeds arising from the lotteries granted for the endowment of a college, had, in 1751, been com- mitted to the care o£ a body of trustees, consisting of the eldest councillors, the speaker, the judges of the supreme 30urt, the mayor of the metropolis, the province treasurer, ind several eminent citizens. The trustees were empow- 3red to add to the fund five hundred pounds, annually, Hrawn from the treasury, for seven years, at the end of A'hich time, the course of instruction in the college was o commence. In the year 1752, the wardens and rector )f Trinity church offered a part of their suburban estate, IS a site for the erection of the college ; and, in the fol- owing year. Dr. Johnson, the episcopal minister at Hart- brd, Connecticut, was invited to the presidency, and Mr. Vhittlesey, a presbyterian minister of New Haven, to issist him in instruction. The known partiality of the lieutenant-governor and nost of the council, for the forms of the episcopal church, !xcited distrust and jealousy in the minds of the people >f other denominations ; and the press was loud in its de- lunciation of measures which seemed intended to convert unds contributed by all denominations, to the uses of »ne. The intentions of the majority of the trustees, were, ire long, rendered apparent, by a resolution to elect no 170 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.-LESSON LXXVII. individual to the presidency who was not of the episco- pal body, and, farther, to introduce the book of common prayer, for the religious exercises of the college. The governor refened the matter to the council; and the measure was authorized, notwithstanding the protest of Messrs. Alexander and Smith. Mr. Delancey, himself, who seems to have had scruples as to the legality or the propriety of this step, yielded, at length, his consent ; and the great seal was affixed to the charter, — including the objectionable features. This act of the lieutenant- governor excited a general hostility ; as the episcopalians were few in number, compared with other denominations in the metropolis. To allay the general dissatisfaction, the assembly order- ed the tiustees to report their proceedings under the act by which they had been appointed. A petition was also very opportunely presented from the ministers, elders, and deacons, of the Dutch reformed church, to tlie effect that the college ought to be incorporated by act of legis- lature. The trustees and the house seemed equally di- vided in their views. The latter, however, decided to forbid any disposal of the funds of the college, but in ac- cordance with legislative act. Leave was given to Mr. Robert Livingston, of Livingston manor, to biing in a bill for the incorporation of the college ; and his draught was immediately presented. Mr. Livingston's bill encountered serious impediments. It could not be approved by the governor and council, who had already authorized the establishment of the col- lege, on the exclusive principle. The assembly although they did not dare to reject it, lest they should offend the people, could not pass it in consistency with their party prejudices. The bill, therefore, was, for the present, laid on the table, with a resolution to print it, for more mature considexation. Reading Lesson LXXVII. The city of New York in the year 1755. — At this period of comparative stagnancy in our colonial history, it may not be uninteresting to pause, for a moment, and contem- plate the then humble aspect of the city of New York, in contrast with its present flourishing condition. Judge i HISTORY.— 1755. 171 Smith, in his History, gives the following graphic sketch of New York as it existed at the date mentioned above. *' The city of New York consists of about two thousand five hundred buildings. It is a mile in length, and not above half that in breadth. Such are its figure, its centre of business, and the situation of the houses, that the mean cartage, from one part to another, does not exceed above one quarter of a mile, than which nothing can be more advantageous to a trading city. " It is thought to be as healthy a spot as any in the world. The east and south paits, in general, are low ; but the rest is situated on a dry, elevated soil. The streets are irregular, but, being paved with round pebbles, are clean, and lined with well-built brick houses, many of which are covered with tiled roofs. " No part of America is supplied with markets abound- ing with greater plenty and variety. We have beef, pork, mutton, poultry, butter, wild fowl, venison, fish, roots, and herbs, of all kinds, in their seasons. Our oysters are a considerable article in the support of the poor. Their beds are within view of the town ; a fleet of two hundred small craft are often seen there, at a time, when the weather is mild in winter ; and this single article is com- puted to be worth, annually, ten or twelve thousand pounds. " This city is the metropolis and grand mart of the province, and, by its commodious situation, commands, also, all the trade of the western part of Connecticut, and that of east Jersey. No season prevents our ships from launching out into the ocean. During the greatest se- verity of winter, an equal, unrestrained activity runs through all ranks, orders, and employments. " Upon the southwest point of the city, stands the fort, which is a square, with four bastions. Within the walls lis the house in which our governor usually resides ; and .opposite to it, brick barracks, built formerly for the inde ipendent companies. The governor's house is, in height, ithree stories, and fronts to the west; having, from the (Second story, a fine prospect of the bay and the Jersey ishore. " Below the walls of the garrison, near the water, we have lately raised a line of fortifications, which commands the entrance into the eastern road and the mouth of Hud- 172 NEW YORK CLASS BOOK-LESSON LXXVIIL son's river. This battery is built of stone ; and the mer- lons consist of cedar joists, filled in with earth. It mounts ninety-two cannon ; and these are all the works we have to defend us. " About six furlongs southeast of the fort, lies Notten island, containing about one hundred or one hundred and twenty acres, reserved, by an act of assembly, as a sort of demesne for the governors, upon which it is proposed to erect a strong castle, because an enemy might from thence easily bombard the city, without being annoyed either by our battery or the fort. During the late war, a line of palisadoes was run from Hudson's to the East river, at the other end of the city, with block-houses, at small dis- tances. The greater part of these still remain, as a mon- ument of our folly, which cost the province about eight thousand pounds. " The inhabitants of New York are a mixed people, but mostly descended from the original Dutch planters. There are still two churches in which religious worship is performed in that language. The old building is of stone and ill built, ornamented within by a small organ loft and brass branches. The new church is a high, heavy edifice, has a very extensive area, and was com- pleted in 1729. It has no galleries, and yet will perhaps contain a thousand or twelve hundred auditors. The steeple of this church affords a most beautiful prospect, both of the city beneath, and the surrounding country. The Dutch congregation is more numerous than any other ; but as the language becomes disused, it is much diminished ; and, unless they change their worship into the English tongue, must soon suffer a total dissipation." Reading Lesson LXXVIIL Description of the city of New York in 1755, continued. — " The city hall is a strong brick building, two stories in height, in the shape of an oblong, winged with one at each end, at right angles with the first. The floor below is an open walk, except two jails and the jailor's apart- ments. The cellar, underneath, is a dungeon ; and the garret above, a common prison. This edifice is erected on a place where four streets meet, and fronts, to the southwest, one of the most spacious streets in town. HISTORy,-1755. 1 73 The eastern wing, in the second story, consists of the assembly chamber, a lobby, and a small room for the speaker of the house. The west wing, on the same floor, forms the council room and a library ; and, in the space between the ends, the supreme court is ordinarily held." " Besides the city hall, there belong to the corporation, a large alms-house, or place of correction, and the ex- change,' — in the latter of which there is a large room, raised upon brick arches, generally used for public enter- tainments, concerts of music, balls, and assemblies. " Though the city was put under the government of a mayor, in 1665, it was not regularly incorporated till 1686. Since that time, several charters have been pass- ed : the last was granted by governor Montgomerie, on the 15th of January, 1730. " The city is divided into seven wards, and is under the government of a mayor, recorder, seven aldermen, and as many assistants, or common councilmen. The mayor, a sheriff, and coroner, are annually appointed by the governor. The recorder has a patent ' during pleas- ure.' The aldermen, assistants, assessors, and collectors, are annually elected by the freemen and freeholders of the respective wards. The mayor has the sole appoint- ment of a deputy, and, together with four aldermen, may appoint a chamberlain. The mayor or recorder, four aldermen, and as many assistants, form ' the common council of the city of New York ;' and this body, by a majority of voices, hath power to make by-laws for the government of the city, which are binding only for a year, unless confirmed by the governor and council. 1 " The annual revenue of the corporation is near two thousand pounds. The standing militia of the island, con- sists of about twenty-three hundred men ;* and the city has, in reserve, a thousand stand of arms, for seamen, the poor, and others, — in case of an invasion." The follotcing is a picture of the city of Albany, at this period. — " The city of Albany, which is near a hundred and fifty miles from New York, is situated on the west * " The whole number of the inhabitants, exclusive of females above sixty, according to a list returned to the governor, in spring, 1756, xmounted to 10,468 whites, and 2,275 negroes; but that account is srroneous. It is most probable that there are in the city 15,000 souls." 174 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON LXXIX. side of the river. There our governors usually treat with the Indian dependents upon the British crown. The houses are built of brick in the Dutch taste, and are in number about three hundred and fifty. There are two churches in it. That of the episcopalians, the only one in this large county, is a stone building; the congregation is but small, almost all the inhabitants resorting to the Dutch church, which is a plain, square, stone edifice. Besides these, they have no other public buildings, except the city hall and the fort ; the latter of which is a stone square, with four bastions, situated on an eminence which overlooks the town,_ but is itself commanded by higher ground. The greatest part, of the city is fortified only by palisadoes; and, in some places, there are small cannon planted in block-houses. Albany was incorporated by colonel Dongan, in 1686, and is under the government of a mayor, recorder, six aldermen, and as many assistants. It has also a sheriff", town clerk, chamberlain, clei'k of the markets, one high constable, three sub-constables, and a marshal. The corporation is empowered besides to hold a mayor's court, for the trial of civil causes, and a court of general quarter sessions." " The banks of Hudson's river are, for the most part, rocky cliffs, especially on the western shore. The pas- sage through the Highlands affords a wild romantic scene, for sixteen miles, through steep and lofty mountains : the tide flows a few miles above Albany ; the navigation is safe, and performed in sloops of about forty or fifty tons burden, extremely well accommodated to the river : about sixty miles above the city of New York the water is fresh, and, in wet seasons, much lower; the river is stored with variety of fish, which renders a summer's passage to Al- bany exceedingly diverting to such as are fond of an- gling." Reading Lesson LXXIX. - Character and condition of the people of the colony. — " English is the most prevailing language, amongst us, but not a little corrupted by the Dutch dialect, which is still so much used in some counties, that the sheriffs find it difficult to obtain persons, sufficiently acquainted with the English tongue, to serve as jurors in the courts of law. " The manners of the people differ as well as their HISTORY.— 1755. 175 language. In Suffolk and Queen's county, the first settlers of which were either natives of England, or the il^imediate descendants of such as began the plantations in the eastern colonies, their customs are similar to those prevailing in the English counties from whence they originally sprang. " In the city of New York, through our intercourse with the Europeans, we follow the London fashions ; though, by the time we adopt them, they become disused in England. Our affluence, during the late war, intro- duced a degree of luxury in tables, dress, and furniture, with which we were before unacquainted. But still we are not so gay a people as our neighbors in Boston, and several of the southern colonies. The Dutch counties, in some nieasui'e, follow the example of New York, but still retain many modes pecuHar to the Hollanders. " The city of New York consists principally of mer- chants, shopkeepers, and tradesmen, who sustain the reputation of honest, punctual, and fair dealers. With respect to riches, there is not so great an inequality amongst us as is common in Boston and some other places. Every man of industry and integrity, has it in his power to live well ; and many are the instances of persons who came here disti-essed by their poverty, who now enjoy easy and plentiful fortunes. " New York is one of the most social places on the continent. The men collect themselves into weekly evening clubs. The ladies, in winter, are frequently en- tertained either at concerts of music or assemblies, and make a very good appearance. They are comely and dress well, and scarce any of them have distorted shapes. Tmctured with a Dutch education, they manage their families with becoming parsimony, good providence, and singular neatness. The practice of extravagant gaming, common to the fashionable fair sex, in some places, is a vice with which my countrywomen cannot justly be charged. There is nothing they so generally neglect as reading, and, indeed, all the arts for the improvement of the mind ; — in which, I confess, we have set them the example. They are modest, temperate, and charitable ; naturally sprightly, sensible, and good-humored ; and, by the helps of a moi-e elevated education, would possess all the accomplishments desirable in the sex. 176 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK— LESSON LXXIX. " Our schools are in the lowest order ; — the instructors want instruction; and, through a long shameful neglect of all the arts and sciences, our common speech is ej^ tremely corrupt, and the evidences of a bad taste, both as to thought and language, are visible in all our proceed- ings, public and private. " The people, both in town and country, are sober, in- dustrious, and hospitable, though intent upon gain. The richer sort keep very plentiful tables, abounding with great varieties of flesh, fish, fowl, and all kinds of vegeta- bles. The common drinks are beer, cider, weak punch, . and Madeira wine. For dessert, we have fruits in vast plenty, of different kinds and various species, " Gentlemen of estates rarely reside in the country ; , and hence few or no experiments have yet been made in agriculture. The farms being large, our husbandmen, for that reason, have little recourse to art for manuring and improving their lands ; but it is said, that nature has fur- nished us with sufficient helps, whenever necessity calls us to use them. It is much owing to the disproportion between the number of our inhabitants, and the vast tracts remaining still to be settled, that we have not, as yet, en- tered upon scarce any other manufactures than such as are indispensably necessary for our home convenience. Felt-making, which is perhaps the most natural of any we could fall upon, was begun some years ago ; and hats were exported to the West Indies, with great success, till lately prohibited by an act of parliament. " The inhabitants of this colony are, in general, healthy and robust, taller, but shorter-lived, than Europeans, and, both with respect to their minds and bodies, arrive sooner to an age of maturity. Breathing a serene, dry air, they are more sprightly in their natural tempers, than the peo- ple of England, and hence instances of suicide are here very uncommon. The history of our diseases belongs to a profession with which I am very little acquainted. Few physicians amongst us are eminent for their skill. Quacks abound like locusts in Egypt ; and too many have recom- mended themselves to a full practice and profitable sub- sistence." "Our importation of dry goods from England, is so vastly great, that we are obliged to betake ourselves to all possible arts to make remittances to the British mer- HISTORY.— 1755, 1 77 chants. It is for this purpose we import cotton from St. Thomas's and Surinam ; hme-juice and Nicaragua wood from Curacao ; and logwood from the Bay, etc. : and yet it 3rains us of all the silver and gold we can collect. It is computed, that the annual amount of the goods purchased ay this colony in Great Britain, is, in value, not less than £100,000 sterling; and the sum would be much greater, fa stop was put to all clandestine trade." " Our people, both in town and country, are shamefully Tone into the habit of tea-drinking ; and, it is supposed, ive consume of this commodity in value near .£10,000 sterling per annum." Reading Lesson LXXX. Fresh preparations for Jiostilities with the French. — jrreat alarm was spread throughout the colony, by the extensive measures of the French, for securing possession )f the whole of British North America. The acting gov- ernor summoned an extraordinary meeting of the legisla- ure, on the 10th of January, 1755, to prepare for emer- gencies ; and a large supply was unanimously voted. ' Governor Shirley of Massachusetts, was, at this time, pressing on the attention of the colonies, as well as the British ministry, the necessity of striking a final blow at he French possessions in Canada. The ministry had, at ength, acceded to his wishes ; and a descent on Canada vas to take place from the Kennebec, and from lakes ])hamplain and Ontario ; while the regular and colonial brce, under general Braddock, was to lay siege to the J'rench forts on the Ohio. Mr. Pownal was despatched to New York, as governor Shirley's messenger, on this occasion ; and, although, at Irst, his reception, on the part of acting-governor Delan- ;ey and the council, was but indifferent, the spirit of the issembly was, as on all former occasions of a similar na- ure, immediately aroused, and supplies voted according- ly, but left, for final decision, to the judgment of general 3raddock. The extermination of the French, or the complete con- juest of Canada, always seemed to the colonists the only eliable measure for the permanent safety, or even the ixistence, of the British colonies. Hence the readiness 178 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON LXXX. with which extensive grants could be obtained of the leg- islature, in circumstances such as the present. The dila- tory habits of action, however, to which the colonial offi- cers had so long been accustomed, by the backwardness of the legislature and the executive, on previous occasions, exposed them to animadversion from governor Shirley, as he passed up the river, with his own quota of force, on his way to Niagara. Anticipations of the arrival of a new governor. — The zeal of warlike preparation was now somewhat slackened by the rumor of the speedy arrival of a new governor. Sir Charles Hardy, and by the increasing disaffection of the people towards Mr. Delancey, in consequence of his course regarding the newly-chartered college ; although he had done his best to retrieve that false step, by grant- ing permission to the Dutch church, to choose and main- tain a professor of their own communion. Continued controversy with Massachusetts. — The en- croachments of the Massachusetts colony on the territory of New York, continued still to harass the frontier ; and the settlement of the boundary question seemed farther than ever from adjustment. Effects ofBraddock's defeat. — The utter failure of Brad- dock's expedition, increased the alarm for the safety of the British colonies. Governor Delancey although some- what dilatory, now urged, on the attention of the legisla- ture, the necessity of fresh aid to the expeditions against Niagara and Crown Point. But having, for private ends, communicated to the house the information that the relics of Brad dock's force were expected at Albany, the vote of supply was limited to provision for the reception and refreshment of the regular force. On hearing, however, of the vigorous preparations made by Massachusetts and Connecticut, a hortatory message was sent down to the house, moving them to yet larger sacrifices in providing for the common defence, and for the destruction of the common enemy. sec. xil— admlmstration of governor hardy.— 1755-1757. Reading Lesson LXXXI. Accession of governor Hardy. — On the 2d of September, of the same year. Sir Charles Hardy arrived, to enter HISTORY.— 1755. 179 upon the duties of governor, and soon indicated the probable character of his administration, by suiTendering iiimself to the counsels and guidance of Mr. Delancey. The usual courtesies passed between the new governor and the assembly ; and the house appropriated eight thousand pounds, towards defraying the expenses of a levy of two thousand men, in the colony of Connecticut, — a force intended for operations on the frontier region of New York. Defeat of the French at lake George. — On the 12th of September arrived intelligence of the repulse of the French force near lake George, and of the capture and death of baron Dieskau, the French commander. The battle was fought on the Sth ; and, immediately after the arrival of the news, governor Hardy departed for Albany, to expedite the Connecticut reinforcement. This success of the colonial arms was, by some, magni- fied into a momentous victory. But its main value lay in the impression it produced on both sides; and, in this respect, it was of the greatest advantage, in raising the spirits of the British colonies. The circumstances of the encounter were these. — Gen- eral Johnson left Albany, with the artillery, on the Sth of August, and reached the south end of lake George, but a few days before the appearance of the French, and had not had time fully to fortify his camp. Baron Dieskau had assembled about three thousand men at Crown Point, and detached a small body of regu- lars, supported by twelve hundred Canadians and Indians, to devastate the country, as far down as Albany. When near fort Edward, however, he turned back, on hearing of the position of the force under general Johnson, and attempted to carry the imperfectly fortified camp. He drove in, without much difficulty, the advanced troops of the British colonists; but as he did notToUow up his advantage by an assault, the camp, at first thrown into confusion, by the suddenness of the enemy's approach, had time to come to order, and bring their artillery into The havoc which ensued among the mixed force of Dieskau, soon left him unsupported by any but his few regulars. He had, moreover, the misfortune to receive a severe wound ; and nothing now remained for him, but 180 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON LXXXI. to expedite his retreat to his boats at South Bay. Before he could accomphsh this, however, he was again wounded, and, at length, overtaken and captured, but did not long survive the mortification of defeat. His wounds proved mortal ; and his country lost, in him, a faithful and able officer, although one unaccustoined to the emergencies of American border warfare. Sir William Johnson received, in the early part of the battle, a wound which disabled him for action ; and the subsequent part of the action was conducted by general Lyman of Connecticut. The Indian allies of the English took no pai't in this affair, and, soon after, returned to their forts on the Mohawk. M Advantage was taken of the impression produced by " this victory, to construct fort William Henry, as an addi- tional security for the frontier. But the French were not less active, meanwhile, in erecting one at Ticonderoga. Residts of the Niagara expedition. — Governor Shirley's expedition to Niagara, secured the fort at Oswego. But the time consumed in buildingf vessels for the navigation of lake Ontario, and the impossibility of commanding supplies of provision, at so great a distance, rendered it impracticable to embai'k, till too late in the season. All, thei'efore, that could be done, was, to strengthen the post at Oswego, and return to Albany. There the general met colonel Dunbar, with the surviving troops of Brad- dock's command, who had arrived for the purpose of taking up their winter quarters in the town. From Al- bany, general Shirley went to New York, to meet with the other colonial governors and commanders, for the purpose of planning the next year's campaign. Revival of the question of a j)ermanent revenue for the government. — On his return to the metropolis. Sir Charles announced to the assembly his instructions to insist on regular provision being made for a permanent revenue, for the support of the colonial government. He urged, on the attention of the legislature, the exigences of the pubhc service, arising out of the late expedition and other causes. The answer of the assembly was, that there was no convenient fund from which to derive a permanent revenue ; that any measure for securing such a provision, was contrary to the feelings of the whole colony; and that it was hoped the house would be excused from the HISTORY.— 175(5. 181 consideration of this question. The governor, being wholly under the influence of Mr. Delancey, took no special umbrage at the neglect of the royal requirement, and gained greatly, therefore, on the general good-will, which was still farther enhanced by his known opposition to general Shii-ley. This officer, from his impatient ex- pressions regarding the dilatory movements of the colony, and his avowed preferences for New England, had in- curred much odium among the commonalty of New York ; so that he met a cool reception, on his return ; while general Johnson was welcomed with every public demon- stration of joy. Reading Lesson LXXXII. Meeting of colonial governor and military officers, at New York. — The plan proposed by general Shirley, for military operations against the French, included, in the first place, a winter expedition against Ticonderoga, and next, an extended series of operations designed to drive the French from their strongholds at Frontenac and To- ronto, and thus debar them from access to lake Ontario. Measures were to be taken, likewise, to cut off the com- munications between east and west Canada, and the Ohio and Mississippi. Refusal of the assembly to aid general Shirley's projected ex])editimi against Ticonderoga. — On the 10th of January, 1756, while general Shirley was yet staying in New York, to prosecute his scheme for the reduction of Ticonderoga, the assembly refused their aid, unless a larger number of regulars were assigned, to accompany the colonial troops on that service. In this precaution, the assembly acted wisely ; as the colonial levies, though exceedingly useful in skirmishing expeditions, were not the most effective species of force for the reduction of fortified places. Gen- eral Shirley replied that a larger draft on the regular troops would disorganize the plan of the year's cam- paign already settled. The assembly adhered to their first position ; and the general went eastward, to stir up the New-England colonies to his aid. Position of Mr. Delancey. — During a long period of official service, as acting governor, Mr. Delancey had held a distinguished place, and exerted a powerful control, in colonial affairs. His personal character had also contrib- 1 82 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.-LESSON LXXXII. uted, by its authoritative weight, to make him formidable ; and he had shown that he knew well how to gain a full ascendency over the popular feeling. On the accession of Sir Charles Hardy, he had suddenly become, if possi- ble, still more formidable than ever, by assuming the po- sition of the unseen and irresponsible " power behind the throne." It became now a subject of earnest speculation wheth- er he would issue, invested with the formal powers of lieutenant-governor, or resume his seat, as chief-justice, on the bench ; as it was well understood that an aspiring mind, like his, would never be content to fill the unno- ticed place of a mere adviser to the executive. It was, therefore, with no ordinary pleasure, that the friends of liberty saw him resume his place upon the bench. Indian ravages on Ulster and Orange counties. — The Indian tribes in the French interest, were, meanwhile, ravasfingr the frontier region of Ulster and Orange coun- ties ; and, to repel these attacks, the immediate levy of a sufficient force had become necessary. The governor accordingly applied to the legislature for the requisite supplies. But that body manifested a desire to involve this subject in the more general one of a united eifort for the common defence, on the part of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania ; retaining, however, a portion of the troops, for the purpose of local defence, in the re- gion exposed to attacks by the Indians. The continued and increasing cruelties experienced by the sufferers, at length roused the assembly to action ; and the management of Mr. Delancey, and the pliancy of the governor, having removed the reluctance of the assembly, the necessary vote was soon obtained. This fresh triumph of Mr. Delancey's influence secured his full ascendency over the governor. The impediment regard- ing the legislative grant, had been the unwillingness of the house to vote supplies, till a previous bill, involving a liberal compensation to Mr. Delancey, had" been passed. A hint from that individual to the governor, explained the difficulty, and induced his assent to the bill in question, which he had withheld, in consequence of the earnest protest of some of Mr. Delancey's opponents. Mr. Delancey was, in this affair, actuated by personal 'HI3TORY.-1756. 183 motives ; but the result was highly favorable to the inter- ests of the colony. Its effect, even on the British min- istry, was to induce the abandoning of all objections to the plan of an annual vote for the salaries of public offi- cers. It probably had its effect, also, in ultimately indu- cing the relinquishing of all opposition to the favorite colonial scheme of furnishing only an annual revenue, — the great means of holding the government in strict de- pendence, for all grants of money, on the consent and ap- probation of the colony. This, it will be seen, was the true germ of the American revolution. That event origi- nated in the determination of the colonists not to be taxed without their own consent ; and the long struggle which the people of New York maintained, with so much vigor and independence, against so many successive governors, proved the school of training in which the people were prepared for the stei'ner resistance demanded at the time af the revolution. Decline of governor Hardy^s popularity. — Several cir- cumstances conspired, about this time, to diminish the governor's favor with the community. He had seized several vessels engaged in an illicit traffic with Hamburg and Holland, which had previously been connived at ; and his position had sunk in comparison with that of gen- 3ral Johnson, the great idol of the day, at home, as well as the favorite abroad. Another circumstance which de- ducted from the governor's importance, was the arrival Df several regiments of British troops, the splendid style of whose officers dazzled the eyes of the people. Reading Lesson LXXXIII. Arrival of lord Loudon. — On the 23d of July, in this year, the earl of Loudon, who had been appointed com- mander-in-chief of the British forces in America, arrived at New York, and superseded general Shirley, who, shortly after, returned to Boston, and thence to England. The new generalissimo excited the disgust of governor Hardy, by rejecting his counsel, in military affair's, and refusing his request of two independent companies, for bis guards of honor. Between an old sailor, like the gov- srnor, and a young soldier, like lord Loudon, there could be but little harmony of feeling. 184 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.-LESSON LXXXIII. Panic at the loss of the fort at Oswego. — The high ex- pectations formed, in consequence of the large accession of regular troops, for the defence of the colony, were des- tined to disappointment, when, to the consternation of all, the fort at Oswego was besieged and taken. So much was general Webb alarmed at the intelligence, that he had trees felled to obstruct Wood creek ; and the com- mander-in-chief despatched Sir William Johnson, with the militia, for the security of the British force at the Oneida , portage. The following extract from a letter of the speak- er of the house of assembly to the colonial agent in Lon- don, will serve to show the impression produced by the' fall of Oswego. " I acquainted you that we were in great expectation of a successful campaign. But our disappointment is rather greater than that of the last year ; for, instead of our taking Crown Point, the enemy have made themselves masters of the important fortress of Oswego, taken the whole garrison prisoners of war, demolished all the forti- fications, carried away all the armed vessels, two hundred whale-boats, cannon, provisions, and warlike stores ; and this, it is said, they did in a few days' time, — a dishonor to the British name. Oh ! shameful behavior of our forces ! We have now no footing on lake Ontario : all is left to the uninterrupted possession of the enemy, who will doubtless dispossess us of all that we have remaining, if not suddenly stopped. " As for our forces on the northern frontier, both regu-j lars and provincials, I expect to hear of no action byj them, unless the enemy force them to it. If some more^ vigorous measures are not made in England, and season-] ably executed, we must inevitably fall a prey to the pre- vailing power of France. We live in hopes that a vigor- ous push will be made for the reduction of Canada, whichj seems to be the only measure that can secure us." Abandonment of the claifn for a perpetual revenue.- Governor Hardy, at length, divulged the fact, that the British government had authorized him to desist from urging the demand for a permanent revenue ; and the colony thus derived the benefit of the long-tried firmness of the legislature, in regard to this vexatious demand. The effect of this concession was at once evinced in the readiness with which the assembly voted extensive sup- HISTORY.— T7oG. 185 ilies, even by direct taxation, on articles of daily use, nd, still more, by the valuable gratuities conferred on lie governor himself, though in such a way as to evade he injunction against conferring presents on the governor. Action of the legislature on the grants to the college. — It 5 with regret that we read, in the history of this year, le course pursued in regard to the funds originally ranted for the establishment of the college. The barter was at length conferred ; but half the fund was iverted to the erection of a jail and an hospital. For lis result the trustees, by their exclusive conduct, weie bemselves, in part, to blame; and here, again, we per- eive the machinations of Mr. Delancey, the great poli- cian of the time, who proposed the measure, with a iew to retrieve his popularity, which he had jeoparded y his former favor shown to the institution and its trus- ses. The friends of the college, however, secured the enefit, at least, of the immediate use of funds long with- eld, and proceeded to erect the college edifice, with the loiety permitted to them. Oppressive and arbitrary conduct of lord Loudon. — ^The ommander-in-chief, desiring to retrieve the disgrace ttending the loss of Oswego, made an attempt to collect •oops for an attack on Crown Point. Sir William ohnson was required to muster the Indians for this pur- ose. But the Indians seem never to have relished the lea of attacking fortified places ; as they were conscious f their want of qualification for such modes of warfare, 'he main purpose, indeed, which they ever served, on ither the French or the English side, seems to have been lat of striking terror into the opposite army, by the dread f their well-known barbarity towards captives and de- snceless people. The employment of such aids, and the lising of them to the dignity of allies, are equally dis- raceful to nations calling themselves christian. But the I human practice of war, brings, in its train, every evil lat can afflict or degrade mankind. Disappointed at the reluctance of the Indians to enter II the proposed expedition, lord Loudon retired to Al- any for the winter, and billeted his troops, in excessive ambers, for free quarters, on the inhabitants of that city id of the metropolis. This unprecedented annoyance ,;iused loud and universal complaints, in answer to which, 186 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.-LESSON LXXXIV. lord Loudon, with characteristic haughtiness, threatened to billet his whole army on the capital. To avoid such an evil, the magistrates headed a subscription for defray- ing the charges of billeting; and matters were thus set at rest, but not without a fresh lesson received on the evils of colonial dependence, which entailed, the liability to such oppression. Reading Lesson LXXXIV. Appropriations for the prosecution of Jiostilities against tJie French. — In February, 1757, the governor urged the legislature to fresh grants for the prosecution of the war; informing them, at the same ti-me, of his expectation of reinforcements from Europe and from the sister colonies. The assembly voted the means of a levy of a thousand men, as the just quota of the colony, and, having been compelled to sit at Flatbush, in consequence of the prev- alence of small-pox in the city, declined, attending to other business. SEC. XUr.-SECOND ADMINISTRATION OF LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR DELANCEY.— 1757-1760. Re'instalhnent of Mr. Delancey as lieutenant-governor. — Sir Charles Hardy, having received the appointment of rear-admiral, and the command of a squadron in the ex- pedition against Louisburg, transferred the administration of affairs to Mr. Delancey, and embarked, on the 2d of July. Fall of fort Williajn. — Lord Loudon had left general Webb in command of a force of nearly six thousand men, scattered, however, over the frontier in detachments, and thus exposed to any concentrated operation of the enemy. M. Montcalm, who succeeded baron Dieskau, had col- lected a body of several thousand men and three hundred batteaux, at St. John's. On the 3d of August, anived an express, with intelligence that the enemy were, on the 30th of July, within twelve miles of fort William, where colonel Monroe was stationed with his regiment. Mr. Delancey immediately set out for Albany, to expedite the militia from below. But several days were unavoidably consumed in these preparatory movements; and, in th^ meantime, the garrison capitulated. HISTORY .-1757. 187 Lord Howe, who was in command of a considerable ody of troops, made an effort to relieve the garrison, and iached fort Edward, two days before the surrender. ut, as the enemy were eleven thousand strong, and the hole force collected at fort Edward did not amount to luch more than half that number, nothing could be done )r the aid of fort William. Governor Fitch of Connecticut, who heard of the exi- ency of the case, but a few days before the surrender, astened to call out every fourth man of that colony, to le rescue. New Jersey, also, immediately detached four lousaiid men, as a reinforcement. But all proved too ite. General Webb had, in the meantime, communicated 'ith colonel Munroe, apprizing him of the delay of the iilitia, and advising him to make the best terms he could. Colonel Munroe held out as long as was practicable, 'his surrender, however, had been unnecessarily delayed, 1 consequence of the enemy having intercepted general Vebb's letter, and kept it back, for several days. The rms of surrender were honorable. The garrison were ermitted to march out, with the honors of war ; they 'ere to be protected from the fury of the French Indians, y an escort to a given distance. But, fearing, or pre- nding, that the savages might prove uncontrollable, eneral Montcalm advised the surrender of the baggage them. Amid the excitement of the scene of plunder I'hich ensued, the blacks attached to the British force, /ere inhumanly massacred, and some of the soldiers at- xcked and wounded. The French, on this occasion, lanifested either a shameful want of courage to check lese atrocities, or a base connivance at the perpetration f them. The victors, having demolished the surrendered fort, eturned to Ticonderoga ; and general Webb wisely ab- tained from running the risk of any demonstration with 'oops so raw as the majority of his force, which, although ; had a basis of regular soldiery, was composed, for the lost part, of hasty levies. The blame of this disastrous affair was freely laid by ome, on the dilatoriness of acting-governor Delancey, — y others, on the want of promptitude, manifested by ;eneral Webb. From this imputation Mr. Delancey en- 188 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON LXXXIV. deavored to clear himself, in Lis message to the legisla-! ture, on his return to the metiopolis ; but admitted the; disorderly conduct of the militia, and pledged himself to an investigation. Definitive settlement of the boundary question between Neiv York and Massachusetts. — For many years, a harass- ing dispute had existed, regarding the proper boundary lines between the colony of New York and those of New Jersey, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. The New- York agent, residing in London, had used his best en- deavors to defend the interests of his employers. But a moi-e powerful influence at court, seemed continually to. thwart his exertions. To his own disappointment, and that of his constituents, the question was now finally set- tled, as regarded the colony of Massachusetts, on terms less favorable to New York than had been expected, and by which several ancient patents, granted by the latter, were annulled. The decision was in these words : " That a straight line, to be drawn northerly, from a point on the south boundary line of the Massachusetts bay, twenty miles distant, due east, from Hudson's river, on that line which divides the provinces of New Hamp- shire and Massachusetts bay, will be a just and equitable line of division between the said provinces of New York and Massachusetts bay." Effects of the surrender of fort William. — The impres- sion produced by the suirender of fort William, was deep and general. It affected not only the colonies, but dis- pirited the British officers. Lord Loudon intimated his intention of encamping on Long Island, as a last stand for the defence of the continent ; Mr. Pownal, recently appointed governor of Massachusetts, ordered the driving in of all the cattle on the west side of the Connecticut; general Webb sent his baggage down to Albany, and an- nounced his intention of taking post at the Highlands. The correspondence of the colonial assembly with theiii agent in London, intimated their apprehension of " the entire loss of English America." The general depression caused by so many failures in attempts against the French, reacted at length, in favor of general Shirley, whose schemes, though unsuccessful, were yet highly in favor, both in England and Ameiica. , HISTORY.-i:58. 189 Reading Lesson LXXXV. French invasion of the "German Flats." — Lord Loudon, on his return, in October, from the unsuccessful attempt against Louisburg, ordered his troops to Albany ; and, under the influence of the present panic, being unwilling to expose much of his force at outposts, left but one hundred and fifty men at fort Herkimer. Montcalm took advantage of this oversight, to withdraw five hun- dred of the Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas, and Senecas from their allegiance to England. These he united to a party of French troops, who fell upon the settlements at " German Flats," on the 15th of November, and per- petrated, on the inhabitants, the wonted cruelties of sav age warfare. General Ahercrovibie' s appointment, as commander-in- chief. — The ministry, at home, not less than the people of tlie colony, seem now to have become thoroughly con- vinced of lord Loudon's incapacity for his station ; and the appointment of general Abercrombie, who was then stationed at Albany, to the chief command of the British forces in North America, with a view to the invasion and conquest of Canada, diffused great joy throughout the colonies. Preparations for the invasion of Canada, in 1758. — The lieutenant-governor submitted to the assembly on the 10th of March, 1758, the grand project of the British minister, for a levy of twenty thousand provincial troops for the invasion of Canada. To this announcement the assembly eagerly responded, in their wonted spirit, and voted a levy of twenty-six hundred men, and a supply of a hundred thousand pounds. The outline of the plan of campaign for this year, was as follows : general Amherst was to reduce cape Breton, the island of St. John's, and their dependencies ; general Forbes, the French forts on the Ohio ; and general Aber- crombie, with the main army, was to penetrate Canada, through the northern lakes. The place of rendezvous, for the invading army, was fort Edward. The New-York troops were all there, by the beginning of June ; the stores from England arrived about a fortnight after; and such were the zeal and de- spatch of all concerned, that before the end of the month, 190 NEW YORK CLASS BOOK.— LESSON LXXXVI. lord Howe led the first division of four thousand men to lake George. General Abercrombie followed with the main body ; and the whole army had reached the north shore by the 6th of July. Repulse of the expedition. — No difficulty was experi- enced in repelling the enemy, and occupying the country, till the army reached Ticonderoga. But there the expe- dition met with a check which so discouraged the com- mander, that he withdrew his troops, and made a speedy retreat home. Neither he nor his officers seem to have been well informed, as to the ground on which their movement was to be made. They approached the fort in a wrong direction. A fire of musketry was absurdly attempted against a perfect fortification, duly furnished with cannon, and rendered inaccessible by an abatis of felled trees. The quick eye of the French general caught the mis- take ; and, stripping off' his uniform, he darted among his men, and, sword in hand, foi'bid a shot to be fired, under pain of death. Then, watching his opportunity, when the English became entangled in the abatis, he gave the word for a murderous fire, which swept down the whole front of his enemy, like grass falling under the scythe. Two thousand brave men successively fell victims to the fatal error of the British commander ; and such was the consternation spread by the havoc of the enemy's artillery, that the troops made a precipitate retreat, and never stopped till they had reached, once more, the farther side of the lake. Reading Lesson LXXXVI. Capture of fort Frontenac. — A memorable contrast to the failure of the invading army, was presented in the bold and rapid movement of colonel Bradstreet, in his successful attempt on fort Frontenac. — Burning with impatience at the shameful repulse from Ticonderoga, this officer solicited permission to be detached for an assault on the French post at Frontenac. The expedition is thus vividly described by judge Smith. " Abercrombie gave him a detachment of three thou- sand men : he rather flew than marched with them through that long route from lake George to Albany, and thence again up the stream of the Mohawk river, then across the HISTORY.-1759. 191 portage, down Wood creek, to the lake of the Oneidas and the rapids of the Onondaga, to Oswego. Thence he pushed his open boats into the sea of Ontario, traversing the southeastern coast from point to point, till he crossed the fet Lawrence, and surprised the garrison of Fronte- nac. He invested it, took it, burned an immense maga- zme for the supply of the interior dependencies, and in twenty-four days after having destroyed the vessels on the lake, returned to assist in securing the important pass in the country of the Oneidas, which Mr. Webb had the year before, abandoned, to the intimidation of all the six Indian tnbes. But, either by the fatigue of these vigo- rous exertions, or the bad quality of the waters of Wo^od creek, we lost five hundred men of this detachment —a great part of whom were levies of this colony " Erection of fort Stanwix.— An additional protection for the frontier, was, this year, secured, by the erection of fort Stanwix m the country of the Oneidas. The new tort was named after the general commandincr in that quarter. ° Ejects of the reduction of fort Frontenac.—The im- pression produced on the Canadians, by the loss of fort Irontenac, on one border, and of Louisburg, on the other was, to that susceptible people, wholly overwhelming A strong body of troops and artificers, had been despatched to repair the demolished fort. But, on the bare hearinc^ of a false report of a second approach of Bradstreet, the whole h rench force made a precipitate retreat homeward to Montreal. ' The effect of the British successes, was still more ad- vantageous, with reference to the Indian nations. The contederates and many other tribes, particulaHy those of the Delaware, the Susquehannah and the Ohio, immedi- ately entered into a treaty of peace and amity. General i^orbes was consequently enabled to march, without ob- struction, to fort Du quesne,*-afterwards called fort ap roTch ^"''^^'o — ^hi^^ ^^^ enemy abandoned at his J^^Si^l^fe assembly of 1759._The septennial period, the limit of the legislative power of the assembly, having expired, a new election was held. In the local politic! ot that day, the turning point for the success of candi- * * Pronounced, Dukane. 192 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.-LESSON LXXXVII. dates, was their acquiescence in the strong popular feel- ing of hostility to the exclusive character of the charter granted to the college. Lieutenant-governor Delancey, although, by no means, warmly interested in favor of that institution, was, from his early sanction of the chartei', considered as the head of the college party ; and the nu- merous and influential individuals of the Livingston fam- ily, were, from their hostility to the charter, regarded as the leaders of the popular party, — or opposition, as they might have been termed. The popular excitement caused the introduction of a considerable number of members opposed to Mr. Delan- cey and his measures. But that individual was still too powerful to be easily thwarted ; his control over the coun- cil being nearly absolute. Measures adopted for the campaign of 1159. — Mr. Pitt, afterwards lord Chatham, being then prime minister of' England, the accustomed vigor and energy of his charac- ter continued to be felt, in the spirit with which the war was carried on against France. As early as the end of February, his requisitions were made on the colonies, for large supplies of men and money, with a view to renew ed operations against the French possessions. The new assembly, like its predecessors, entered, afr once, into the minister's views, expressed through the governor, and voted the full contingent of New York, in aid of lord Amherst, the new commander-in-chief; and, on account of the exigences of the government, an addi- tional vote was obtained, at the solicitation and on the personal credit of lord Amherst, for a loan, to the crown, of a hundred and fifty thousand pounds. The spirit manifested in these and similar grants, suffi- ciently evinces the warm attachment of the colony to England, and leaves us to infer how galling must have been the sense of injustice which led to the final rupture with the pai'ent country. Reading Lesson LXXXVII. Successful operations of the campaign of 1759. — Our ■} New-York historian of that period, gives the following | sketch of the military operations against Canada, during ''i the year. HISTORY.— r/59. 1 93 ■: " General Pritleaux took the commantl of the western army destined to Niagara. They advanced on the 1st of July, tvventy-tv/o hundred strong, exclusive of several hundred Indians, led by Sir William Johnson. They landed, invested the French fort, and opened their trench- es. The general fell by the unfortunate explosion of a cohorn on the ^Oth. The American baronet took his place, and sent for Mr. Haldimand, who, with twelve hundred men, had just before repelled sixteen hundred of the enemy, in the defence of that post, — with a consid- erable loss to them and none to us. " Before Mr. Haldimand arrived, a strong party of thir- teen hundred came from Venango, to the relief of the besieged, with five hundred savages. Lieutenant-colonel Massey advanced with a detachment of five hundred men, to meet them. Observing that our Indians sought an op- iportunity to speak with them, and fearing the effect of it, the French set up, and began the charge. In less than an hour they gave way, with the loss of one hundred and fifty prisoners ; the first and second in command ; Mo- rang, the Indian leader ; and seventeen officers, seven of >vhom were captains. Except the Mohawks, all our own Indians stood aloof, till after the rout. This victory of the 23d of July, gave us the fort. ] " Through the unskilfulness of our engineers, the works were unhurt ; and, having ammunition for only forty-eight hours more, Sir William was on the point of raising the ^iege. The garrison capitulated, at the instance of the commandants. There were made prisoners of war to the mmber of six hundred and seven : their women and chil- [jren were to be sent to Montreal. " General Amherst led the main body. They passed ake George without opposition, and proceeded to tlje ines so fatal to us, the year before. While our trenches vere opening, the enemy kept in their fort ; but in the light of the 26th of July, blew it up, and repaired to ^rown Point, leaving twenty men behind, who could not ind room in their boats. " Five days after, M. Bourlemaque abandoned fort St. ^'rederick, and demolished the works; retiring with all he stores to the Isle aux Noix,* at the north end of ake Champlain, where his whole force collected, amount? * Pronounced, Eelbnicd. I 194 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.-LESSON LXXXVII. ed to two thousand men, who were in a starving con- dition. " Colonel Gage was ordered, on the news of the sur- render of Niagara, to proceed from Oswego, with the westei'n forces, down the St. Lawrence to La Galette, while general Wolfe was hesieging Quebec ; that the Fi'ench force drawn to the two extremes of Canada, might favor general Amherst's descent upon the centre of the colony, with an army of twelve thousand men, through lake Champlain. "On the flight from Crown Point, few doubted the re- duction of Montreal, where they imagined the inhabitants shut out fiom the rest of the world, and so harassed as to be unable to collect in their harvest ; upon the point of perishing by a famine, and, by despair, ready to resign themselves the moment of general Amherst's landing at St. John's : they relied on the intelligence that the sav' ages in the French alliance were intimidated, and con ceived that the immense plunder of Niagara would h sufficient to draw all our Indians to a firm junction wit the troops who were to act under Mr. Gage. But ofj these designs not one was executed save that trusted to: general Wolfe, and this not till the 13th of September. — | General Amherst, who had advanced within thirty mile* of St. John's, and burned all the French vessels but one, on the news of the Quebec victory, returned to Crown Point. " The multitude, however, were contented with a change of fortune so very different from what they had hitherto experienced, and, contented with their successes, a veil was willingly drawn over that inactivity which had disap pointed our hopes of the total subjugation of the power of, France on this continent. " The fort of Niagara, though of earth, was respecta. ble, and capable of containing two thousand men. Oi the sides it was difficult of access. It had a river, on th west ; the lake, on the north ; and on the east, a morass The ditch was large, and, a great part of it, wet. Th soil near it, like the Seneca country, fertile, rich, an< level. About two thousand Indians visited it, the ensuin autumn, abject and servile, because aware of their de-| pendence on us, in future, for many articles necessary for-r their subsistence : but- not a single man of the Mississa- ■ iFie Ol HISTORY.- 1759. 195 ges, who inhabited the old country of the Hurons, on the north bank of lake Erie, came there, till the close of the campaign ; for the French still maintained their post at Toronto, at the northwest corner of lake Ontario ; and therefore six hundred men were left, the ensuing year, as a garrison at Niagara. " At Oswego, we built a new pentagon fort, and opened a ditch of five and thirty feet. The magazine was made capable of containing a thousand barrels. Casemates and bomb-proofs were constructed, and nine companies left there, for its defence, with several small vessels, and a brigantine, of seventy odd feet keel, mounting twenty guns. One hundred men more were posted in a small fort, at the Little Falls of the Onondaga, and, as many more, at the western extremity of the Oneida lake ; fifteen at the eastern end, and four hundred at fort Stanwix. A road was cut from that fortress, eighteen miles across the portage, to the mouth of Wood creek, to shorten the pas- sage by that stream, which is more than double that dis- tance. It was then asserted that the plain of the waters of the Wood creek and the Mohawk river, at each end of that carrying place, differed but two feet, which, if true, may one day, give a supply of salmon and many other kinds of fish to the inhabitants upon the boi'ders of the latter of these streams. " On the north, general Amherst began a fort at William Henry, completed another at Ticonderoga, formed and began to execute the design of such a fortress at Crown Point as would comprehend a circuit of nine hundred yards. The winter garrisons of these three posts, amount- ed to fifteen hundred men." Reading Lesson LXXXVIIL Renewal of legislative aid, — The supplies voted in spring, extended only to November; and the house had therefore to be convened for the purpose of obtaining ad- ditional ways and means. Delighted with the success of the British and colonial arms, the assembly readily grant- ed the necessary supplies, and adjourned till December, when they met to close the year with patriotic congratu- lations on the triumphs of the national arms, in the dif- ferent quarters of the globe, and, especially, on the down- 196 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.-LESSON LXXXVIU. fall of Quebec, and the certainty thus obtained of the final acquisition of Canada. Events of 1760. — The assembly, when convened in the spring of this year, voted, once more, a liberal sup- ply, in answer to the minister's demand through the governor. Among colonial matters of interest, at this time, we read, with pleasure, of a grant of twenty-five hundred pounds for the relief of the poor of Boston, who had suffered from the conflagration of a large part of the town. An object of attention more strictly local, was the pass- ing of an act for the stricter regulation of the practice of the medical profession. The terms of this act disclose two important facts, not very creditable to the condition of this branch of the general interests of the colony. One of these, is, the admission that the community was then infested, by quacks, to a grievous extent ; and the other, that the only protection against their operations, was the examining and licensing of regular candidates, by " a counsellor, a judge of the supreme court, the mayor and the attorney-general, assisted by such persons as they should think proper to call upon !" Death and character of lieutenant-governor Delancey. — On the 30th of July of this year, the lieutenant-governor died, very suddenly, by an attack of asthma. This ener- getic and resolute man, had, doubtless, during his admin- istration, been somewhat overbearing and oppressive. But the strength of his character, and the weight of his personal influence, had stamped a unity, a vigor, and an efficiency, upon the public measm'es of the colony, which, till his day, were unknown. His personal traits were by no means amiable or attractive. His manner, even to equals, was haughty ; to inferiors, it was arrogant and re- pulsive ; and his temper, naturally irascible, was certainly not meliorated by the habits of free living, which prevail- ed in official life, at his day. His character, as drawn by the pen of judge Smith, one of his political opponents, presents a man deeply stained by the vice of selfishness, in his public actions, and addicted to tyranny in his gov- ernment. The coloring of this portrait, however, is prob- ably not without a tinge of party feeling and animosity ; and, even in the hands of an enemy, the picture presents HISTO?iY.-lTi:0. 107 a man of powerful and aspiring genius, who, on the wider field of a European court, would probably have achieved a distinguished name. During the greater part of his life, he was felt and feared and obeyed, as a kind of local sov- ereign. His intellectual traits are thus described by Mr. Smith. "Mr. Delancey's genius exceeded his erudition. His knowledge of the law, history, and husbandry excepted, the rest of his learning consisted only of that small share of classical scholarship which he had acquired at Cam- bridge, and, by a good memory, retained. He was too indolent for profound researches in the law ; but what he had read, he could produce in an instant ; for, with a tenacious memory, he had an uncommon vivacity : his first thought was always the best ; he seemed to draw no advantages from meditation ; and it was to this prompt- ness he owed his reputation. He delivered his senti- ments with brevity, and yet with perspicuity. He rarely delivered his opinions in writing, because his composi- tions did not merit even his own approbation. It was a labor to him to write ; and he only supplied the matter of his speeches to the assembly, which others put into form." Reading Lesson LXXXIX. Surrender of Canada. — The great event, so anxiously and so long desired by all the British colonies, at length took place. The whole territory of Canada was, this year, surrendered to Great Britain ; and New York, in particular, was forever freed from the annoyance of inva- sion from that quarter. " The siege of Quebec by the Canadians, and the dread of its returning to its old masters," says our local histo- rian. Smith, "quickened our levies ; and, when collected, the news of their retiring from that city in May, stimu- lated them in their progress. General Amherst left IScIienectady in June, to join an army of four thousand Bregular troops and about six thousand provincials, who |were to make their descent into the heart of the French icolony, down the stream of the St. Lawrence ; while [general Murray was to come against it with two thousand .regulars from Quebec, and five thousand provincials were to penetrate, under colonel Haviland, through lake Cham- 198 NEW- YORK'CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON LXXXIX. plain. Sir William Johnson gave assurances, at the same time, of the effectual aid of all the warriors of the Six Na- tions ; of which, nevertheless, only six or seven hundred accompanied the western army from Oswego to La Ga- lette, or Oswegatchie, when all except a few individuals thought proper to return to their own castles. " The three divisions advancing and arriving nearly at the same time, in the neighborhood of Montreal, the whole force of Canada was driven into the island ; and M. Vaudreuil,* the French governor, being surrounded and unable to make any resistance, surrendered all Can- ada, on the 8th of September. General Amherst returned to New York in the latter part of September, and received the congratulations of a people exulting in the accom- plishment, which we were taught by our ancestors to pray for, as an event essential to the felicity and safety of all the British colonies in America. " Mr. William Livingston penned the address offered in these triumphant moments of joy ; and, alluding to the reduction of Canada, the house, to preengage the reten- tion of it at the peace, speaks of that event as replete with innumerable advantages to the nation in general, and exults in our deliverance 'from the devastation of a cruel and barbarous enemy, rather bent on the destruction of mankind, than waging war, either for their own defence, or even from motives of ambition or conquest.' Again, *no consideration,' (say they,) ' shall induce us to regret the blood and treasure expended in facilitating this ines- timable acquisition, save only, (to which we are confident the wisdom and honor of the nation will ever disdain to submit,) the surrender of this most important conquest, which, in possession of the crown, must prove to Britain the source of immense riches, and, if retained by so per- fidious a people, would expose us to the keen revenge of a defeated enemy, who, unreclaimed by our example, and by our clemency unsoftened, would doubtless relapse into their native barbarity, and retaliate our lenity with more signal acts of inhumanity and bloodshed.' " * Pronounced, Vodrul, — u, sounding nearly as in " up," and I as the Hi in " William." HISTORY— 1761. 199 SEC. XIV.— ADMINISTRATIONS OF LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR COL- den, and governors monckton and moore.— 1760-1769. Reading Lesson XC. Accession of acting-governor Golden. — On the death of Mr. Delancey, the administration of colonial affairs, de- volved on Dr. Golden, the senior member of the council. This individual, whose name stands so favorably connected with the early progress of science in New York, and who, after the active lite of a surveyor, had retired to the en- joyment of scientific research and literary leisure, re- turned, at the age of seventy, to resume the burden of _ public duties. j The administration of Dr. Golden, proceeded quietly in its course ; as the virulence of party feeling had now subsided, and the uncertainty of affairs, till the appoint- ment of a new governor, left little occasion for excite- ment. The intelligence of the death of George II, having reached the colonies, the acting-governor issued writs for a new election of representatives to the assembly, for March, 1761. Dr. Golden soon incurred the dislike of the people of the colony, by his endeavors to thwart the general wish that the judges should hold their offices independently of the crown, and, not less, by his attempts to supersede Mr. Charles, the colonial agent in London, by one of the Povvnal family, whose influence with the lords of trade he wished to secure. The reward of the acting-governor's subserviency, in these cases, was his appointment, as lieu- tenant-governor, by regular commission from the crown. But the new chief-justice, Mr. Pratt from Boston, who was appointed through favor of Mr. Pownal, and whose appointment had taken place through the reluctance of Dr. Golden to confer the office on a native of New York, found his reception so cold, and the assembly so averse to provide his salary, that, after some time, he returned, in disappointment, to Boston. Governor Monckton. — The British cabinet having deci- ded on a secret expedition to the West-India islands, had ichosen Staten island as the rendezvous of the forces; and here general Monckton held his camp, awaiting the double honor of his appointment, as governor of New York, and 200 NEW-YORK CLASS-ROOK —I. F.SSON XC. his orders to set out, in the meantime, in command of the expedition. On the 19th of October, the general's commission as governor, ariived. The commission, however, in this in- stance, was not accompanied by the usual book of instruc- tions from the colonial office, to direct his official proceed- ings ; and Dr. Golden carried his scruples on this point, so far as to express doubts as to the legality of the ap- pointment. That he should thus incur the dislike of the new governor, could not be a matter of surprise. The manner in which governor Monckton overcame the trivial impediment of the informality in question, was somewhat regal in effect. When the lieutenant-governor asked for the customary instructions by which the council might proceed to business, the governor frankly replied that " he had none, and hoped never to have any, that he might be the more at liberty to copy the example of his royal master." No objection was urged by any member of the council, in regard to the omission ; and all the usual ceremonies of the procession, and the public proc- lamation at the town hall, were duly gone through. Governor Monckton, as commander of the West-India expedition, embarked on the 15th of November, after having, not without much previous difficulty, adjusted, with Dr. Golden, the terms of a compact, by which the latter was to receive a moiety of the official salary, during the governoi''s absence at Martinique. Disagreements between the lieutenant-governor and the assembUj. — Before the end of November, Dr. Golden was involved in disputes with the assembly, which were oc- casioned by the same causes as before, and continued, with little abatement, till the assembly was prorogued, in the early part of January, 1762. Grants for 1762 — At the reopening of the legislature, in spring, large grants were willingly passed for the sup- port of the government measures; although the conquest of Canada would seem to have rendered these unneces sary for any purpose of defence or protection to tht colony. Public proclamation of war against Spain. — The fol- lowing paragraph gives us a graphic representation of " the pomp and circumstance," with which a declaration of war was formerly attended, even in a colonial city. HISTORY.— 1763. 201 "The war against Spain was proclaimed here on the 3d of April. The council met at the fort ; and the militia were arrayed. The proclamation was read by Mr. Banyer, at the door, and followed by three cheers. The grenadiers, led by lord Stirling, then advanced to the town hall. The constables followed after them ; the under sheriffs, high sheriff, and town clerk, the common council, aldermen, recorder, and mayor, then the council, the lieutenant-governor, and, last of all, the gentlemen of the town. When the proclamation had been again read at the hall, they returned to the fort; and, after some time, the company retired." Return of general Monchton. — Complete success at- tended the expedition to Martinique ; and the general re- turned to New York, on the 12th of June, to resume the peaceful functions of his colonial government. These he discharged in a sumptuous style of splendor, more ex- pressive of his own sense of personal and official dignity, than appropi'iate or judicious, for the administration of the duties of a civil station, in a colony little addicted to ostentatious display. Reading Lesson XCI. King's [Columhia) college, in 1763. — Among the inter- esting particulars of local history, at this date, are the following. A donation of twelve hundred volumes, for the library of the college, was, this year, received from Dr. Bristow of England, as mentioned more fully in an account of the college, in a subsequent part of this volume. At the annual commencement. May 23d, the following distinguished names occur in the list of graduates of the college, Depeyster, Cuyler, Verplanck, Livingston, Watts, Bayard, Wilkins, Hoffman, and Marston. It is pleasing ;to trace such evidences of the actual usefulness of that institution to the best interests of society, notwithstanding the discordant feelings and strong prejudices excited by the course adopted at the establishment of the college. The " alma mater'' of such an intellectual progeny as the above, may well claim the honor due to a mental nursing-mother of the community. Did every year pro- duce such clusters of ripening mind, the growth of the state would be ample, indeed ; and the college might just- 202 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.-LESSON XCI. ]y feel that she had nobly contributed her annual part to- ward the general progress of humanity. Attenifts of the British jtarliameMt to levy taxes in Amer- ica. — In March, 1764, was presented the act imposing duties on articles imported by the colonists from the Brit- ish possessions in the West Indies. This arbitrary mode of levying a revenue, without the consent of the subject, caused, of course, great dissatisfaction in all the colonies, and, especially, in New York, which, from its peculiarly advantageous maritime position, had its prosperity identi- fied with an unimpeded commerce. Still, as it was easily in the power of the colonists to dispense with West-India luxuries, and, as while parlia- ment might .lay duties on goods imported, it could not compel the importation of them ; the measure excited nothing more than the murmurs natural in such circum- stances. But when, in the following year, parliament proceeded to pass the stamp act, in virtue of which no im- portant instrument in writing could be held valid, if not executed on stamped paper, purchased, at high rates, of government agents, the colonies seemed roused, to a man, against this arrogant encroachment on the rights of the people. The colonists, as freemen, had hitherto enjoyed, undisputed, the common immunities of Englishmen and subjects of the British crown. Among all their political privileges, none had been more uniformly asserted and maintained, than their right of self-taxation, through rep- resentatives. But, by the stamp act, the British govern- ment seemed to have devised an engine which was to be worked, not at the will of the people, but of parliament, — a body in which the colonies enjoyed no representation, and which already was assuming the power of acting on their property, without even consulting them. A revenue was thus to be wrung from the colonists at the pleas- ure of an irresponsible, a distant, and an uninformed power. It was easy to dispense with the luxuries of East or West India produce, and so to avoid duties and imposts. But the stamp act rendered it necessary to pay an onei'ous tax to the British government, on every occasion requir- ing a legal receipt, in the common transactions of busi- ness. To submit to this condition, was to pay a compulso- ry permanent revenue to the crown, — a vassalage against II HISTORY.— 1765. 203 wliicli New York, as a colony, had, all along, strenuously and successfully struggled. The nature of the question allowed of no intermediate course of action : it was a plain case of submission or re- sistance ; and the obvious injustice of the demand, kin- dled, at once, throughout the colonies, the spirit of oppo- sition, on the part of the people. The stamp act was re- ceived, in the city of New York, with marked expressions of popular feeling, and was reprinted and sold about the streets, under the title of " The folly of England and the ruin of America." Meeting of colojiial deputies in Neto York, in 1765. — A congress of deputies from nine of the colonies, met in New York, in the month of October, with a view to con- sultation on the crisis which the injustice of parliament had brought upon America. Dr. Golden, then acting gov- ernor, being a conscientious upholder of the supremacy of Great Britain, refused to countenance the proceedings of the congressional assembly. But, among the repre- sentatives of the colony of New York, on that occasion, we find the names of Robert R. Livingston and Samuel W. Johnson, who were employed to draw up an address to the king, expressive of the sentiments of the congress, and of the people of the colonies. Reading Lesson XCII. Popular demonstration against tlie stamp act. — The first of November, — the day assigned as the date from which the stamp act was to take effect, — is a memorable one, in our colonial annals. The stamped paper design- ed for use in New York, had arrived in a ship from Lon- don, and been deposited, for safety, in the fort, which had been repaired and duly armed, for the purpose of over- awing the people; as plain intimations of the spirit of re- sistance had been given in threatening handbills, street processions, and even a public meeting of the merchants, at which a unanimous resolution was passed, not to im- port goods from England. Two parties of the populace paraded the streets with effiories of the governor, one of which was hanged, in de- ^ lision, at the Park, and the other burned at the Bowling Green ; the governor's carriage, and portions of the fence 204 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON XCU. of the fort, forming part of the pile. A mob, the same day, sacked the house of major James, who had incurred this act of resentment, by his violent language and men- aces to the people, in case of resistance to the stamp act. Difiposal of the stamped pajpcr. — Governor Golden, in- timidated by the signs of public indignation, published, on the following day, a bulletin, in which he disavowed any intention of using the stamps, and left the matter to the disposal of the new governor. Sir Henry Moore, now daily expected. The people intimated that if the stamps were not removed from the fort, they would take them away by force. It was then proposed that the stamps should be placed on board one of the national ships lying in the harbor. But, as the captain was unwilling to re- ceive them, they were, at last, given up to the city corpo- ration, and deposited in the city hall, in Wall street. Arrival of governor Moore. — In December of this year. Sir Henry Moore, who had long been expected, as gov- ernor, at length arrived. Fortunately he was a man of prudence and self-control ; and, although entrusted with special powers, in anticipation of acts of popular violence, he pi-ovoked no collisions with the people. But the tran- quillity of the colony was fortunately restored by the re- peal of the stamp act, — a result to which the eloquence of Ghatham contributed not a little. The news reached New York in May ; and, on the 4th of June following, which was the birthday of George III, who had lately succeeded to the throne of England, great rejoicings were held in the fields, — now the Park, and a liberty-pole erect- ed, in honor of the triumph of freedom. Statue of lord Chatham. — The statue of lord Ghat- ham, which was erected in 1770, and for some time, oc- cupied a conspicuous place in Wall street, was an ex- pression of gratitude, from the people of New York, for his eminent services to America, on this occasion, in par- ticular. But when, in the progress of the revolutionary struggle, the views of that statesman came to be explicit- ly avowed, in favor of the supremacy of parliament, the public mind was entirely cooled towards him, — so much so, that the dilapidation of his statue, which the loyalty of some of the British soldiery, — when occupying New York, during the revolutionary war, — had prompted them to begin, was afterwards completed by the American HisTonY.-nro. 205 troops, on their return to the city, when the British had finally withdrawn. Statue of George III. — Another expression of the pub- lic feeling of gratitude for the repeal of the stamp act, was that of erecting an equestrian statue of his majesty, George III, in the centre of the Bowling Green, in front of" fort George," as the garrison was now called. This statue, like that of Chatham, was voted soon after the repeal, al- though not erected till 1770; and, in 1776, it shared the same fate of demolition with that of the great statesman. Being made of lead, however, it served the purpose of being run into balls, for the use of American soldiers. Susjyension of legislative power in Neto York. — The re- luctance which the legislature of New York manifested, to provide for the maintenance of a large military force, and the limited supply which was voted for the purpose, drew down the displeasure of the ministry and parlia- ment ; and an act was passed in the early part of 1767, suspending the legislative functions of the colony. This act was, in the circumstances of the case, equal, nearly, to the proclamation of martial law, and excited the utmost jindignation among the people. Character and death of Sir Henry Moore. — During all the convulsions of his period of administration. Sir Henry Moore had managed, with great prudence and forbear- ance, to prevent any overt act of opposition to the gov- ernment. He continued steadily to pursue the same ju- dicious course, till the close of his official term and his life. He died, much regretted by the friends of peace and order, and by every well-wisher to the prosperity of the colony, on the 11th of September, 1769. SEC. XV.— ADMINISTRATION OF GOVERNORS DUNMORE AND TRYON.— 1770-1774. Reading Lesson XCIII. Accession of governor Dunmore. — The individual on whom the duties of governor next devolved, was of very different character from his predecessor; and, under his administration, the assembly learned, for the first time, the startling fact, that the governor was to be, thencefor- ward, independent of their vote of supply ; a salary having been assigned him from the royal treasury. The design 206 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK,— LESSON XCIIL of this airangeraent obviously was, to render the governor more subservient to the crown, and more indifferent to the interests of the colony. Accession of gorernor Tryon. — Lord Dunmore's con- tinuance in office, was, however, of brief duration ; and if we may judge from the rancorous hostility, and even gross inhumanity, displayed in his subsequent cruelties, on the coast of Virginia, the circumstance was fortunate for the colony of New York. On the 8th of July, 1771, governor Tryon arrived from North Carolina, accompanied by his wife and daughter, whose character had endeared them, universally, to the people of that colony. The new governor was received with the customary ceremonies and festivities of such occasions; and lord Dunmore repaired to Virginia, to assume the office of governor in that quarter, where his name continued long to be execrated, for his subsequent predatory attacks on the settlements along the coast, and for his inhuman at- tempts to stir up the blacks to the massacre of the white inhabitants. Disputes hetwcen Nciv York and Neiv IlampsJiire. — Governor Wentvvorth of New Hampshire had, notwith- standing the royal decision to the contrary, in favor of New York, granted patents for the occupancy of lands lying within the limits of the latter colony; and the right- ful holders under New York, had been harassed and chased off by intrudei's from New Hampshire. But there was, on the other hand, a similar injustice com- plained of by peaceable inhabitants occupying lands which they had purchased in good faith, of governor Wentworth, under the impression that his right to sell was valid. All the endeavors of governor Tryon to put an end to these disputes, proved unavailing ; and for years, in succession, the border scene was one of dissen- sion and violence, on both sides ; each of the parties practising, in turn, summary ejectment of the others, or offering violent resistance to such attempts. Founding of Neiv- York hospital. — Among the benefi- cent works of peace, which it fell to governor Tryon's lot to promote, was the founding of the city hospital of New York. The foundation stone was laid by the gov- ernor's own hand, on the 2d of September, 1773. But an accidental fire destroyed a part of the building, and HISTORY.— 1773. 207 retai'ded, for a time, the progress of the work. A por- tion of the original building is incorporated in the present edifice. The location, still airy and agreeable, was, ori- ginally, much more so, being then quite rural ; so limited, as yet, was the extent of the city. The spacious and pleasant edifice, which, in the heart of our crowded city, now meets the eye, with the air of a suburban reti'eat for retired opulence, — in its ample space, its noble shades, and well-kept grounds, — and which soothes the humane heart, by the benevolent asso- ciations connected with its uses, — is one of the pleasing memorials of past times, in connection with the parent country. The event of laying its original foundation stone, is a redeeming trait which tends to relieve the hostile aspect of oppression and resistance, with which the times were ali'eady beginning to darken. A colonial governor was thus found, for once, in the attitude of hu- mane and kindly relations to the people of the country, instead of that of an incessant exactor of " men and money for the wars" of Great Britain, or of funds for his per- sonal use and emolument. The New- York hospital is doubly venerable, from its purposes, and from the fact that it was one of the earliest erections for such uses, in our country. Long may it continue to open its hospitable apartments, and offer, as now, its healing ministries to the destitute sick and the sufferers from the casualties of active and exposed modes 3f life ! Long may it continue to receive the blessing of :he stranger and friendless foreigner, who find health and 2omfort, or relief and solace, within its walls! Reading Lesson XCIV. Moveme7it in New York, regarding the Tea-duty. — The British cabinet had resolved on the imposition of a duty 3n tea imported into America, as a silent means of ex- racting a revenue, and " binding the colonies." The co- onial merchants were prohibited from importing tea di- rect from China ; as the ministry wished to secure the Drofits of such trade to the East-India company, with a new to swell their annual receipts to the stipulated imount on which they were bound to pay into the treas- iry a yearly sum of four hundred thousand pounds sterling. 208 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.-LESSON XCIV. That the payment of the duty on tea might be secured in England, it was levied there, which coVisequently rais- ed the price of tea to the Americans, in the ratio of the im- post. This measure was clearly seen through by the col- onists, as a concerted scheme for extorting a revenue by sending them an article already taxed. American cap- tains, accordingly, were unwilling to incur the displeas- ure of their countrymen, by importing the tea in their vessels ; and the British government, to ensure the ac- complishment of their purpose, allowed the East-India company to transmit it in their own ships, as the only means of exporting it to America. The colonists were justly indignant at this manoeuvre, by which an attempt was made to wring a tax out of them, against their will; and resolute measures were everywhere adopted to defeat the intentions of the ministry. The peo- ple of Boston expressed their resentment at the attempt to introduce the taxed tea, by throwing it into the harbor. Those of Philadelphia resisted in a form not so violent, but decided and effectual. On the 17th of December, 1773, a public meeting, sum- moned by " the association of the sons of liberty," was held at the city hall, to deliberate on letters received from Boston and Philadelphia, calling on the colonies to unite in resisting the unjust designs of the British ministry. A unanimous resolution was passed, at this meeting, to re- gard whatever persons should aid in introducing the tax- ed tea as enemies to the country. But before the meet- ing was dismissed, the mayor came with a message from the governor, pledging the word of the latter, that, on the arrival of the tea, it sliould be taken into the fort, in open day, and there remain subject to the order of the council or other authority. But, as the duty must be levied if the article were landed, this proposal was decidedly refused ; and the meeting adjourned " till the arrival of the tea- ship." Disaster, hy fire, to the governor's house. — The family of governor Tryon had a narrow escape from destruction, on the night of the 29th of December. The parents, with difficulty, found their way through an unfrequented pas- sage ; and their daughter saved herself by leaping from a window of the second story ; while an unfortunate serv- ant girl perished in the flames. The house and furniture HISTORY.— 1774. 209 were completely destroyed ; notwithstanding the strenu- Dus exertions of the citizens. The adjoining buildings, within the walls of the fort, were saved principally by the ircumstance of their being then covered with snow. Governor Trijon's annual coinmunicatlon with the legis- lature. — On the 12th of January, 1774, the governor, in his opening speech to the assembly, after alluding to the re- cent calamity, and to the liberal grant previously made or the repairs of the province-house, informed them that he boundary line between New York and Massachusetts :iad been settled by the commissioners appointed to that 3uty, but that with Canada it still remained undetermin- ?d. He proceeded to inform them, farther, that he had been called home, in consequence of the border outiages iommitted by some of the people of New Hampshire ; an nvestigation into which had been instituted by the royal b^overnment. The legislature replied, in terms of condolence and re- b'et, both as to his personal losses and the necessity of his [•eturn. A grant of five thousand pounds was, at the same lime, made, in consideration of his loss by the burning of he province-house. Reading Lesson XCV. Departure of governor Tryon. — On the 8th of April, governor Tryon departed for England ; leaving the admin- stration, once more, in the hands of doctor Golden, now 'ar advanced in years, and little able to put forth the en- ergy demanded for the effectual discharge of official du- iies, at a season of tui'bulence and commotion. The cir- cumstance, however, was not unfavorable to the peace of :he community, and the progress of the cause of liberty. t\. younger and more enei'getic man might, by attempting esistance, have involved the colony in peril and blood- shed ; while the lieutenant-governor's years, and his pred- lection for seclusion and study, inclined him, rather, to teep aloof from the scene of action, and submit to the cur- ent of events, and of popular feeling, which was fast be- coming too strong for him or any other individual to con- rol. The departure of governor Tryon called forth many 3emonstrations of respect, to which his personal character 210 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON XCV. and that of his family gave just occasion ; and the official dignitaries, and that portion of the community which was attached to British rule, were loud in their expressions of attachment. The counter current of popular feeling, how- ever, was, meanwhile, gathering fresh force ; and the with- drawal of the governor was, no doubt, regarded by the majority of the people as slight cause of regret. Reception of the taxed tea, in New York. — On the 21st, of April arrived the long-expected tea-ship, the Nancy,i captain Lockyier. The pilots, who had received direc- tions from the committee of the " sons of liberty," would! bring the vessel no farther up than Sandyhook. The cap- tain came up to the city, and was immediately met by deputation, who informed him that he must return, forth- with, with his ship, to London, as he would not be sufTer-'j ed to land his cargo. He was permitted to call on hisj consignee ; but that individual knew too well the state of I popular feeling, to encounter the risk of attempting to actj in the business. The ship was detained and narrowlj watched at the Hook, till the captain was ready to departJ and return, with his tale of discomfiture, to his employers; A more summary process was adopted with a quan-i tity of the tea, secretly brought over by an Americanl captain. A deputation having thoroughly sifted the casej and detected the attempt, notwithstanding the pretences] of the captain, ordered the hatches to be opened, and thel tea to be hoisted out, and emptied into the bay, whichj was immediately done. Captain Lockyier of the English ship being now readyi to set sail, was waited on, at the coffee-house, by a com-l mittee, and received the full honors of a mock farewelLj He was led to the balcony, where he was cheered by the assembled multitude in the street; a band of music^ meanwhile, playing, either in earnest or in jest, theJ national air of "God save the king!" He was, at last, escorted, with due ceremony, to the pilot-boat awaiting him at the wharf, and with wishes for " a good voyage home," was permitted to depart. One committee, how- ever, still watched his ship till her anchor was weighed ; and another gave safe conduct, on board the same vessel, to the recreant American captain whose tea had been destroyed. Public meeting qf sympathy, in response to the people of HISTORY.— 1774. 211 }oston. — The British parliament, resenting the conduct f the inliabitants of Boston, in regard to the destruction f the taxed tea, hud declared their port shut to all pur- ioses of commerce. This tyrannical procedui'e excited iie most vehement indignation throughout the American olonies, while it created the warmest sympathy for the jufTerers by a measure so destructive to the interests of a (maritime city, and so evidently designed to reduce a large tlass of the population to a state of utter destitution. j In May and July of this year, public meetings were leld to express the feelings of the people of New York, ^ relation to this proceeding, on the part of the British government. Resolutions were passed, on the latter of 'hese occasions, approving the action of the people of Boston, and expressing the deepest interest in their con- dition, as well as the utmost readiness to make common :ause with them, in resistance to the aggressive measures )f parliament. At the last-mentioned of these meetings, the coming evolution was plainly shadowed, in a preparatory reso- ution for the election of delegates to the colonial con- p-ess, to be held at Philadelphia, for the purpose of ;onsidering such measures as the state of the country leemed to demand. Reading Lesson XCVI. Election of delegates to the colonial congress, at Phila- delphia. — On the 25th of July, 1774, occurred the first deliberate public movement in New York, towards that toncerted action to which the American colonies were ow compelled by the measures of the British govern- ent. The polls were, on this day, opened, for the elec- ion of delegates to the proposed congress at Philadel- hia ; and the individuals chosen were Philip Livingston, ohn Alsop, Isaac Low, James Duane, and John Jay. The general feeling of the people, in relation to the urposes of the intended congress, the universal confi- dence of the community in the newly elected deputies, and the personal respect with which they were regarded, were strikingly displayed, by the animated crowd which accompanied them to their place of embarkation, with the warmest demonstrations of sympathy and approbation. 212 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON XCVI. ! The esteem in which these delegates were held, at the assembled congress, is shown in the fact, so creditable to the state, that, of the committee of three, appointed to draught the declaration of rights, two, — John Jay and Philip Livingston, — were members of the New- York dep- utation. Their associate was the distinguished Richard Henry Lee, of Virginia. The declaration of rights, the worthy predecessor of the declaration of independence, was penned by Mr. Jay. Its language breathes, through- out, the spirit of freedom, blended with firm though re- spectful remonstrance. Speaking the sentiment of the congress, as representing the spirit of the American col- onies, universally, it manfully asserts, " We consider our- selves, and do insist that we are, and ought to be, as free as our fellow-subjects in Great Britain ; and that no power on earth has a right to take our property from us without our consent." The New -York legislative assemhlij of 1775. — While we trace, with pleasure, the page to which we have just re- ferred, in our country's history, as indissolubly associated with our own local characters and local feelings, it would be unjust to claim, for the body of our New-Yoi'k legisla- ture of that day, the purely patriotic spirit which actuated the men whose names we have mentioned, and those who were united with them in political sentiment. We read, not without regret, that, when colonel Woodhull* moved " that the thanks of the house be given to the representa- tives of the province, for their services in the continental congress, the previous September," the vote was unfavor- able ; — fifteen to nine being against the motion. This result is sufficiently explained, in part, by the fact; that there were still many men, of weight of character and property, zealously attached to colonial dependence on the British crown, and disposed to a quiet, if not silent, submission to what they deemed temporary and partial evils, as preferable to any attempt approaching to the character of a revolution. To these men of principle and prudence were added, for the time, those who could not, perhaps, be justly ranked otherwise than as the cautious or the timid, who regarded with alarm the idea of the hazards to property and life, which must inevitably attend political commotions. * See his Ufe, on a subsequent page. IIISTORY.-1775. 213 After much warm debate, addresses to the king and to the houses of lords and commons, were passed, on the 25th of March, 1775, stating the grievances generally complained of, and asserting the rights vindicated in the declaration by the Philadelphia cong7-ess, but in terms measured and reserved. Soon afterwards, this last colonial assembly adjourned, never to meet again. The next page of our local history, presents the brighter aspect of the new legislature which existed under the designation of " the provincial cout gress," — a body consisting of men disposed to do and suffer for right and freedom, and, in the person of Nathan- iel Woodhull, headed by one worthy to lead in such a cause. The new body which represented the interests of the constituency of New York, discharged the offices of local legislation, during the first stages of the revolu- tionary era, for the space of nearly two years; — from the latter part of May, 1775, till the organization of the " state" government, in April, 1777. CHAP, v.— PERIOD OF THE REVOLUTION. SEC. I.— EVENTS OF 1775. Reading Lesson XCVIL Action of tlie "provincial congress,''^ — The legislative assembly having adjourned indefinitely, in the month of April, the New- York local committee of vigilance, which had been, from time to time, acting as emergencies seem- ed to require, recommended the formation of a provincial congress, by deputations from the several counties of the colony. The body thus constituted, assembled, accord- ingly, in the city, on the 22d of May, 1775, and by its procedure, asserted its right to entire sovereignty, sus- pending, in effect, from the time of its organization, and ultimately superseding and annulling, the royal authority. Organization of the colonial militia. — One of the acts of sovereignty assumed by the provincial congress, and plainly indicative of their anticipation of an approaching 214 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON XCVIII. I Struggle, was their order of the 22d of August, for the reorganization of the mihtia of the colony. Of this force, Nathaniel Woodhull, then a member of the New-York delegation to the Philadelphia congress, was appointed- a colonel, and, subsequently, a general of brigade. Appointment of a 2>residcnt oj" the provincial congress. — On the 28th of August, general Woodhull was chosen president of the provincial congress of New York, and con- tinued in office, after the following aimual election, in 1776. Nominal existence of the royal government. — A shadow of the royal administration still existed, during the pro- tracted absence of governor Tryon, in the person of the aged lieutenant-governor Golden, who alternately uttered, from his rural retirement on Long Island, feeble com- plaints of the tumultuous condition of the city of New York, and gracious assurances of the benignant intentions of his royal master, in case of peaceful submission and loyal demeanor, together with occasional threats of royal vengeance in store for the refractory. But the time for blandishments and intimidation, alike, had passed. The words of the venerable representative of by-gone days of loyalty, fell unheeded on the ears of a new generation, inspired by the sentiment of liberty, incited by an indig- nant sense of wrong, and impelled by manhood's stern resolves to assert, at all hazards, their violated rights, and vindicate their claim to the character of freemen. The members of the royal council, also, yet remained in the city, though overawed and paralyzed by the pres- ence of the popular party. The mayor and the common council were, likewise, in the royal interest. But their acti(jn was, of course, circumscribed by the same influ- ence which embarrassed the council; and, although the tory party were now exulting in the prospect of the speedy return of governor Tryon, and a consequent change in the aspect of the times; the new power, deposited in the colonial congress, and in local committees of vigilance, embodying the will and sentiment of the people, con- trolled the current of events, and guided the helm of the state. Reading Lesson XCVIII. Preparations for armed resistance to the British power. — The news of the memorable affair of Lexington and Con- HISTORY.-1775. 215 cord, Massachusetts, in which the yeomanry of that colony had risen upon the royal force, and so effectually repelled its act of aggression, kindled the popular spirit of New- York to a flame. The local committee called on the inhabitants to arm and organize themselves, for military discipline. An address of warning was, at the same time, presented to the lieutenant-governor, apprizing him of the general determination to resist, to the utmost, the measures adopted by the British parliament. The continental congress, in session at Philadelphia, actuated by the spirit of forbearance, and the hope of ultimate reconciliation, advised the inhabitants of New York to offer no violence to the British troops, which were now expected, unless they should attempt to construct new fortifications. It was recommended, however, that all warlike stores should be promptly removed from the city, and places of safety found for the protection of women and children. Return of governor Tryon, and arrival of general Wash- ington. — On the loth of June, the general congress had unanimously appointed George Washington commander- in-chief of the American forces ; and he proceeded, f()rth- with, to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where the revolution- ary army was then concentrated for the siege of Boston ; the colonists having succeeded in hemming in the royal troops within the narrow limits of the peninsula which forms the site of that city. General Washington, on his way to Cambridge, was ex- pected to pass through New York, on the 25lh of June ; and, by a singular coincidence, govei'nor Tryon was ex- pected to arrive and land on the same day, to resume his functions as governor of the colony, and repi'esentative of British authority. The confusion created in the city, by this double anti- cipation, we can easily imagine. Govei'nor Tryon was to land on the eastern side, escorted, as a matter of cere- mony, by a body of the royal troops : Washington, on the western, attended by generals Lee and Schuyler, with a deputation of four members of the provincial congress. Perplexing predicament of the congress. — The provincial congress, though decidedly in favor of the American cause, had not yet, by any overt act or declaration, cast off alle- giance to the crown of England, in their capacity as colo- 216 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON XCVIIL nists. The general impression prevailing in the provinces, was, in fact, that the rupture between the colonies and the parent country would be but temporary; and that a front of determined resistance was but the surest way to secure lasting peace and tranquillity, with the enjoyment of the appropriate immunities of British subjects. We need not wonder, therefore, that the congress should have felt puzzled how to act, in circumstances so equivocal as the friendly reception of the two representatives of the con- tending parties in the great sti'uggle. The exclusive rec- ognition, or the abandonment of either, must have been a dereliction of honor or of prudence. Fortunately for the congress, general Washington ar- rived a few hours before governor Tryon ; and the direc- tion to the commanding officer of the militia, to hold himself in readiness to escort whichever party should arrive first, was obeyed without difficulty. General Washington' s reception at New York. — The ur- gency of affairs did not permit general Washington to spend more than a single night in New York. But his reception was cordial, on the part of the well-wishers to American liberty. The provincial congress, in their ad- dress to him, however, manifested a degree of caution in their expi-essions, and still speak of the regret with which "the most loyal of his majesty's subjects were compelled to resort to arms." At the same time, the utmost confidence is expressed, in regard to the choice of a commander-in- chief, made by the national congress, and the earnest hope that the struggle may end in the security and enlarge- ment of colonial freedom. We cannot refrain from quoting, here, the noble and beautiful language of the conclusion of Washington's answer, as speaking the genuine sentiment of the whole American people, at that time, in regard to the sincere desire for peace, and for the continuance of friendlj' rela- tions with England, as well as the extreme reluctance with which the colonists were driven to resistance, as a last resort. " Be assured that every exertion of my worthy col- leagues and myself will be equally extended to the rees- tablishment of peace and harmony between the mother country and the colonies, as to the fatal but necessary op- erations of war. When we assumed the soldier, we did HISTORY.-1775. 219 not lay aside the citizen ; and we shall most sincerely re- joice with you in that happy hour when the establishment of American liberty, upon the most firm and solid founda- tions, shall enable us to return to our private stations, in the bosom of a free, j^eaceful, and happy country." Reading Lesson XCIX. Military operations commenced in the colony of New York. — The cloud of war was now threatening to ap- proach the region of New York, which, from its central and commanding situation, seemed likely to be a promi- nent object of attack. The American army, under Wash- ington, succeeded in expelling the British troops from the town of Boston ; and, although this result had been achiev- ed without violence, yet the previous carnage of Bunker- hill had fully attested the determination, on both sides, with which the struggle was, in all subsequent encounters, elsewhere, to be maintained. The provincial congress, accordingly, foreseeing the course of events, applied to the state of Connecticut for aid, which was promptly accorded ; and in July, general Wooster, with a body of men from that province took up a position in Harlem, with a view to action in whatever form the exigences of the time might require. Taking of Ticoncleroga and Croivn Point. — The first actual operation, however, which opened the revolutiona- ry campaign, within the territory of New York, dates from the month of May, in this year. It exhibits, also, the readiness with which the neighboring colony of Connecti- cut discharged its part, in aid of the sister colony of New York, and of the general interests of America, in the com- mon cause of resistance to Great Britain. No sooner had the intelligence of the blood shed at Lex- ington, Massachusetts, been diffused over the country, than the deadly character of the coming strife between the col- onies and the parent country, was distinctly foreseen. The importance of seasonable anticipation and instant action, to forestall the movements of British power, became, at once, apparent. The friends of liberty in Connecticut, had, with the quickness of apprehension characteristic of the people of that colony, caught at the idea of antici- pating the arrival of British reinforcements, and seizing 220 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON XCIX. the imperfectly garrisoned fortresses of Ticonderoga and Crown Point. These, if once adequately garrisoned, would become formidable sources of injury to the adja- cent regions ; and, on the other hand, if secured, would be an effectual check on invasion from the Canadian frontier. A body of but forty volunteers, with the activity and despatch habitual to their native state, started for Ben- .; nington, in " the New-Hampshire Grants," to meet, by agreement, the hardy adventurer, colonel Ethan Allen and his corps, — spirits of the right sort for such an enterprise. Allen joined the Connecticut band, at Castleton, with two hundred and thirty men, all eager for the expedition. At Castleton, they were unexpectedly joined by colonel Arnold, at this time an ardent partisan in the patriot cause, who had formed a similar design of surprising the British forts. Ai'nold was admitted as second in command of the combined force, which arrived on the shore of lake Cham- plain, opposite to Ticonderoga, on the night of the ninth of May. At day-break, on the following morning, the leaders, with an advance of eighty -three men, entered the outworks of the fort. The garrison, uttei-ly unaware of the attack, were yet asleep. The musket of the solitary sentinel missed fire, when he attempted to give the alarm ; and the Americans rushed in along with him into the in- ner part of the fort. There they formed a hollow square, and, now sure of their object, gave the huzza of victory. The garrison, aroused by the unwelcome sound, rushed out, and for a few moments offered what resistance they could, in a close struggle with sword and bayonet. But their scanty numbers and unprepared condition soon com- pelled them to surrender. A detachment was immediately despatched, under col- onel Seth Warner, to seize Crown Point, which being pro- vided, at the time, with no greater force than a Serjeant's command, was easily taken. The daring Arnold, burning for distinction, completed his share in the successful enterprise, by the capture of a British sloop-of-war, lying off St. John's, at the northern end of lake Champlain. Had this unhappy individual continued in the path on which he set out with so high promise of a brilliant career, his name, instead of coming down to after times loaded with infamy, might have shone among the highest on the records of patriotic valor. HISTORY.— 1773. 221 The great quantity of artillery and ammunition secured by the seizure of the forts, was a prize of immense value, at such a crisis ; and the acquisition was a source of great joy to the friends of liberty in New York. Reading Lesson C. TJie Asia ma7i-of-icar. — The British ship of this name, had been ordered from Boston to the harbor of New York, where she lay anchored off the Battery, with a view to overawe the city, and repress the turbulent spirit of the " sons of liberty." Several popular outbreaks, — of minor consequence, however, — had seemed to the British authorities to require such a measure. But the presence of this guardian of order, had the ef- fect of irritating rather than overawing the populace ; as was evinced, on one occasion, by the destruction of the ship's barge and of one built to replace it. More serious evils, ere long, arose, in connection with the spirit of mutual hostility existing between the ship and the shore. The provincial congress had ordered the cannon to be 1 removed from the Battery, as a measure of precaution ! and security. This order was executed, on the night of the 23d of August, by captain Lamb and his company, aided by a lai"ge number of the inhabitants, who divided themselves into two parties ; one remaining under arms, while 1;he other prosecuted the work of removing the guns. Governor Tryon's emissaries had communicated in- -formation of this proceeding to the commander of the royal ship, who despatched an armed barge to watch the movement of the people on shore. A musket was dis- charged from the barge, whether for the purpose of in- timidating the party on shore, or as a signal to the officer on boai'd of the Asia. It was taken as the commencement of an attack, and answered by a volley of musketry, which killed one of the crew. The barge immediately returned to the ship ; and a cannonade was commenced, by which the houses on the Battery were injured, but no other se- rious damage done. The alarm, however, rallied the male inhabitants, and caused the women and children to be removed in large numbers, from the city. A threatening communication 222 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON C. was received, on the following day, from the British com- mander; but the message closed with assurances that the cannonade was designed only to prevent the removal of the guns of the Battery, and that no farther violence should be offered unless rendered necessary by disorderly and turbulent conduct, on the part of the citizens. The provincial congress interfered to quiet the people, by breaking up all direct communication between the in- habitants and the crew of the British vessel, and pledging them such I'edress as, on due inquiry, might be obtained. But cautious and guarded measures were all that circum- stances would, at this juncture, permit the congi'ess to employ. The city was effectually commanded by the guns of the Asia j and the militia of the colony was fully occupied in the north, with the apprehended movements of the Indian tribes, who were disposed, on the slightest suggestion, to break out into open violence. Their at- tachment to Sir John Johnson, the son of the distinguish- ed Sir William, and an active leader in the tory interest, would, it was well known, induce them to go all lengths in injury to the friends of liberty. Withdrawal of governo)- Tryon. — On the 13th of Octo- ber, a letter was received by the mayor, in which governor Tryon stated that the continental congress had suggested to the colonial congress the seizure of his person ; and that it had become necessary for him to place himself under the protection of the mayor and the corporation of the city. He stated, farther, that, if he should be de- prived of his liberty, captain Vandeput, of the Asia, would rescue him, if necessary, by force ; but that, to avoid such consequences, he would, if the citizens wished it, embark, and remove his property, which he requested permission to do, undisturbed. The surmise regarding the disposition to treat him as a prisoner, was undoubtedly ill-founded. But the proposal of the governor jilainly shows how inveterate the opposi- tion to British authority had now become, and how in- evitable the final rupture between the colonies and the parent state. The answer returned to the governor's communication was, of course, expressed in terms of loyalty and attach- ment from the city government, which was of the tory party. But the extreme reluctance, on the part of the I ! HISTORY.— 1773. 223 colony, to break with the rule of English authority, is strikingly evinced in the fact, that the " city committee" joined in the request that the governor would relinquish his purpose of withdrawal. They even implored him to re- main for the purpose of mediating and I'estoring harmony. But the governor either had not sufficient confidence in the sincerity of these expressions, or had committed him- self too far, in the design of abandoning the colony ; for he soon withdrew privately, and embarked in the Halifax packet. From this vessel he passed to the royal ship, Duchess of Gordon, where he wrote a farewell commu- nication, to the mayor, professing his readiness to aid the inhabitants in any way practicable, but regretting their defalcation from loyalty, and deploring the consequences which must ensue. Soon after, he issued an order, form- ally dissolving the general assembly, " with the advice of his majesty's council," — some of whom had, like himself, adopted the resource of retreating from the scene of con- fusion and peril, and seeking safety on board the British ships of war. — So wound up the formal drama of royalty, I which had so long been played in the colony of New York. For the subsequent period, during which the British troops held possession of the city, was necessarily one rather of military occupancy and martial law, than of regular government in any form ; and though governor Tryon landed again, and returned with the British troops, when they arrived from Boston, yet his rule over the col- ony of New York was actually at an end. The subse- (juent authority of England, was not felt beyond the limits of the city, and there only in virtue of the presence of the British forces. On the withdrawal of these, at the " evac- uation," the last vestige of regal power disappeared; the city was left to the undisturbed occupancy of those who had successfully asserted their claims to liberty and independence, and whose manly resolution and endurance had shown them worthy of the boon conferred on them by Him to whose righteous sway they had appealed, at the outset of the great struggle between power and right. Reading Lesson CI. Movement for the invasion of Canada. — The continental congress had formed considerable expectations of the good 224 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON CL will, and even cooperation, of the people of Canada, ^,^ ..nc resistance offered to the British crown. It was thought that a speedy descent on the fortified places of that prov- ince, would ensure their capture, previous to the ai'rival of the formidable force which, it was understood, would, ere long, be despatched, to strengthen the garrisons of Canada, and invade the exposed points of the revolting colonies. The design of the present work forbids our dwelling on events not immediately connected with the localities of the colony of New York. But, as the scene of all op- erations designed for the reduction of Canada, was laid on our borders, it becomes necessary here, to enter, some- what in detail, on the movements of the continental army ordered on the expedition to Canada. Another link of our local connection with the Canadian campaign, is the circumstance that it was maintained principally by troops levied in New York, and that it was conducted, in one direction, by the favoi-ite adopted son of New York, gen- eral Richard Montgomery. The whole expedition, more- over, was under the chief command of general Philip Schuyler, — one of the noblest and truest friends of Amer- ican freedom, and, in talent, character, and influence, one of the most distinguished men of his native state. This genuine patriot, soon after he had taken his place in the continental congress of Philadelphia, in the month of May, as delegate from New York, was appointed the third major-general of the Amei'ican army; and, on the 25th of June, was charged by general Washington with the com- mand of the province of New York. A few days aftei-- wards, congress directed him to repair to Ticonderoga and Crown Point, to secure the command of lake Cham- plain, and, if practicable and expedient, to take possession of St. John's, Montreal, and Quebec. General Montgomery, the second in command, had ever been an ardent lover of freedom. Originally an officer in the British service, he had established himself in the colo- ny of New York, and, on the rupture with England, had resumed his early profession of arms, and tendered his services to his adopted country. He was appointed, by the continental congress, a general of brigade ; and, in this capacity, his command was attached to that of major- general Schuyler, for whom he entertained the profound- HISTORY.— 1775. 225 est respect, mingled with the warmest feelings of friend- ship. It was with peculiar pleasure, therefore, that he en- tered on the duties of his recent appointment. General Schuyler's illness. — Unfortunately for himself and his country, general Schuyler had become so reduced in health, as to be unable to proceed farther than the Isle aux Noix. Here he was compelled to lie, for some time, in a state of utter prostration, and was, at last, under the necessity of relinquishing the lead of the expedition to general Montgomery, and returning to Ticonderoga. Though unable to conduct the expedition in person, he continued to struggle with the impediments of broken health and reduced strength, and exerted himself, beyond his ability, in superintending the furnishing of the invading force with supplies of food, clothing, arms, and money. Conscious of his inability to continue the discharge of du- ties so arduous, he applied to congress for leave to re- sign. But so deep was the conviction of that body of the value of his services, that a unanimous and warm vote of thanks was passed, in acknowledgment of his indefatiga- ble exertions ; and the most earnest entreaties were add- 3d, that he would endeavor to continue at a post of such aioment to the success of the colonial cause. Appealed to by such motives, general Schuyler deter- nined to persevere, at every hazard, in his endeavors to sustain the struggling and sinking army in Canada. The jxertions which he continued to make for this puipose, hi-oughout the winter season, were incredible, in extent md difficulty. But he shrunk from no sacrifice of com- brt, health, or property, to fulfill the duties of the post vhich he had determined to maintain. Reading Lesson CII. General Schtiyler''s negotiations with the Indian tribes. — t was mentioned, on a former page, that the state of the ndians within the colony, demanded the utmost vigilance, n consequence of the tory predilections of Sir John John- on, who inhei'ited, with his father's title of nobility, no mall share of his powerful influence over the Indian na- ions in his vicinity. The Indians of the Six Nations, though gratefully at- ached to the successive members of the Schuyler family, 226 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON CIL had, for many years, been accustomed to receive the gov- ernment gratuities of blankets, guns, knives, ammunition, and their national bane of rum, through the Johnson fam- ily. The favor of the native race had, accordingly, been transferred to those whose hand conferred the annual gifts of their " great father over the sea." The influence of general Schuyler, however, had still proved strong enough to obtain, of the Indians, a pledge that they would, at least, remain neutral, in the strife between the colonies and Great Britain. This pledge, it now seemed, was likely to be forfeited through the ascendency of Sir John John- son, who, being a devoted loyalist, was vigorously engaged in arming and enlisting his immigrant tenantry, from the Scottish highlands, and the Mohawks of his neighborhood, in the royal cause. General Schuyle7-^s advance into the country of the Mo- hatvks. — The consequences of an invasion from such a quarter, must have been frightful. The horrid scenes of massacre, perpetrated, as we have seen, in previous parts of our history, by these same Mohawks, on the French settlements in Canada, would have been revived in the colony of New York, and, probably, extended over the whole of the American frontier. To the energy of gen- eral Schuyler was his native region, and, indeed, the en- tire country, indebted for an escape from such a catas- trophe. Seven hundred of the militia were hastily sum- moned to prevent the apprehended rising ; and, ere the general had proceeded far on his march, his force had been swelled, by the accession of volunteers, to the num- ber of three thousand. Intervieiv with the Indian deputation. — At Schenectady, the general was met by a delegation from the Mohawks, speaking in the name of their own and the other asso- ciated tribes. Their orator on the occasion, admitted the engagement entered into, during the previous year, by his countrymen. He suggested to the general the dis- mission of his army, and the sending of messengers to ascertain the truth of the reports which had been circu- lated. He warned the colonial commander against rash pj'oceedings, particularly with reference to Sir John, whom they were bound to protect, but of whom, he said, they had obtained a promise that he would not be the aggres- sor. He denied that Sir John was meditating any injury HISTORY. -1775. 227 to the colony. He hinted at the difficulty of restraining some of his countrymen, who, he admitted, were disposed for hostilities, and intimated that the Indians would be present at the meeting between the opposite parties of the whites ; but that those among them who were friendly in their disposition, might not be able to prevent the worst consequences, should any injury be offered to Sir John or his people. General Schuyler plainly perceiving the influence of Sir John himself, in this harangue, firmly maintained his knowl- edge of hostile purposes and proceedings at Johnstown, — repeated the assurance that the colonial force was levied, not against th 'Indians, but the instigators of violence and injury; that his intention was merely to exact a sufficient pledge of Sir John and his dependents that their neigh- bor colonists should remain unmolested ; that he only re- quired of the Indians to abstain from interfering in the "family quaiTol" of the white men. He informed them, farther, that he was perfectly willing that they should be present at the coming interview with Sir John, whose personal safety had been guaranteed ; but that if force had to be used, in consequence of the refusal of the offers of pacification, and the Indians should take part with his op- ponents, the consequences must be upon their own heads. ► Meeting heticcen general Schuyler and Sir John John- son. — A letter had, in the meantime, been despatched, arranging an interview between the general and Sir John, at which, on the following day, the latter was required to relinquish all military stores, and to remain, on parole, in Tryon county ; the Highlanders to surrender their arms, and give hostages for the peaceable demeanor of the Scottish settlements ; and all English presents for the Indians, to be delivered to a commissary appointed to receive them. To these teiTus Sir John was, at first, unwilling to submit; and he intimated the readiness of the Indians to defend and support him. In reply, he was plainly told that force would be met by force ; but, at his request, and, subsequently, at that of the Indians, more time was I allowed him for consideration. After much parrying and delay, the terms proposed were, at last, acceded to ; and, on the following day, the Highlanders were disarmed, and the military stores surrendered. General Schuyler 228 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON CIH. and his force then returned ; having fully secured the object of their expedition. Reading Lesson CIII. Progress of the expedition against Canada. — General Montgomery, in the meantime, prosecuted with vigor the expedition of which he was now, in consequence of the illness of general Schuyler, left sole commander. Tlie following account of this unsuccessful attempt to secure possession (5f Canada, we derive, principally, from the narrative of Dr. Williams, which, for clea^ess and sim- plicity, as well as accuracy, seems preferable to any other, in a work designed for young readers. Defeat of general Carleton. — " Montgomery's first step, in the execution of his purposes, was to gain over the Indians whom the British general, Carleton, had employ- ed ; and this, he, in a great measure, accomplished ; after which, on receiving the full number of troops ap- pointed for his expedition, he determined to lay siege to St. John's. In this he was facilitated by the reduction of Chambly, a small fort in the neighborhood, where he found a large supply of powder. An attempt was made by general Cai'leton to relieve the place ; for which pur- pose he had, with great pains, collected about a thousand Canadians, while colonel M'Lean jiroposed to raise a regiment of Highlanders, who had emigrated from Scot- land to America. "But while general Carleton wns on his march, with these new levies, he was attacked by a provincial force of four hundred men, from Vermont, under colonel Warner, and utterly defeated ; which being made known to another body of Canadians, who had joined colonel M'Lean, they abandoned him without striking a blow; and he was obliged to retreat to Quebec. " The defeat of general Carleton was a sufficient rec- ompense to the Americans for that of colonel Ethan Allen, which happened some time before. The success which attended this gentleman against Crown Point and Ticonderoga, had emboldened him to make a similar at- tempt on Montreal ; but being attacked by the militia of the place, supported by a detachment of regulars, he was entirely defeated, and taken prisoner. HISTORY.— 1775. 229 ' Surrender of tlie garrison at Si. Jo/m's. — " As the defeat of general Carleton, and the desertion of M'Lean's forces, left no room for the garrison of St. John's to hope for relief, they now consented to surrender themselves pris- oners of war, but were, in other respects, treated with great humanity. They were, in number, five hundred regulars and two hundred Canadians, among whom were many of the French nobility, who had been very active in promoting the cause of iiritain among their country- men. Capture of tJie British s7iipj)ing at Montreal. — " Gen- eral INIontgomery next took measures to prevent the British vessels from passing down the river from Mon- treal to Quebec. This he accomplished so effectually, ithat the whole were taken. The town itself was obliged to surrender at discretion ; and it was with the utmost difficulty that general Carleton escaped, in an open boat, ;by the favor of a dark night. " No farther obstacle now remained in the way of the lA.mericans to the capital, except what arose from the na- ture of the country ; and these indeed were very consid- erable. Nothing, however, could damp the ardor of the Americans. Approach of colonel Arnold. — " Notwithstanding it was now the middle of November, and the depth of winter was at hand, colonel Arnold, who had been despatched by Washington, with an additional force, formed a design of penetrating through woods, morasses, and the most frightful solitudes, from New England to Canada, by a nearer way than that which general Montgomery had ;chosen ; and this he accomplished, in spite of every diffi- culty, to the astonishment of all who saw or heard of the iattempt. "A third part of his men, under another colonel, had jbeen obliged to leave him by the way, for want of pro- visions. The total want of artillery rendered his pres- ence insignificant, before a place so sti'ongly fortified ; and the smallness of his army rendered it even doubtful whether he could have taken the town by surprise. " The Canadians, indeed, were amazed at the exploit, and their inclination to revolt was somewhat augment- ed; but none of them, as yet, took up arms in behalf of America. 230 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON CIV. " The consternation into wliicli the town of Quebec was thrown, proved detrimental, rather than otherwise, to the expedition ; as it doubled the vigilance and activity of the inhabitants to prevent any surprise ; and the ap- pearance of common danger united all parties, who, be- fore the arrival of Arnold, were contending most violently with one another. " He was therefore obliged to content himself with blocking up the avenues to the town, in order to distress the garrison for want of provisions; and even this he was unable to do effectually, by reason of the small number of his men. Arrival of general Montgomery. — " The matter was not much mended by the ari'ival of general Montgomery. The force he had with him, even when united to that of Arnold, was too insignificant to attempt the reduction of a place so strongly fortified, especially with the assistance of only a few mortars and field-pieceg." Reading Lesson CIV. Attach on Quehec. — " After the siege had continued through the month of December, general Montgomery, conscious that he could accomplish his end in no other way than by sui'prise, resolved to make an attempt, on the last day of the year 1775. The method he took at this time, was, perhaps, the best that human wisdom could devise. He advanced by break of day, in the midst of a heavy fall of snow, which covered his men from the sight of the enemy. " Two real attacks were made by himself and colonel Arnold, at the same time that two feigned attacks were made on two other places, thus to distract the garrison, and make them divide their forces. One of the real attacks was made by the people of New York, and the other by those of New England, under colonel Arnold. " Their hopes of surprising the place, however, were defeated, by the signal for the attack being, by some mis- take, given too soon. General Montgomery himself had the most dangerous place, being obliged to pass between the river and some high rocks, on which the upper town stands ; so that he was forced to make what haste he could to close with the enemy. HISTORY.— 1775. 231 " His fate, however, was now decided. Having forced the first barrier, an unexpected discharge of grape-shot from the second, killed him, and the principal officers of his staff; on which, those who remained immediately re- treated. " Colonel Arnold, in the meantime, made a desperate attack on the lower town, and carried one of the barriers, after an obstinate resistance for an hour ; but in the action he himself received a wound, which obliged him to with- draw. The attack, howevei", was continued by the offi- cers whom he had left, and another barrier forced ; but the garrison now perceiving that nothing was to be feared except from that quarter, collected their whole force against it, and, after a desperate engagement of three hours, overpowered the provincials, and obliged them to surrender. " In this action, it must be confessed, that the valor of the provincial troops could not be exceeded. They had fought under as great disadvantages as those which had attended the British at Bunkerhill, and had behaved equal- ly well. " The death of general Montgomery, says major Meigs, in his journal of the expedition, though honorable, was lamented, not only as the death of an amiable, worthy man, but of an experienced, brave officer : the whole coun- try suffered greatly by such a loss at this time. The na- tive goodness and rectitude of his heart, might easily be seen in his actions : his sentiments, which appeared on every occasion, were fi'aught with that unaffected good- ness, which plainly discovered the virtues of the heart from whence they flowed. In person, he was tall and slender, well limbed, of a genteel, easy, graceful, manly address, and possessed the love, esteem, and confidence of the whole army. He was shot through both thighs, and through his head. His body was taken up the next day ; an elegant doffin was prepared ; and he was decently interred, on the Thursday after. Withdrawal of the trooj)s, hy Arnold. — " Such a terrible disaster left no hope remaining of the accomplishment of the purpose of the expedition ; as colonel Arnold could now scarce number eight hundred effective men under his command. He did not, however, abandon the prov- 1 ince, or even remove to a greater distance than three 232 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON CV. miles from Quebec ; and here he still found means to an- noy the garrison very considerably, by intercepting their provisions. " The Canadians, notwithstanding the bad success of the American arms, still continued friendly ; and thus he was enabled to sustain the hardships of a winter encamp- ment in that most severe climate. The congi-ess, far from passing any censure on him for his misfortune, created him a brigadier-general." SEC. IL — EVENTS OF 1776. Reading Lesson CV. Arnold continues to harass Quebec. — " Reinforcements had been promised to colonel Arnold, who still continued the blockade of Quebec; but they did not arrive in time to second his operations. " Being sensible, however, that he must either desist from the enterprise, or finish it successfully, he recom- menced in form ; attempting to burn the shipping, and even to storm the town itself. The Americans were un- successful, however, by reason of the smallness of their number ; though they succeeded so far as to burn a number of houses in the suburbs ; and the garrison were obliged to pull down the remainder, in order to prevent the fire from spreading. " As these attacks kept the garrison in continual alarm, and in a very disagreeable situation, some of the nobility collected themselves into a body, under the command of one M. Beaujeu,* in order to relieve their capital ; but they were met on their march by the Americans, and so entirely defeated, that they were never afterwards able to attempt anything. Discouraging condition of the colonial troops. — " The Americans, however, derived but little advantage from this success. The want of artillery at last convinced them, that it was impracticable, in their situation, to re- duce a place so strongly fortified. The small-pox, at the same time, made its appearance in their camp, and car- ried off great numbers — intimidating the rest to such a degree, that they deserted in crowds. Arrival of the British force, and repulse of the Ameri- * Pronounced, Bozkii. HISTORY.-1776. 233 cans. — " To add to the misfortunes of the provincials, the British reinforcements unexpectedly appeared ; and the ships made their way through the ice with such celerity, that one part of their army was separated from the other ; and general Carlcton sallying out, as soon as the rein- forcement was landed, obliged them to flee with the ut- most jirecipitation, leaving behind them all their cannon a'.id military stores ; at the same time that their shipping was entirely captured by vessels sent up the river, for that piu'pose. On this occasion, the provincials made so rapid a retreat, that they could not be oveitaken ; so that none fell into the hands of the British, except the sick and wounded. Humane conduct of the British commander. — "General Carleton now gave a signal and pleasing instance of his humanity. Being well apprized that many of the provin- cials had not been able to accomj^any the, rest in their re- ;reat, and that they were concealed in woods, in a very Jeplorable situation, he generously issued a proclamation, ordering proper persons to seek them out, and give them "elief at the public expense. At the same time, lest, hrough fear of being made prisoners, they should refuse hese offers of humanity, he promised, that as soon as heir situation enabled them, they should be at liberty to lepart to their respective homes. Carleton's advance to Trois Rivieres.* — " The British (eneral, now freed from any danger of an attack, was icon enabled to act offensively against the Americans, by he arrival of the forces destined for that purpose from 3ntain. By these he was put at the head of twelve thou- and regular troops, among whom were those of Bruns- vick. " With this force, he instantly set out for Trois Rivieres, yhere he expected that Arnold would make a stand ; but e had retired to Sorel, one hundred and fifty miles dis- tant from Quebec, where he was, at last, met by the re- [iforcements ordered by congress. ji Defeat of general Tliomjpson. — "• Here, though the pre- ieding events were by no means calculated to inspire luch military ardor, a very daring enterpiise was under- iken ; and this was, to surprise the British troops posted ere under generals Fraser and Nesbit ; of whom the muer commanded those on land, and the latter such as * Pronounced, Trwaxe Reevyare. n ai Ir re 234 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.-I.ESSON CV. were on board of transports, and were but a little way distant. " The enterprise was undoubtedly very hazardous, both on account of the strength of the parties against whom they were to act, and as the main body of the British forces was advanced within fifty miles of the place ; besides that, a number of armed vessels and transports, with troops, lay between them and Trois Rivieres. " Two thousand chosen men, however, under general Thompson, engaged in this enterprise. Their success, was by no means answerable to their spirit and valor. Though they passed the shipping without being ob- served, general Fraser had notice of their landing ; and; thus being prepared to receive them, they were soon thrown into disorder, at the same time that general Nesbit, having landed his forces, prepared to attack them in the rear. " On this occasion, some field-pieces did pi'odigioua execution ; and a retreat was found to be unavoidable, General Nesbit, however, had got between them and their boats ; so that they were obliged to take a circuit through a deep swamp, while they were hotly pursue by both parties, at the same time, who marched for some miles on each side of the swamp, till, at last, the unfortunate Americans were sheltered from further danger, by a wood at the end of the swamp. The general, however, was taken, with two hundred of his men. Retreat of the America?i army. — " By this disaster, the Americans lost all hopes of accomplishing anything i Canada. They demolished their works, and carried off their artillery, with the utmost expedition. They were pursued, however, by general Burgoyne, against whom it was expected they would have collected all their forces: and made a resolute stand. But they were now too much dispirited by misfortune, to make any further exertion of valor. " On the ISth of June, the British general arrived at foratJTioii; St. John's, which he found abandoned and burnt. Cham' bly had shared the same fate, as well as all the vessels tha^K were not capable of being dragged up against the currentlt of the river. It was thought they would have made some resistance at Isle aux Noix, the entrance to lake Cham- plain ; but this, also, they had abandoned, and retreated avoK in til HJSTORY.— 177C. 235 across the lake to Crown Point, whither they could not be immediately followed. " Thus was the province of Canada entirely evacuated by the Americans ; whose loss, in their retreat from Que- bec, was not calculated at less than one thousand men, of whom four hundred fell at once into the hands of the enemy, at a place called the Cedars, about fifty miles above Mon- treal. General Sullivan, however, who conducted this retreat, after the affair of general Thompson, had great merit in what he did, and received the thanks of congress, accordingly." Reading Lesson CVI. Proceedings of the provincial congress, 1776. — The con- tinental congress had recommended, as a measure indis- pensable to the general safety of the country, at the ex- isting crisis, that every colony should erect a new forirj of government, adapted to the circumstances of the time, and [to the particular condition of the colonies, individually. To this j'ecommendation the provincial congress of New fork had not deemed itself competent to respond ; as its ■jwn eai'lier proceedings had been conducted under the mpression that a rupture with England might still be voided. The members, generally, felt themselves bound, n their official capacity, to abstain from any action of a evolutionary character; as they had, at the outset, ex- iaressed themselves averse to such a procedure. The Tieasures of the British ministry had now, however, cut )ff all hopes of reconciliation ; and the provincial con- gress, on the 31st of May, recommended to the electors )f the several counties to vest the requisite authority in heir present delegates, or in others to be chosen in their jtead. On the 30th of June, the British force having appeared )fF the harbor of New York, the provincial congress, pre- vious to its adjournment on that day, directed that the peal congress entrusted with these new powers, should ssemble immediately, at White Plains. The new con- ress, or " convention," assembled on the 9th of July, and hose general Woodhull as president. Adoption of the declaration of independence, hy the con- ention. — On this body devolved the duty of adopting, on 23G NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON CVL behalf of their representatives, the ever-memorable decla- ration of independence, issued by the continental congi-ess, on the 4th of July, 1776. The New-York delegation, from conscientious scruples, similar to those which actu- ated the members of the provincial congress, had not, though personally in favor of the revolutionary move- ment, felt themselves at liberty to commit their constit- uents to such a measure, while the instructions which they had received, to promote conciliation, were as yet binding. The first measure passed by the new provincial con- gress, was the unanimous adoption of the national decla- ration ; and, on the 10th of July, that body formally as- sumed the title of the " convention of the representatives of the state of New York." These proceedings diffused universal satisfaction among the majority of the people; and this date closes the record of our own local history as a colony, and commences that of New York as a sovereign and independent state. Under the auspices of that free- dom which the declaration of independence pi'ociaimed, New York has, in common with her sister states of the . national Union, continued to advance in a career of pros- perity and happiness, hitherto unexampled in the histoiy of the world. The sui'e hand of time has set its irrevoca- ble seal to the wisdom of the men by whom the great movement for independence was begun, and, in face of the most formidable opposition, so vigorously and tri- umphantly sustained. Transfer of the scene of hostilities to New York. — Gen- eral Howe, when he was forced to evacuate Boston, had repaired, with his troops, to Halifax, where, for a time, he awaited the arrival of his bi'other, admiral lord Howe, under whose command an extensive armament was ex- pected to arrive from England. After a delay of several weeks, the general departed for New York, leaving a let- ter of information to be delivered to liis brother, on his arrival. General Washington had foreseen that the principal aim of the British would be naturally directed against New York, and early in April, had arrived there, with the army which had effected the expulsion of Howe from Boston. General Lee, however, had, in the meantime, arrived, M. HISTORY— 177G. 237 before the main body with a levy of militia fi-om Connec- ticut. The British general, Clinton, had shown himself, with an armament, off New York. But, either distrust- ing his ability to carry the place, which had been, in part, strengthened by additional fortifications of a temporary nature, or deeming it preferable to expedite his intended movements at the south, he withdrew for the time, and joining Sir Peter Parker and his squadron, at Cape-Fear river, proceeded to Charleston. Thither he was rapidly followed, overland, by Lee, who had received the com- mand of the American forces in the southern states. Arrival of general Howe. — On the 25th of June, gen- eral Howe arrived at Sandyhook, and, on the 2d of July, landed his force on Staten island. He was here joined, during the following month, by the forces under his broth- er, and by those under lord Cornwallis and general Clin- ton, which had been repulsed, with considej'able loss, from Charleston, by the determined bravery of the colo- nial troops. The assembled British force numbered upwards of twenty-four thousand men ; and to these a reinforcement of more than ten thousand was expected. The plan of operations was to seize New York, as a key to the Hud- son river, to open and maintain communications with gen- eral Carleton's army in Canada, and, if practicable, to meet it, on the banks of the Hudson, and thus cut off the possibility of any aid being rendered to the middle states, by New England. The whole American army would thus, it was thought, be enclosed, and left at the mercy of the English. To this ample force, general Washington could oppose but about twenty thousand undisciplined militia, poorly armed, and many suffering from sickness. Coimmmications between the BritisJi and A?)ierican com- manders. — Lord Howe had received full power to nego- iate with the Americans, on the footing of pardon for the past, on condition of their willingness to return to loyalty and subjection. Offers of this nature were made by the British admiral, and were firmly declined by Washington, is unsuitable for those who were not conscious of any 3rime in their resistance to aggression. 238 new-yokk class-book.— lesson cvil Reading Lesson CVII. Erroticous impressions regarding the approach of the British army. — No pains had been spai'ed, to strengthen the island of New Yoi'k, by the erection of such defences as time and circumstances would permit. The general expectation of the Americans, was, that the British would attempt a landing, in full force, on Manhattan island. All due precaution had been used, however, to occupy with a strong force, the opposite heights of Brooklyn, which, by their elevation, commanded the whole city of New York ; and a large body of the American force was securely planted in front of the fortified camp at Brooklyn, as well as at all points which commanded the approaches to it. Still, it seems not to have been expect- ed that the main attack would have been made in that direction ; general Sullivan being the only individual in the military council of Washington, who entertained such an idea. Illness of general Greene. — General Greene, who had been appointed commander of the American force on Long Island, was unfortunately taken ill, shortly before the attack ; and Washington had been, at length, though reluctantly, induced to transfer the command to general Putnam, who had not had opportunity of becoming well informed regarding the locality of his post, or of the ar- rangements designed for its defence, in case of attack. Washington, himself, expecting that the main attack of the enemy would be made on the city of New York, was, of couise, with the main body of the American army, which was encamped in the city and adjacent parts of Manhattan island. Local features of the hattle-ground. — The peculiar sur- face of the adjoining country afforded sj^ecial advantages for repelling the approaches of a hostile force, in the di- I'ection taken by the invading army. The whole ground, — intersected by creeks, morasses, ravines, and narrow defiles, and conveniently covered, at intervals, by woods, — seemed to render it a task of the utmost peril to at- tempt the well-intrenched line of the heights ; while, — under the direction of general Greene, — the most skil- ful advantage had been taken of every point at which a redoubt or fosse could add to the natural strencrth MigJi JPhillipslQW H^Xinilgoinery '^% Pc.\ ^ands N E JSTya CloStCT O Milltomh ^CarmcJ "^Southeast Bxdgebury 3 PeelislziU -_. Corilond Somers ^iM^rplanc7:s Fc. ^- ' Uictversiraw .A .€. TO r CrotonFerry BedforcL %SingSing .Albwnl' ' r^^H Pic as am OiTarrycoivn ' Jsfortli \Casile riaias Wliobhs \Ftrry ^INorchSdleTn O JEiidgefieTd Salem JEovMdridge Canaano \^Scanwuit\ Kk-vvaJkl \-t Green sacJ:. mfmarone^co VJXocIudle ■Lee Wingsj iFcXw shinacon JOyster^ay - ^^^ □ Spring ^Miisqueco Cove ^my Flushing J^ewtown oBushwicIc ^ oFLauana Yatbi tsh '^NexxTTcrechr ^ ra esendA of the SEATOFWAR near NEW YORK HISTOEY.— 1776. 241 of a position, or cover one that seemed compai'atively weak. Landing of ilie British at New JJtreclit. — But the ill- ness of Greene, and the consequent want of due concert and vigilance, in conducting operatiojis, at the decisive moment, rendered all apparent advantages unavailing. The British troops, leaving Staten island, landed at New Utrecht, near the southwestern extremity of Long Island, on the 22d of August, and, after several days of inaction, — designed to throw the Americans off their guard, — pro- ceeded, on the evening of the 26th, in profound silence, to the meditated attack. Character of the British army. — The battle of Long Island, was, on the part of the British, conducted with great skill, as well as the utmost vigilance and bravery. The commanders regarded the day, not unjustly, as des- tined to form a decisive one, for the campaign ; the army, with its vast force of cavalry and artillery, its dis- tinguished officers and veteran troops, who had reaped well-earned laurels on more than one field in Europe, was one of the finest specimens of a complete military force, that had ever visited the shores of America ; and the arrangements for the attack were executed with the precision of the movements on the chess-board. Position of the American camp. — General Putnam's line extended from Wallabout bay, on the left, to Gowanus cove, on the right ; while the East River, on his rear, en- abled him to maintain communication with the main body of the American army, on Manhattan island. In front, extended the wooded heights which traverse the island from east to west. These could be penetrated at three points only : one, on the left, near to the Narrows ; an- other, the road towards the centre, passing the village of Flatbush ; the third, by a distant circuit, through the village of Flatlands, on the right. Along the summit was the road from Bedford to Jamaica, intersected by the road through Flatlands. These roads were all to have been under the surveillance of posts of observation, and scouting parties, charged with the duty of main- taining strict watch and constant communication with the lines in front of the camp, — a duty which, rpost unfortunately, was, in one instance, but negligently pep- formed. 242 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON CVU. Advance of the British army. — The invading force ad- vanced : its left, under major-general Grant, to the north and the Narrows, — its right, under generals Clinton, Percy, and Cornvvallis, to the south, by Flatlands, and the Jamaica and Bedford road, — its centre, composed of the Hessians, under general Heister, on the village of Flatbush. Generals Grant and Heister were each to an- noy and distract the enemy, while the right should press on, seize the Jamaica and Bedford road, and thence de- bouche on the American flank and rear. Successful approach of Clinton. — All the intended move- ments were executed with promptness and entire success. The scouting parties had relaxed their vigilance ; a deci- sive pass was left unoccupied ; general Clinton, in the advance, occupied the road to Bedford, seized the defile, and halting till joined by lord Percy and his corps of ar- tillery and cavalry, descended to the plain between the heights and the American camp at Brooklyn, These movements would have decided the day, independently of those of the other portions of the British army. Movement of the British left tving. — General Grant, meanwhile, on the left, proceeded to diveit the attention of the Americans from the movements of Clinton, by an attack on the militia of New York and Pennsylvania, who guarded a defile connected with the Flatlands road, and who, at first, gave ground ; but, on being reinforced by general Parsons, and rallied on an adjoining eminence, they bravely maintained their position till the arrival of lord Stirling ; after which, the battle was successfully maintained by them, for several hours. Attack on the A?nerican centre. — General Heister and his Hessians had assailed the American centre, at day- break ; and, although general Sullivan, who was there in command, had been taken at utter disadvantage, in con- sequence of the failure of seasonable intelligence of the enemy's approach, resistance was bravely maintained. Perplexing condition of the American right flank. — The English ships now succeeded in opening their fire on the " right flank of the Americans who were engaged with general Grant, and who were thus kept in ignorance of the fate of the day, in their centre and on their left. Desperate condition of the American centre. — General Clinton, meanwhile, descended into the plain, towards ral^ HISTORY.— 1776. 243 the left of the centre ; and having first detached a body of troops to intercept the rear of the Americans who were occupied in front with the Hessians, commenced a fresh assault. The Americans retreated, but in good order, before this disparity of force. They were now met by the enemy in their rear, nnd driven back upon the Hes- sians, who, in turn, repulsed them upon the English, Thus doubly exposed to destruction, the loss of th.v Americans was severe. Gor»ded, at length, to despera tion, several regiments cut th*;ir way through the verj centre of the enemy, and reqj'nined their own camp Several others escaped through the woods. Fate of the American right wing. — The American right wing, ignorant of what had occurre'3 elsewhere, was still engaged with general Grant. But, on receiving informa- tion of the fate of their countrymen, cotimenced a retreat. Some succeeded in escaping through the woods ; others perished in the attempt to pass through ♦h'Si marshes of Govvanus cove; few, comparatively, succeeded m reaching" the camp. Perplexities of general Putnam. — The brave Putnam, shut up in camp, ill informed as to the localit^'e" of the surrounding country, and the numbers and direciiou of the approaching forces of the enemy, — perplexed by ^he insuperable difficulties of his situation, and chafed, likt» the hunted animal at bay, could only send forth, at ran dom, such reinforcements as the pressure, at any point seemed to require, but wisely avoided the sally to which his impetuosity would have impelled him. Night, and the fatigue of the victors, at length came to his relief, and closed the disastrous day. The close of this painful scene of discomfiture, was be- held, with unutterable anguish, by the American com- mander-in-chief, who had hurried over, from New York, but was unable to rescue his brave soldiers from the fate against which they had so manfully struggled. Resistance to the well-appointed army of Britain, would have been the sure destruction of his ill-provided and irregular force ; and all that he could do, was to devise the speediest means of retreat for the remnant of the American troops. The destruction of life, on this hard-fought field, was, on the American side, lamentably great. It was rated, by the latter, at upwards of one thousand ; — by the Brit- 244 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON CVIIL ish, at more than three thousand in killed, wounded, and prisoners. Among the first, was nearly the entire regi- ment of Maryland, numbering some of the foremost young men of that state : among the missing, were generals Sullivan and Stirling, who had been compelled to sur- render, on the field, and general Woodhull,* who had been detached on a special duty, and compelled to sur- render on the day following the battle. Reading Lesson CVIII. Wiflidrawal of the Avicrican troops from the camp at Brooklyn. — On the day following the battle, the British encamped in front of the American lines, and proceeded to throw up their works, but were checked by the well- directed fire of the riflemen in the camp. On the night of the 29th, general Washington, who had not permitted himself to sleep since the commencement of the fatal battle, superintended the conveyance of the troops to New York ; and, by aid of a dense fog, and the perfect order and silence of the troops, the whole force was re- moved, without farther loss ; although the enemy were so near, that the sound of their entrenching tools was plainly heard during the night, and as the last boat was pushed off, the dispersion of the fog, at that moment, left the British sentinels in sight. A sad blow was thus struck at the hopes of America, in her struggle against aggression ; and the state of New York, in particular, suffered, for a time, the deepest de- pression. But no disposition was felt to abandon the cause of freedom, or, as yet, to relinquish the city to the possession of the enemy. Threatening position of the British fleet. — The move- ments of both armies, in the vicinity of the city of New York, at this critical period, can be rightly understood only by adverting to the fact that the British commander eagerly hoped, bj' a decisive movement, to succeed in capturing the whole American army ; while the policy of Washington was, by strict vigilance, to avoid an unavail- ing exposure of his scanty force. The somewhat tardy movements of the former, and the extreme caution of the latter, are thus fully explained. The prudence to refrain * See hia life, on a subsequent page. HISTORY.— 1776. 245 and to withold, which Washington, at this time, exer- cised over his o\vii ardent temperament, secured the army of his country, and, with it, the only possibility of ultimate success to the cause of American liberty. The next intended movement of the hostile force, aftei the sanguinary battle of Long Island, was indicated, within a few days, by the aj^pearance of part of the British fleet in the Sound, while the remainder took up a position within cannon shot, nearly, of the city itself. Withdrawal of the American troops from the city. — A council of war was held, on the 12th of September, at which it was decided that to save the inhabitants from the horrors of an attack, and to secure the safety of the army in its present depressed condition, the troops should be immediately withdrawn to a stronger position, in the middle and northern parts of the island. The commander- in-chief took up his head quarters, accordingly, on the heights of Harlem ; and a strong force was stationed at jKingsbridge, on the mainland. Landing of the British on Manhattan island. — A large body of the enemy, under the command of Clinton, landed on the 15th, about three miles above the city, at Kipp's bay, on the eastern side of the island, and took np their position in a line extending, across, to Bloomingdale, on the western side. So expeditiously was this movement effected, that there was barely time to withdraw the last bf the American troops from the city. Part of their Eirtillery and stores was unavoidably captured. Encounter between the British and American outposts. — The approach of the enemy to the temporary works hrown up near to Kipp's bay, took the raw levies sta- tioned there, by surprise. A rapid and disorderly retreat followed, which even the presence and personal exertions of Washington could not check. On the following day, however, the commander-in-chief, selecting a favorable opportunity to accustom his troops to face and encounter their enemy, detached a party to cut off an advanced body of the British, on the inter- vening plain. The movement was headed by colonel Knowlton and major Leitch ; and, although both these brave officers fell in the attack, the advantage was with the Americans. The troops engaged in this afiair, being warmly commended by general Washington, the skirmish I 246 NEW- YORK CLASS 5COK.— LESSON CVIII. was of great service, in reviving tbe sinking spirits of the army. Great fire in the city. — On the 21st of September, a de- structive fire, commencing at Whitehall slip, laid waste a large part of the city. Trinity church, of that day, was consumed ; and the fire was not extinguished till it had reached the present Barclay street. St. Paul's church was saved, with much difficulty. This disastrous confla- gration was, by some, attributed to the confusion attend- ing the withdrawal of the American troops, and the arrival of the enemy. By the British, it was said to be the result of spiteful design, with a view to harass and disappoint the invaders, and was so rejjorted by general Howe. A third account attributed the origin of the fire to disorderly conduct, on the part of the newly-arrived British soldiery, themselves. General Hoive^s attempts to cut off the communications of the American army. — The strength of the position tak- en by Washington, rendering it unadvisable to attempt carrying it by assault, general Howe proceeded, on the 12th of October, with a large force, to turn the American rear, by a flanking movement, on each side. But Wash- ington, apprized of the design, withdrew the main body of his troops to Kingsbridge. At a council of war, held at this juncture, it was deemed best to withdraw the Amer- ican forces wholly from their present posts, except forts Washington and Lee, which were indispensable to keep the North River open to the Americans. To hold the former, a force of tlu-ee thousand men was detached, un- der colonel Magaw. Action at White Plains. — To secure his army from the intended movement of Howe, Washington extended his front along the western branch of Bronx river, towards White Plains. Here, on the 2Sth, a partial action was brought on, in which the American army suffered the loss of the brave colonel Smallwood, and several hundred men. Subsequent movements of Washington. — Withdrawing from White Plains to a more advantageous position, Washington now prepared to make a decisive stand, and to encounter the enemy, on terms more equal than hith- erto, in the depressed condition of his army. General Howe, distrusting his success, in case of an engagement with his actual force, awaited the arrival of lord Percy HISTORY.— 1776. 247 and the rear, which did not take place till the 30th. A heavy rain, on that night and the following day, prevent- ed the intended attack ; and Washington, having secured, in the meantime, a strong position on the heights of North Castle, general Howe directed his movements towards the American posts on the Hudson, with a view to pene- trate New Jersey. Washington, accordingly, left gen- eral Lee, with a body of seven thousand men, at North Castle, and proceeded, with the main body, to strengthen general Greene, at fort Lee. Surrender of fort Washington. — On the 16th of Novem- ber, general Howe proceeded to invest fort Washington. • Having completed his arrangements for an assault, the British commander summoned the fort to surrender, un- der pain of being put to the sword. Colonel Magaw re- plied that he would defend his post to the last. The as- sault was vigorously repulsed, till the ammunition of the Americans became nearly exhausted, and resistance was no longer practicable. The gai'rison, accordingly, surren- dered by capitulation ; and the whole island of New York thus fell into the hands of the invaders. The fall of fort Lee, and the subsequent disastrous retreat of the Ameri- can army through New Jersey, belong to the general his- tory of the country. Reading Lesson CIX. Operations at the north. — Returning to the movements of the invading army which had been repulsed from Cana- da, it will be recollected that the Americans had taken up their quarters at Crown Point. " Here," says Dr. Will- iams, " they remained for some time in safety, as the Brit- ish had no vessels on the lake, and consequently general Burgoyne could not pursue them. " To remedy this deficiency, there was no possible meth- od, but either to construct vessels on the spot, or take to pieces some vessels already constructed, and drag them up the river into the lake. This, however, was effected in no longer a period than three months ; and the British general, after incredible toil and difficulty, saw himself in possession of a great number of vessels, by which means le was enabled to pursue his enemies, and invade them n his turn. 248 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON CIX. I " The labor undergone at this time, by the sea and land *, forces, must indeed have been prodigious ; since there were conveyed over land, and dragged up the rapids of the Sorel, no few^er than thirty large long-boats, four hun- dred batteaux, besides a vast number of flat-bottomed boats, and a gondola of thirty tons. Design of the British commander. — " The intent of the expedition was to push forward, before winter, to Albany, where the army would take up its winter quarters, and, the next spring, effect ajunction with that under general Howe, when it was not doubted that the united force and skill of these two commanders would speedily put a termination to the war. " By reason of the difficulties with which the equip- ment of this fleet had been attended, it was the beginning ; i of October before the expedition could be undertaken. It was, however, by every judge, allowed to be com- pletely able to answer every purpose for which it was in- tended. It consisted of one large vessel with three masts, can-ying eighteen twelve-pounders ; two schooners, the one carrying fourteen, the other twelve six-pounders ; a large flat-bottomed radeau, with six twenty-four,. and six twelve-pounders; and a gondola with eight nine-pounders. " Besides these, there were twenty vessels of a smaller size, called gun-boats, carrying each a piece of brass ord- nance, from nine to twenty-four-pounders, or howitzers. Several long-boats were fitted out in the same manner ; and besides all these, there was a vast number of boats and tenders of various sizes, to be used as transports for the troops and baggage. It was manned by a number of select seamen, and the guns were to be served by a de- tachment from the corps of artillery ; the officers and sol- diers appointed for this expedition were also chosen out of the whole army. Brave conduct of Arnold. — " To oppose this formidable armament, the Americans had only a very inconsiderable force, commanded by general Arnold ; who, after enga- ging a part of the British fleet for a whole day, took ad- vantage of the darkness of the night, to set sail without being perceived, and, next morning, was out of sight. But he was so hotly pursued by the British, that, on the second day after, he was overtaken, and forced to a second en- gagement. HISTORY.— 1777. 249 " In this, he behaved with great gallantry ; but his force being very inferior to that of the enemy, he was obliged to run his ships on shore, and set them on fire. A few only escaped to lake George ; and the garrison of Crown Point, having destroyed and carried off every thing of value, retired to Ticonderoga. Thither general Carleton intended to have pursued them ; but the difficulties he had to encounter, appeared so many and so great, that it vvas thought proper to march back into Canada, and de- sist from any further operations, till the next spring." The result of the campaign of 1776, was, of course, dis- couraging, in the extreme, to the Americans, and pecu- iai"ly so to the friends of independence in the state of New York. But this juncture proved only the ebb tide ■){ the revolutionary movement, and was replaced, ere ong, by the full current of triumphant success. SEC. III. — EVENTS OF 1777. Reading Lesson CX. Predatory excursions of t/ie British troops from the city ->f New York. — While the American army, under Wash- ngton, had i-allied, and recovered the greater part of New Jersey, the British force stationed in the city of New STork, was detached, occasionally, on predatory excur- sions, to seize supplies, and harass the people of the ad- jacent country. Attempt on Peekskill. — A large quantity of military Stores, belonging to the Americans, had been deposited it Peekskill, on the Hudson. General Howe, hoping to obtain possession of this prize, or, at least, to destroy it, iletached a strong force up the river, for this purpose. The American force, in that quarter, was utterly incom- Ketent to resist ; and the stores were therefore set on re, just in time to prevent their falling into the hands of the enemy ; and the place was immediately abandoned. All that the British troops effected by their movement, [vas but to finish the destruction which the Americans jad begun. Having accomplished their object, they re- iirned to the city. Expedition against Danhury. — It is painful to see a ligh-minded man like general Try on, former British jovernor of New York, descending to soil his name by 250 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON CXL connecting it with such proceedings as we are now de- scribing. But we find him, on the 25th of April, setting out from New York, at the head of a body of four thou- sand men, on an errand of this degrading character. On the 26th, he directed his force against Dan bury in Con- necticut, and, not contented with the destruction of the stores, there, proceeded to burn and sack the town. His troops committed the most disgraceful atrocities on the unarmed and unresisting inhabitants. Having accomplished the purposes of the expedition, the British force was retiring from the place, when gen- erals Arnold, Silliman, and the veteran Wooster, hastily rallied the militia of the adjoining region, and assailed the enemy with a galling and destructive fire, which they kept up till the invaders regained their shipping. Nearly three hundred men, of the enemy, killed, wounded, or prisoners, fell, or were taken, during the retreat. The American loss was slight in numbers, but unfortunately included the gallant general Wooster, whose patriotic spirit had called him out to the encounter, at the advanced age of seventy. American expedition against Sag Harbor. — A tempo- rary depot of military stores had been formed by the British at Sag Harbor, near the eastern extremity of Long Island, under the protection of an armed sloop and a body of infantry. On the night of the 22d of May, colonel Meigs, with a party of Connecticut militia, crossed the Sound, arrived before daylight, surprised the post, took ninety prisoners, burned a large number of small craft, and returned without loss. This exploit called forth the congratulations of the whole country ; and con- gress rewarded its hero with the presentation of a sword. Operations at the north. — The American army at the north, had, it will be recollected, after having abandoned Crown Point, withdrawn to Ticonderoga, then a place of great strength, and generally deemed impregnable. Gen- eral Carleton had, accordingly, declined attempting the place, and withdrawn his troops, as formerly mentioned. Reading Lesson CXI. The army of Burgoyne. — Early in spring, general Bur- goyne, who had served under Carleton, in the preceding HISTORY.-1777. 251 ampaign, took the command of a powerful force of Eh- jlish, German, Canadian, and Indian troops, for the re- luction of Ticonderoga. " The officers," says Dr. Williams, " who commanded mder general Burgoyne, were general Phillips of the ar- illery, generals Fraser, Powell, and Hamilton, with the German officers, generals Reidesel and Speecht.* The oldiers were all excellently disciplined, and had been :ept in their winter quarters with all imaginable care, in »rder to prepare them for the expedition on which they vere going. Colonel St. Leger's command. — " To aid the principal ixpedition, another was projected on the Mohawk river, inder colonel St. Leger, who was to be assisted by Sir ohn Johnson. j Preparations for the siege. — " On the 21st of June, 1777, he army encamped on the western side of lake Cham- tlain; where, being joined by a considerable body of In- ians, general Burgoyne made a speech, in which, it is aid, he exhorted these new allies, but ineffectually, to ay aside their ferocious and barbarous manner of making yar ; to kill only such as opposed them in arms ; and to bare prisoners, with such women and children as should all into their hands. After issuing a proclamation, in which ae force of Britain, and that which he commanded, were Bt forth in very ostentatious terms, the campaign opened irith the siege of Ticonderoga. " The place was very strong, and gamsoned by six thou- md men, under general Sinclair; nevertheless, the works rere so extensive, that even this number was scarcely efficient to defend them properly. The Americans had mitted to fortify a rugged eminence called Mount Defi- nce, the top of which overlooked, and effectually com- anded the whole works. It was thought, perhaps, that 16 difficulty of the ascent would be sufficient to prevent 16 enemy from taking possession of it. The British press the siege. — " On the approach of the rst division of the British, the Americans abandoned and Bt fire to their outworks ; and so expeditious were the British troops, that by the 5th of July, every post was soured, which was judged necessary for investing it ompletely. A road was soon after made to the very ♦ Pronounced, Ry'daisail : Spaiht, — h sounded harsh. 252 NEW- YORK CLASS BOOK.— LESSON CXL summit of that eminence which the Americans had sup- posed could not be ascended; and so much were they now disheartened, that they instantly abandoned the fort entirely, taking the road to Skeenesborough, at the head of lake Champlain ; while their baggage, with what ar- tillery and military stores they could carry off, was sent to the same place by water. Losses at Skee?iesborough. — " But the British generals were determined not to let them pass so easily. Both were pursued, and both overtaken. Their armed vessels consist- ed only of five galleys ; two of which were taken, and three blown up ; on which, they set fire to their boats and forti- fications at Skeenesborough. On this occasion, the Ameri- cans lost two hundred boats, one hundred and thirty pieces of cannon, together with all their provisions and baggage. " The American land forces, under colonel Francis, made a brave defence against general Fraser; and, supe- rior in number, had almost overpowered him, when gen- eral Reidesel, with a large body of Germans, came to his assistance. The Americans were now overpowered in their turn ; and, their commander being killed, they fled on all sides with great precipitation. In this action, two hundred Americans were killed, and as many taken pris- oners, and above six hundred wounded, many of whom perished in the woods for want of assistance. Retreat of general Sinclair. — "During the engagement, general Sinclair was at Castleton, about ten miles from the place ; but, instead of going forward to fort Ann, the next place of strength, he repaired to the woods which lie between that fortress and New England. General Bur- goyne, however, detached colonel Hill, with the ninth regiment, in order to intercept such as should attempt to retreat towards fort Ann. " On his way, he met with a numerous body of Ameri- cans ; but after an engagement of three hours, they were obliged to retire, with great loss. After so many disasters, despairing of being able to make any stand at fort Ann, they set fire to it, and retired to fort Edward. In all these engagements, the killed and wounded in the British army did not exceed two hundred men. Perseverance of general Burgoyne. — " General Burgoyne was now obliged to suspend his operations for some time, and wait at Skeenesborough for the arrival of his tents, HISTORY.— 1777. 253 provisions, and stores, but employed this interval in mak- ing roads through the country about fort Ann, and in clearing a passage for his troops to proceed against the enemy. This was attended with incredible toil ; but all obstacles were surmounted with equal patience and res- olution by the army. . Arrival of the British force at fort Edward. — "In short, after undergoing the utmost difficulty that could be under- gone, and making every exertion that man could make, he I arrived with his army before fort Edward, about the end of July. Here general Schuyler had been, for some time, endeavoring to recruit the shattered American forces, and ihad been joined by general Sinclair, with the remains of his army ; the garrison of fort George also, situated on the lake of that name, had evacuated the place, and retired to fort Edward. Determination of the Americans. — " But on the approach of the royal army, the Americans retired from fort Ed- ward also, and formed their head quarters at Saratoga. Notwithstanding the great successes of the British gen- eral, they showed not the least disposition to submit, but seemed only to consider how they might make the most effectual resistance. — For this purpose, the militia was everywhere raised, and draughted to join the army at fearatoga; and such numbers of volunteers were daily added, that they soon began to recover from the alarm into which they had been thrown. Reading Lesson CXII. Advance of colonel St. Leger. — " That they might have commander whose abilities could be relied on, general Arnold was appointed, who repaired to Saratoga with a tjonsiderable train of artillery ; but receiving intelligence that colonel St. Leger was proceeding with great rapidity in his expedition on the Mohawk river, he removed to Stillwater, about half way between Saratoga and the junction of the Mohawk and Hudson rivers. Siege of fort Stamvix. — " The colonel, in the mean- ime, had advanced as far as fort Stanwix ; the siege of .vhich he pressed with great vigor. On the 6th of August, anderstanding that a supply of provisions, escorted by iaight or nine hundred men, was on the way to thp fort, 254 NEW'- YORK CLASS BOOK.— LKSSnX CXII. he despatched Sh- John Johnson, with a strong detach- ment, to intercept it. This he did so effectually, that, ■ besides intercepting the provisions, four hundred of its • guard were slain, two hundred taken, and the rest escaped ] with great difficulty. " The garrison, however, were not to be intimidated ■ by this disaster, nor by the threats or representations of. the colonel ; on the contrary, they made several success- ' ful sallies under colonel Willet, the second in command ; and this gentleman, in company with another, even ven- tured out of the fort, and, eluding the vigilance of the enemy, passed through them, in order to hasten the march of general Arnold, to their assistance. Breaking up of colonel St. Legcr's force. — " Thus the] affairs of colonel St. Leger seemed to be in no very favor able situation, notwithstanding his late success ; and they] were soon totally ruined by the desertion of the Indians.! They had been alarmed by the report oT general Arnold's advancing with two thousand men to the relief of the? fort ; and, while the colonel was attempting to give them encouragement, another report was spread, that general Burgoyne had been defeated with great slaughter, and was now flying before the Americans. On this, he was obliged to do as they thought proper; and the retreat could not be effected without the loss of the tents, and some of the artillery and military stores. Impediments encountered hy general Burgoyne. — " Gen- eral Burgoyne, in the meantime, notwithstanding the dif- ficulties he had already sustained, found that he must still encounter more. The roads he had made, with so much labor and pains, were desti'oyed, either by the wetness of the season, or by the enemy, so that the provisions he had brought from fort George could, not arrive at his camp without the most prodigious toil. " On hearing of the siege of fort Stanwix, by colonel St. Leger, the general determined to move forward, in hopes of enclosing the Americans between his own army and. that of St. Leger, or of obtaining the command of all the counti-y between fort Stanwix and Albany, and forming a junction' with colonel St. Leger, which could not but be attended with favorable consequences. Colonel Baum's unsuccessful attempt on Bennington. — ■ " The only difficulty in the way of this project appeax'ed to HISTORY.— 1777. 255 be the want of provisions ; and, to remedy this, general Burgoyne proposed to reduce the American magazines at Bennington. For this purpose, colonel Baum,* a German officer of great bravery, w^as despatched with a body of five hundred men. The place was about twenty miles to the eastward of Hudson river; and, to support colonel Baum's party, the whole army marched up the river's bank, and encamped almost opposite to Saratoga, with the river between it and that place. An advanced party was posted at Batten Kill, between the camp and Ben- nington, in order to support colonel Baum. On their jvvay, the British seized a large supply of cattle and pro- visions, which were immediately sent to the camp ; but the badness of the roads retarded their march so much, that intelligence of their design reached Bennington, ^'here the Americans were collected in considerable force under general Stark. " Understanding, now, that the American force was yreatly superior to his own, colonel Baum acquainted general Burgoyne, who immediately despatched colonel Bieymant with a party to his assistance ; but, through the lame causes that had retarded the march of colonel Baum, his assistance could not arrive in time. General StarWs successful attack on the British force. — ' General Stark, in the meantime, determined to attack he two parties separately ; and for this purpose advanced igainst colonel Baum, whom he surrounded on all sides, Lnd attacked with the utmost violence. The British de- jended themselves with great valor, but were, to a man, iither killed or taken. " Colonel Breyman, after a desperate engagement, had he good fortune to effect a retreat through the darkness >f the night, which otherwise he could not have done ; as lis men had expended all their ammunition — being forty ounds to each. Reading Lesson CXIII. Burgoyne' s movement on Saratoga. — "General Bur- oyne, thus disappointed in his attempt on Bennington, jpplied himself, with indefatigable diligence, to procure •rovisioTis from fort George ; and having at length amass- id a sufficient quantity to last for a month, he threw a * VvonovknceA, Boium; — o?«i sonndiug as in rfoicre. t Bryman. 256 NEW-YORK CLASS-DOOK.— LESSON CXIII. bridge of boats over the river Hudson, which he crossed about the middle of September, encamping on the hills and plains near Saratoga. Encounter at Stillwater. — "As soon as he approached the American army, at this time encamped at Stillwater under | general Gates, he determined to make an attack ; for which purpose he put himself at the head of the central division \ of his army, having general Fraser and colonel Breyman j on the right, with generals Reidesel and Phillips on the left, j " In this position, he advanced towards the Americans on the 19th of September. But the Americans did not wait to be attacked : on the contrary, they attacked the '> central division with the utmost violence ; and it was not I until general Phillips came up with the artillery, and at eleven o'clock at night, that they could be induced to re- tire to their camp. . "On this occasion, the British lost about five hundred in killed and wounded, and the Americans about three hundred and nineteen. The former were very much alarmed at the obstinate resolution shown by the Ameri- cans ; yet this did not prevent them from advancing to- wards their enemy, and posting themselves, the next day, \ within cannon shot of their lines. But their allies, the In- dians, began to desert in great numbers. Condition of Burgoyne' s army. — " At the same time, general Burgoyne was in the highest degree mortified at receiving no intelligence of any assistance from Sir Hen- ry Clinton, as had been stipulated. He at length received a letter from him, by which he was informed, that Sir Hen- ry intended to make a diversion on the North River in his favor. This afforded but little comfort ; however, he re- turned an answer by several trusty persons, whom he dis- patched different ways, stating his present distressed situ- ation, and mentioning that the provisions and other neces- saries he had, would only enable him to hold out till the 12th of October. American attempt on Ticonderoga. — " In the meantime, the Americans, in order to cut off the retreat of the Brit- ish army, in the most effectual manner, undertook an ex- pedition against Ticonderoga ; but were obliged to aban- don the enterprise, after having surprised all the outposts, and taken a great number of boats, with some armed ves- sels, and a number of prisoners. ; HISTORY.-17-7. 257 Increasing distress of Bzirgoyne's army. — " The army un- ^er general Burgoyne, however, continued to labor under the greatest distresses ; so that, in the beginning of Octo- ber, he had been obliged to diminish the soldiers' allow- Imce. On the 7th of that month, he determined to move powards the enemy. For this purpose, he sent a body of iiifteen hundred men, to reconnoitre their left wing; in- ending, if possible, to break through it, in order to effect |i retreat. j Attack on tJie British camj). — " The detachment, how- ever, had not proceeded far, when a dreadful attack was |nade upon the left wing of the British army, which was ivith great difficulty preserved from being entirely brok- en, by a reinforcement brought up by general Fraser, who vas killed in the attack. After the troops had, with the nost desperate efforts, regained their ca.mp, it was most furiously assaulted by general Arnold, who, notwithstand- pg all opposition, would have forced the entrenchments, )ad he not received a dangei'ous wound, which obliged iiim to retire. Thus the attack failed on the left ; but, on he right, the camp of the German reserve was forced, iolonel Breyman killed, and his countrymen defeated [vith great slaughter, and the loss of all their artillery and pggage. I " This was by far the heaviest loss the British army had ustained, since the action at Bunkerhill. The list of tilled and wounded amounted to near twelve hundred, Exclusive of the Germans ; but the greatest misfortune jvas, that the Americans had now an opening on the right md rear of the British forces ; so that the army was threat- ned with entire destruction. Reading Lesson CXIV. Burgoyne attempts to retreat on Saratoga. — "General Burgoyne was obliged once more to shift his position, that he Americans might also be obliged to alter theirs. This A^as accomplished on the night of the 7th, without any oss ; and, all the next day, he continued to offer the Amer- icans battle ; but they were now too well assured of ob- ;aining a complete victory, by cutting off all supplies from bhe British, to risk a pitched battle. Wherefore, they-ad- Vanced on the right side, in order to enclose him entirely; 258 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON CXIV. « whicli obliged the general to direct a retreat towards Sar- atoga. " But the Americans had now stationed a great force on the ford at Hudson's river, so that the only possible retreat was by securing a passage to lake George ; and to effect this, a body of workmen were detached, with a strong guai-d, to repair the roads and bridges that led to fort Edward. As soon as they were gone, however, the Americans seemed to prepare for an attack ; which ren- dered it necessary to recall the guard, and the workmen being of coarse left exposed, could not proceed. " In the meantime, the boats which conveyed provis- ♦ ions down the river, were exposed to the continual fire of the American marksmen, who took many of them ; so that it became necessary to convey the provisions over land. In this exti-eme danger, it was resolved to march by night to fort Edward, forcing the passages at the fords, either above or below the place. " In order to effect this the more easily, it was resolv- ed, that the soldiers should carry their provisions on their backs, leavino; behind their bas^e^aefe, and every other in- cumbrance. But, before this could be executed, intelli- gence was received that the Americans had raised strong entrenchments opposite to these fords, well provided with cannon, and that they had likewise taken possession of the rising ground between fort George and fort Edward, which, in like manner, was provided with cannon. Increase of the American army. — " All this time, the American army was increasing, by the continual arrival of militia and volunteers, from all parts. Their parties extended all along the opposite bank of the river ; and some had even passed it, in order to observe the least movement of the British army. The whole force under 'general Gates, who had been appointed by congress to the command of the army of the north, was computed to amount to sixteen thousand men, while the army under general Burgoyne scarce amounted to six thousand ; and every part of the camp was reached by the grape and rifle shot of the Americans, besides a discharge from their ar- tillery, which was almost incessant. Surrender of Burgoyne. — " In this state of extreme dis-. tress and danger, the British army continued with the greatest constancy and perseverance, till the evening of HISTORY.— 1777. 259 the 13th of October, when, an inventory of provisions be- ing taken, it was found that no more remained than was sufficient to serve for three days ; and a council of war being called, it was unanimously determined, that there was no method now remaining but to treat with the Amer- icans. In consequence of this, a negotiation was opened, the next day, which speedily terminated in the capitula- tion of the whole British army ; the principal article of which was, that the troops were to have a free passage to Britain, on condition of not serving against America dur- ing the war. " On this occasion, general Gates, with a generous mag- nanimity, ordered his army to keep within their camp, while the British soldiers went to a place appointed for them to lay down their arras, that the latter might not have the additional mortification of being made a spectacle on so melancholy an event. " The number of those who surrendered at Saratoga, amounted to five thousand seven hundred and fifty, ac- cording to the American accounts ; the list of sick and wounded left in the camp, when the army retreated to Saratoga, to five hundred and twenty-eight ; and the num- ber of those lost by other accidents, since the taking of Ticonderoga, to near three thousand. Thirty-five brass field-pieces, seven thousand stand of arms, clothing for an equal number of soldiers, with the tents, military chest, and stores, constituted the booty on this occasion. Operations of general Clinton. — " Sir Henry Clinton, in the meantime, had sailed up the North River, and destroy- ed the two forts called Montgomery and Clinton, with fort Constitution, and another place called Continental Village, where were barracks for two thousand men. Seventy large cannon were carried away, besides a num- ber of smaller artillery, and a great quantity of stores and ammunition ; a large boom and chain, reaching across the river from fort Montgomery to a point of land called An- A thony's Nose, and which cost not less than seven thousand pounds sterling, were partly destroyed, and partly car- ried away, as was also another boom of little less value, at fort Constitution. The loss of the British army was but small in number, though some oflicers of great merit were killed in the different attacks. " Another attack was made by Sir James Wallace, with 260 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON CXV. some frigates, and a body of land foi'ces under general Vaughan. The place which now suffered was named Esopus. The fortifications were destroyed, and the town itself was wantonly reduced to ashes, as Continental Vil- lage had been before. " But these successes, of whatever importance they might be, were now disregarded by both parties. They served only to irritate the Americans, flushed with their success ; and they wei'e utterly insufficient to raise the spirits of the British, who were now thrown into the ut- most dismay." Consequences of the surrender of Burgoyne. — Sir Henry Clinton, on hearing the news of Burgoyne's capitulation, immediately retreated to New York ; and Ticonderoga, and all other northern posts, were abandoned to the Americans. A new light of hope began now to beam on the cause of America; as it was sufficiently proved that no perfec- tion of valor, discipline, or equipment, could prevail against the determined spirit of a people resolved to be free, and now faii'ly accustomed to encounter the veteran troops of Europe. Reading Lesson CXV. Adoption of a state constitution. — From the scenes of disquiet and destruction, which we are now called to con- template, it is pleasing to turn to the peaceful operation of the principles of freedom, in the formation of the civil structure of the state. A convention, for the adoption of a state constitution, was called, in April, 1777 ; and, at Kingston, on the 8th of May, a council of safety, consisting of fifteen, was chosen and invested with full powers for temporary gov- ernment. Among the prominent names of this body, we find those of John Morin Scott, Robert R. Livingston, Gouverneur Morris, John Jay, and John Sloss Hobart. First choice of a governor for the state of New York. — The convention chose, for governor, George Clinton, — whose patriotism and courage, as well as political sagacity, displayed during the eighteen years of his incumbency, amply sanctioned the wisdom of the choice. The office to which Mr. Clinton was appointed, demanded great II HISTORY.— 1777. 261 firmness and decision, as well as extensive popular favor. The critical period of transition, in which a state is re- modelled, and adopts new institutions, and new forms of government, is necessarily one requiring a combination of the highest qualities of talent and character in him who presides at the change. But in no instance was this more emphatically true, than in the case of the great political revolution of New York, by which it became an indepen- dent republic. The confusion attending all great political changes, gives scope to disorder and discontent ; and in New York, the elements of conflict were in full life, in die opposition of not a few men of wealth and influ- ence, to the principles of the revolution. Through all hese impediments, however, Mr. Clinton succeeded in conducting the newly formed state to a firm and settled condition. Other state officers cliosenfor the first time. — The follow- ing individuals were chosen, by the convention, to fill the various offices in the judiciary department: Robert R. Livingston, chancellor; John Jay, chief-justice; Robert Yates and John Sloss Hobart, judges ; and Egbert Ben- son, attorney-general. First meeting of the legislature of the state of New York. The first republican legislature of New York, met at Kingston, on the 1st of September, 1777 ; and, on the 10th, 1 quorum having been formed, governor Clinton delivered bis first official address to that body. In his speech the representatives of the people were congratulated, on their behalf, on the success which, in various instances, had attended the operations of the American army. Delegates chosen to the continental congress. — The legis- lature proceeded to the election of state delegates to the continental congress ; and the following individuals were appointed, — Philip Livingston, James Duane, Francis Lewis, William Duer, and Gouverneur Morris. The state of New York was thus, at length, regularly repre- sented, as a member of the national union, in its incipient form. Adjournment of the legislature. — The new assembly was tiot permitted to remain long in session. The attack on the Highlands made it necessary that the legislature should adjourn on the 7th of October. Its next session was at Poughkeepsie, eaily in the following year. 262 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.-LESSON CXVI. SEC. IV.— EVENTS OF 1778 AND 1779. Legislative proceedings in 1778. — The unsettled ques- tion of the boundary lines of the state, continued a source of vexatious agitation ; and the principal action of the legislature, during this year, regarded the old controver- sy with Vermont. A resort to compulsory measures was plainly threatened ; and the governor, in acquiescence with the will of the legislature, pressed the subject on the attention of congress. But, as yet, no decisive result was attained. Washington's army encamped at White Plains. — Gen- eral Clinton having succeeded to the command held by general Howe, had been, for some time, occupying Phila- delphia. But, in obedience to orders from England, lie hastily evacuated that city, to avoid a surprise by the troops of France, then on their passage, and expected ■ speedily to arinve. He withdrew his troops through New \ Jersey, in the direction of New York, and, owing to thej misconduct of general Lee, with but little annoyance,;; reached the city by way of Sandyhook. The policy of | the American commandei', was to hem in and confine the| British forces, and watch for opportunities of attacking] detachments sent out for purposes of forage or plunder. Washington, accordingly, after the return of Clinton to New York, took up his position at White Plains, and there lay encamped till late in autumn. Reading Lesson CXVI. Massacre at Cherry Valley. — The only scene of warlike violence, within the borders of the state of New York, during the year 1778, was the inhuman massacre perpe- trated, in the month of November, by the hostile Indians, on the inhabitants of Cherry Valley. Colonel Alden of Massachusetts had been stationed with his regiment, at a post in that quarter, then frontier ground. Here he was surprised by the partisan leader, Butler, with his mixed force of tories and Canadians, aid- ed by the Indian Brandt and his followers. The surprise was complete, owing to the perfect knowledge of the local- ities, possessed by the invaders. This mixed force seems HISTORY.— 1779. 263 to have been of the lowest description, and to have adopt- ed the brutal modes of war, practised by the savages. Colonel Alden and many of his men were barbarously murdered ; and the men, women, and children, of the ad- joining settlement, massacred in cold blood, with all the circumstances of atrocity which characterized the warfare of the Indian tribes. Expedition against the hostile Indians. — The Indian outrages at Cherry Valley, and in addition to these, the hori-id tragedy of Wyoming, — which we pass by, as be- longing to the annals of Pennsylvania, — excited a deep and universal indignation against the perpetrators. It was deemed indispensable to the peace of the border re- gion, that a memorable chastisement should be inflicted on those of the Indian race, who, instigated by Johnson and the English, had committed these atrocities on the settlements friendly to the cause of independence. ! A force, under the command of general Sullivan, was despatched, in the summer of 1779, through New Jersey, o the territory of the Indians adjoining the region of ^Wyoming. The requisite stores and artillery were con- i/eyed up the Susquehanna, in boats. Having reached phe Indian country, Sullivan awaited the approach of an- other division of the army, under the American general, [lames Clinton, which was to meet him by ascending the Mohawk. ■ Devastation of the territory of the Onondagas. — Of all ;he Six Nations, the Onondagas had distinguished them- elves by their hostility to the American party, and by the itrocities which they had perpetrated in the villages and remote settlements. Colonel Van Schaick, and others of ",he New- York officers, conducted their force into the country of this tribe, and, after an encounter with them, In which a number of their bravest warriors were slain, devastated their corn-fields and burned their villages. Junction of the American forces. — The division under Clinton, opened, with incredible toil and perseverance, a oad to Otsego lake ; and, over this road, boats were car- tied, for the purpose of embarking the troops on the lake, and forming the junction with general Sullivan's command. (This object was, at length, successfully accomplished. Final overthrow of the hostile hidians. — The two divis- ions continued their advance into the hostile territory, 264 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON CXVIL burning the villages and destroying the crops of the In- ji dians, till met, on the 29th of August, by Butler and f Brandt, with their whole force of tories, Canadians, and a Indians. The battle was not long sustained. The enemy* were totally discomfited, and their spirit so entirely crush- :. ed that they made no subsequent attempt, till long after, to rally, or, in any way, annoy the friends of American freedom. Exemption of the Oneidas froin invasion. — The Oneidas alone, of the confederate tribes, having maintained peace and neutrality, were exempted from the retributive devas- tation inflicted on the others; and, the object of the inva- sion having been fully accomplished, the American troops withdrew from the scene of hostilities. Reading Lesson CXVIL Clinton^ s expedition up the Hudson. — Winter and spring passed without any attempt on the part of the British force in New York ; and the main body of the American army continued in cantonments in New Jersey. But, on the 1st of June, Sir Henry Clinton proceeded to execute the design which he had formed of seizing the posts on the Hudson, with a view to cut off the communications be- tween the eastern and middle states, which were so im- portant to the Americans. He was not without hopes that, if he should be successful in his first attempts, he might carry the fortified points and passes farther up the river, and thus secure the entire command of it. " Being informed," says our eminent historian, Mr. Sparks, " of the preparation in New York, and penetrat- ing the designs of the British commander, Washington was at hand in time to prevent the execution of the sec- ond part of the scheme. By rapid marches, he drew his troops from their cantonments in New Jersey, and placed them in such positions as to discourage Sir Henry Clin- ton from attempting anything farther, than the capture of the two posts above mentioned, which were in no con- dition to resist a formidable fleet, and an army of more than six thousand men. After this event, which happen- ed on the 1st of June, Clinton withdrew his forces down the river, and, at length, to New York ; leaving a strong garrison at each of the posts, with orders to extend and HISTORY.— 1779. 2G5 complete the works begun by the Americans ; and also directing such a number of armed vessels and boats to re- main there, as would be necessary to furnish supplies, and contribute to their defence. j General Washington's head- quarters. — " General Wash- ington removed his head-quarters to New Windsor, a few miles above West Point, distributing his army chiefly in and near the Highlands, but stationing a force on each side of the river below, sufficient to check any sudden incursion of the enemy. Burning of New Haven, Fairfield, and Norwalk. — " The system of devastation and plunder was vigorously pursued by the British. About the beginning of July, a detach- ment of two thousand six hundred men, under governor Tryon, sailed from New York into Long-Island Sound. They first landed at New Haven, plundered the inhabi- tants indiscriminately, and burned the stores on the wharfs. This being done, they embarked, and landed at Fairfield and Norwalk, which towns were reduced to ashes. Dwell- ing-houses, shops, churches, schoolhouses, and the ship- ping in the harbors, wex'e destroyed. The soldiers pil- laged, without restraint, committing acts of violence, and xhibiting the horrors of war, in some of their most revolting forms. It does not appear that there were ;roops, magazines, or public property, in either of the :owns. The waste and distress fell on individuals, who ivere pursuing the ordinary occupations of life. The oeople rallied in self-defence, and a few were killed ; 3ut the enemy retired to their vessels before the militia :ould assemble in lai'ge numbers." Reading Lesson CXVIII. I I Intended attack on Stony Point. — " The British com- nander hoped that this invasion of Connecticut would Iraw away the American army from the Highlands, to a aosition where he might bring on an engagement under, favorable circumstances. Washington's habitual caution guarded him against allowing such an advantage. On r.he contrary, while the enemy's forces were thus divided, i:ie resolved to attack the strong post at Stony Point. r The necessity of doing something to satisfy the expecta- idons of the people, and reconcile them to the defensive i, M I 266 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.-LESSOxN CXVIII. plan, which he was obligerl to pursue, the value of the 'Acquisition in itself, with respect to the men, artillery, and stores, which composed the garrison, the eftect it- would have upon the successive opei-ations of the cam-^ paign, and the check it would give to the depredations of| the enemy,' were, as he said, the motives which prompted'' him to this undertaking. He reconnoitred the post him- self, and instructed major Henry Lee, who was stationed near it with a party of cavalry, to gain a]i the information, in his power, as to the condition of the works and the strength of the garrison. Command assigned to general iVayiic. — " The enterprise was intrusted to general Wayne, who commanded a body, of light infantry in advance of the main army, where he was placed to watch the movements of the enemy, to pre- vent their landing, and to attack separate parties, when-; ever opportunities should offer. Having procured all th requisite information, and determined to make the assault. Washington communicated general instructions to Wayne, in writing and conversation ; leaving the rest to the wel tried bravery and skill of that gallant officer. The assault on Stony Point. — " The night of the 15t of July was fixed on for the attack. After a march o: fourteen miles during the afternoon, the party arrivei within a mile and a half of the enemy, at eight o'clock i the evening. The works were then reconnoitred by th commander and the principal officers; and, at half pas eleven, the whole moved forward, in two columns, to th assault. The van of the right column consisted of one' hundred and fifteen volunteers, with unloaded muskets and fixed bayonets, preceded by twenty picked men to remove the abatis and other obstructions. One hundred volunteers, preceded likewise by twenty men, composed the van of the left. Positive ordei'S were given not lo fire, but to rely wholly on the bayonet, wliich orders v,-eie faithfully obeyed. A deep morass in fVont of the enemy's works, and a double row of abatis, retarded their progress ;.| i but these obstacles were soon overcome by the ardor off the troops; and the assault began, about twenty minutes'^ after twelve. From that time, they pushed forward in" the face of a tremendous fire of musketry and cannon:,* loaded with grapeshot ; and both columns met in the centre of the enemy's works, each arriving nearly at the HISTORY— 1779. 267 same instant. General Wayne, who advanced with the right column, received a slight wound in the head, aif3 was supported into the works, by his aids-de-camp. Success of the attack. — " The assault was successful in a.ll its parts. The number of prisoners was five hundred and forty-three ; and the number killed, on the side of the enemy, was sixty-three. Of the assailing party fifteen were killed, and eighty-three wounded. Several cannons and mortars of ^various sizes, a large number of muskets, shells, shot, and tents, and a proportional quantity of stores, were taken. The action is allowed to have been one of the most brilliant of the revolution. Congress passed resolves complimentary to the officers and pri- vates, granting specific rewards, and directing the value of all the military stores taken in the garrison to be divided among the troops, in proportion to the pay of the officers and men. Three different medals were ordered to be struck, emblematical of the action, and awarded jxespectively to general Wayne, colonel Fleury, and colo- inel Stewart. Congress also passed a vote of thanks to Igeneral Washington ' for the vigilance, wisdom, and mag- banimity, with which he had conducted the military oper- ations of the states,' and especially as manifested in his orders for the late attack." Reading Lksson CXIX. Ffoposed attach upon Verplanck's Point. — " It was Washington's first intention, if the storming of Stony Point should prove successful, to make an immediate attempt against Verplanck's Point, on the opposite side of the river. For this purpose he had requested general Wayne to forward the intelligence to head-quarters, through the lands of general McDougall, who commanded at West Point, and who would be in readiness to send down a de- tachment, by the way of Peekskill, to attack Verplanck's ipoint on the land side, while it was cannonaded from Stony Point across the river. By some misunderstanding, the messenger neglected to call at West Point ; and thus Several hours were lost before general McDougall received the intelligence. To this delay has been asci'ibed the fail- ure of the undertaking against Verplanck's Point. From jthe letters of general McDougall and other officers, writ 268 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON CXIX. ten at the time, however, it is evident that the want of horses and conveniences for the transportation of artillery, was such, as to render it impossible, in any event, to arrive at Verplanck's Point with the adequate means of assault, before the enemy had assembled a sufficient force to give entire security to the garrison. Dismantling of Stony Point. — " When Washington ex- amined Stony Point, after the capture, he resolved to evacuate the post, remove the cannon and stores, and de- stroy the works. Being accessible by the enemy's vessels of war, a lai'ger number of men would be required for the defence than could properly be spared from the main army ; and, at the same time, it might be necessary to hazard a general action, which was by no means to be desired on such terms as would be imposed, and for such an object. Everything was brought off, except one heavy cannon. The enemy afterwards reoccupied the post, and repaired the works. Paulus Hook surprised by major Lee. — "About a month after the storming of Stony Point, another enterprise, simi- lar in its character, and not less daring, was executed by major Henry Lee. At the head of three hundred men, and a troop of dismounted dragoons, he surprised the enemy's post at Paulus Hook, opposite to New York, and took one hundred and fifty -nine prisoners ; having two only of his party killed, and three wounded. The plan originated with major Lee ; and great praise was bestow- ed upon him, for the address and bravery with which it was executed. A medal of gold, commemorative of the event, was ordered by congress to be struck and presented to him. Works at West Point constructed. — " No other events of much importance happened in the army under Wash- ington's immediate command, during the campaign. The British troops remained inactive at New York ; and the Americans held their ground in the Highlands. In the course of this year, the works at West Point and in its vi- cinity, were chiefly constructed. A part of the time, two thousand five hundred men were on fatigue duty, every day. Before the end of July, the head-quarters of the commander-in-chief were removed to West Point, where he continued for the rest of the season." HrsTORY.-irra. 269 Reading Lesson CXX. Severity of tJie winter of 1119-^0. — Towards the end of December, 1779, Sir Henry Clinton, intending an attack on Charleston, South Carolina, set sail from New York, with a formidable force, on board a fleet of men of war and transports, under the command of vice-admiral, Ar- buthnot. Dr. Williams, in his history, gives the following graphic sketch of the condition of the city at that time. " While Sir Henry Clinton was employed in his voy- age to Charleston, and in the siege of that place, the o-ar- rison at New York seem not to have been wholly free from apprehensions for their own safety. An intense frost, accompanied with great falls of snow, began about the middle of December, 1779, and shut up the navigation of the port of New York, from the sea, within a few days after the departure of the fleet under admiral Arbuthnot. " The severity of the weather increased to so great a degree, that, towards the middle of January, all communi- cations with New York, by water, were entirely cut off, and as many new ones opened by the ice. The inhabi- tants could scarcely be said to be in an insular state. Horses with heavy carriages could go over the ice into the Jerseys, from one island to another. " The passage on the North River, even in the widest part, from New York to Powles Hook, was, about the 19th of January, practicable for the heaviest cannon : an event which had been unknown, in the memory of man. Provisions were soon after transported upon sledges, and a detachment of cavalry marched upon the ice from New York to Staten island, which was a distance of eleven miles. Apprc7iended attack on New York. — " The city of New York, in these circumstances, was considered as much exposed to attacks from the American troops ; and it was currently reported that general Washington was medita- ting a grand attack upon New York, with his whole force, in different divisions. Some time before this, maior-ffen- era! Pattison, commandant at New York, having received an address from many of the inhabitants, offering to put themselves in military array, he thought the present a favorable opportunity of trying the sincerity of their pro- fessions. 270 NEW- YORK CLAS3-BOOK.-LESSON CXXI. "Accordingly he issued a proclamation, calling upon all the male inhabitants from the age of sixteen to sixty, to take up arms. Tlie requisition was so readily complied with, that, in a few days, forty companies, from the six wards of the city, were enrolled, officered, and under arms, to the number of two thousand six hundred ; many substantial citizens serving in the ranks of each company. | Other volunteer companies were formed; and the cityl was put into a very strong posture of defence. i Descent on Staten island. — " No attack, however, was \ made upon New York, whatever design might originally have been meditated ; but an attempt was made upon Staten island, where there were about one thousand eight hundred men, under the command of brigadier-general Stirling,* who were well entrenched. General Washing- ton, whose army was hutted at Morristown, sent a detach- ment of two thousand seven hundred men, with six pieces of cannon, two mortars, and some horses, commanded by lord Stirling,! who arrived at Staten island, early in the morning of the 15th of January. " The advanced posts of the British troops retired upon the approach of the Americans, who formed the line, and made some movements in the course of the day; but they withdrew in the night, after having burned one house, pillaged some others, and carried off" with them about two hundred head of cattle. " Immediately on the arrival of the Americans on Staten island, lieutenant-genei'al Knyphausen had embarked six hundred men, to attempt a passage, and to support gen- eral Stirling ; but the floating ice compelled them to re- turn. It is imagined, however, that the appearance of these transports, with the British troops on board, which the AmeT-icans could see towards the close of the day, in- duced the latter to make so precipitate a retreat." Reading Lesson CXXI. Inhuman treatment of American prisoners. — Among the most painful consequences of the war, were the cruelties practised by the Biitish soldiery on such of the American * The British officer of that name. + The American general, — formerly Mr. Alexander, — who had be- come heir to the estate and title of earl of Stirling. HISTORy.-1780. 271 people as fell under their power. The revoked colonists, stigmatized as rebels, were, in the spirit peculiar to all the regular armies of that day, treated, not as open ene- mies or honorable prisoners of war, but as traitors to their king and country. The highest officers, not less than the lowest of their men, seem to have regarded no treatment as too harsh for such Americans as had adopted revolu- tionary sentiments. The disgraceful deeds of lord Dun- more in Virginia, and of ex-governor Tryon in Connec- ticut, and the yet more disgraceful sanction of their predatory expeditions by the English government, the deliberate murder, in repeated instances, of officers who had surrendered on the field, all leave little doubt regard- ing the course which a brutalized soldiery, hardened by the military life of that day, were accustomed to pursue, in relation to the rebel provincials who fell into their bands. The Jcrscij prison-ship. — The American prisoners taken in battle, were, in large numbers, sent on board the Jer- sey pi'ison-ship, where, by rigorous confinement, neglect, disease, and starvation, they were soon cut off. The horrors of tliis i-eceptacle of the unfortunate, surpassed those of the black-hole of Calcutta itself. The following sketch of them is extracted fi'om the account given by the Rev. Mr. Andros, who, in his youth, had sailed as a priva- teersman from New London. " We were captured on the 27th August, by the Sole- bay frigate, and safely stowed away in the old Jersey prison-ship, at New York. " This was an old sixty-four gun ship, which, through age, had become unfit for farther actual service. She was stripped of every spar and all her rigging. After a battle with the French fleet, her lion figure-head was taken away to repair another ship ; no appearance of ornament was left; and nothing remained but an old, unsightly, rotten hulk. Her dark and filthy external appearance perfectly corresponded with the death and despair that reigned within ; and nothing could be more foreign from truth than to paint her with colors flying, or any circum- stance or appendage to please the eye. " She was moored about three quarters of a mile to the eastward of Brooklyn ferry, near a tide-mill, on the Long-Island shore. The nearest distance to land was about twenty rods. And, doubtless, no other ship in the 272 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON CXXL British navy ever proved the means of the destruction of so many human beings. It is computed that not less than ! eleven thousand American seamen perished in her. " On the commencement of the first evening, we were | driven down to darkness between decks, secured by iron '. gratings and an armed soldiery. And now a scene of ' horror, which baffles all description, presented itself On every side, wretched, 'desponding shapes of men, could i be seen. Around the well-room an armed guard were forcing the prisoners to the winches, to clear the ship of water, and prevent her sinking; and little else could be heard but a roar of mutual execrations, reproaches, and insults. " When I first became an inmate of this abode of suf- fering, despair, and death, there were about four hundred prisoners on board ; but in a short time they amounted to twelve hundred. And in proportion to our numbers, the mortality increased. " All the most deadly diseases were pressed into the service of the king of terrors; but his prime-ministers were dysentery, small-pox, and yellow fever. There were two hospital ships near to the old Jersey ; but these were soon so crowded with the sick, that they could re- ceive no more. The consequence was that the diseased and the healthy were mingled together in the main ship. In a short time, we had two hundred or more sick and dying, lodged in the fore part of the lower gun-deck, where all the prisoners were confined at night. " Utter derangement was a common symptom of yellow fever; and to increase the horror of the darkness that shrouded us, (for we were allowed no light betwixt decks,) the voice of warning would be heard, ' Take heed to your- selves; there is a madman stalking through the ship with a knife in his hand,' I sometimes found the man a corpse in the morning by whose side I laid myself down at night. " While so many were sick with raging fever, there was a loud cry for water; but none could be had, except on the upper deck, and but one allowed to ascend at a time. The suffering then from the rage of thirst, during the night, was very great. Nor was it at all times safe to attempt to go up. Provoked by the continual cry for leave to ascend, when there was aheady one on deck, the sentry would thrust them back with his bayonet. By one niSTORY.~1780. 273 of these thrusts, which was more spiteful and violent than common, I had a narrow escape of my life. " In the morning, the hatchways were thrown open ; and we were allowed to ascend, all at once, and remain on the upper deck duringtheday. But the first object that metour view, in the morning, was a most appalling spectacle, — a boat loaded with dead bodies, conveying them to the Long- Island shore, where they were very slightly covered with sand. I sometimes used to stand to count the number of times the shovel was filled with sand to cover a dead body. And certain I am that a few high tides or torrents of rain, must have disinterred them. And had they not been re- moved, I should suppose the shore, even now, would be covered with huge piles of the bones of American seamen. " There is one palliating circumstance, as to the inhu- manity of the British, which ought to be mentioned. The prisoners were fu7-nished with buckets and brushes, to cleanse the ship, and with vinegar to sprinkle her, inside. But their indolence and despair were such that they would not use them, or but rarely. And, indeed, at this time, the encouragement to do it, was small. For the whole ship, from her keel to the tafferel, was equally infected, and contained pestilence sufficient to desolate a world; disease and death were wrought into her very timbers." " If there was any principle among the prisoners that could not be shaken, it was the love of their country. I knew no one to be seduced into the British service. They attempted to force one of our prize brig's crew into the navy ; but he chose rather to die than perform any duty, and he was again restored to the prison-ship." SEC. V.-EVENTS OF 1780 AND 1781. Reading Lesson CXXIL Rctu7-n of general Clinton to Neio York. — The success of Clinton's expedition to South Carolina, left him at lib- erty to depute lord Cornwallis to the command in that region, with instructions to finish the subjugation of the province. Clinton himself, with his troops, returned, early in June, to his former position in New York, where, as the main operations of the American army were, at that time, conducted farther to the south, he received little molestation. 274 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON CXXII. Devastations committed hy Johnson and the Indians. — About midsummer, a body of tories, aided by Brandt and his Indians, laid waste the district of Canajoharie. Sir John Johnson, with his Indian followers, attacked and burned Schoharie, and, on the 18th of October, destroyed Caughnawaga, devastated the whole valley of the Scho- harie creek, and thence proceeded up the north side of the Mohawk ; burning and destroying the property of the inhabitants, wherever he passed. Defeat of colonel Brown. — General Van Rensselaer, who commanded in this district, gave orders to colonel Brown, to draw out the militia, and withstand the invading force. But Johnson's troops greatly exceeded in numbers; and colonel Brown, with a considerable body of his men, fell, in their unsuccessful attempt. Johnson takes post among the Mohaivhs. — Johnson hav- ing strengthened the fortified village — or castle, as it was called — of the Mohawks, by a breastwork thrown across a neck of land, stationed there his regiment of regulars and tories : his Indians were posted on a height, in an adjacent wood. General Van Rensselaer attacked and drove out the Indians, who fled towards the Susquehanna. But Johnson's own command kept their opponents at bayv till night, when they made a speedy retreat, and effected' their escape. Humanity appears to have formed no part of the creed' of Sir John Johnson. It seems hardly credible that a hu-i man being could have been found capable of perpetrating the atrocities in which this so-called nohleman was, for successive years, engaged, hounding on the savages oi the forest against the inoffensive people of his own na-J tive region. The British veterans, inured to the hor- rors of systematized war, might plead their accustomed habits, in justification of their deeds of destruction. But no such apology could be made for him who voluntarily relinquished the ease and comfort of a wealthy landholder i for the life of the camp, and who, knowing well the fero- j cious habits of the Indian race, could deliberately lead them to their inhuman acts of havoc, against his former friends and neighbors. HISTORY.— 1780. 275 Reading Lesson CXXIII. Treason of Arnold. — The year 1780 was marked by one event which forms the only instance of treason recorded against an officer of the American army. Arnold, in the early part of the war, had, on many occasions, distin- guished himself by his intrepidity and devotedness, in the cause of his country ; but, during his stay in Philadelphia, when in command there, after the evacuation of that city by the British, be had given way to indulgence in exti-av- agance and dissipation, and even to dishonorable expedi- ents for obtaining money. He had, on the last-mentioned ground, been tried and found guilty ; but, in consideration of his former services, was only subjected to a formal reprimand by the commander-in-chief. Stung by con- scious guilt, degraded in public estimation, bankrupt in circumstances, and burning with the desire of vengeance, he formed, it would seem, the base determination of be- traying the cause of his country. In this state of feeling, he cast his eye upon the com- mand of West Point, as a station which would enable hira to make good terms with the enemy ; and pleading the well-known fact of his severe wounds, as disabling him from more active service, he solicited, and, not with- out difficulty, arising from his tarnished character, ob- tained the post. During Washington's absence, he had opened a cor- respondence with the British commander, through major Andre, acting adjutant-general. His overtures were, as might be expected, gladly received ; and as such work required the aid of secret personal interviews to complete it, Andre was furnished with the requisite passports to enable him to come and go on the errand of treason. The design was approaching near to its execution, when it was frustrated, on the morning of the 23d of Septem- ber, by the patriotism and fidelity of a patrolling party of Americans, who arrested Andre, on his return from an interview with Arnold. Capture of major Andre. — The party had, at first, al- lowed Andre to pass. But a suspicion having arisen in their minds, that all was not right, Andre was recalled and examined. He allowed himself to be entiapped by an admission that he was on his way to the British camp. 276 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON CXXIIL His passport, under the feigned name of Andersen, seemed correct. But appearances being still unsatisfactory to his captors, he was searched ; and in his boot was found the description of the fort, and other memorandums con- nected with the fatal agreement. Andre now attempted to work on the fidelity of the Americans, by the offer of his gold watch, and of farther remuneration, as a bribe, to induce them to set him fiee. The offer was rejected with scorn. But he was unfortu- nately allowed to despatch a warning note to Arnold, an- nouncing his capture ; by which means the traitor was enabled to make a seasonable escape. The unfortunate Andre was then marched within the American lines, and given up to the proper officer. The honest men who performed this important service to their country, were John Paulding, David Williams, and Isaac Van Wert : They were afterwards rewarded, by congress, with pen- sions, and with medals commemorative of their integrity and patriotism. Andre's trial. — The circumstances in which Andre hadi been arrested, subjected him to trial as a spy. General ■■ Washington who had ari'ived on the 25th, and received \ intelligence of the circumstances, anxious to preserve the ^ strictest justice in the proceeding, allowed the prisoner the full benefit of his brevet rank, and assigned the case to ai board of general officers, among whom were major-general 1 Gi-eene,lord Stirling, Lafayette, baron Steuben, and others., " Major Andre was examined before them, and the par-- ticulars of his case inquired into ; and they reported to the American commander-in-chief, that major Andre came on shore from the Vulture sloop-of-war, in the night, on an interview with general Arnold, in a private and secret; manner; that he changed his dress within the American lines ; and, under a feigned name, and in a disguised habit, , passed the American works at Stony and Verplanck's? Points, on the evening of the 22d of September; that he was taken on the morning of the 23d, at Tarrytown, he being then on his way to New York ; and that, when i taken, he had in his possession several papers which con- tained intelligence for the enemy. — They therefore de- termined, that he ought to be considered as a spy from the enemy ; and that, agreeably to the law and usage of nations, he ought to suffer death. HISTORY.— 1781. 277' Fate of Andre. — " Sir Henry Clinton, lieutenant-general Ilobertson, and the late American general, Arnold, all wrote pressing letters, — the latter threatening ones, — to general Washington on the occasion, in order to prevent the deci- sion of the board of general officers from being put in force ; but their applications were ineffectual. Major Andre was hanged at Tappan, on the 2d of October, 1780. He met his fate with great firmness, but appeared some- what hurt that he was not allowed a military form of death, for which he had solicited. Opinions respecting Andrews sentence. — " Major Andre was a gentleman of very amiable qualities, had a taste for literature and the fine arts, and possessed many accomplish- ments. His death, therefore, was regretted even by his enemies ; and the seeming severity of the determination concerning him, was much exclaimed against in Great Britain. It was, however, generally acknowledged by impartial persons, that there was nothing in the execution of this unfortunate gentleman but what was perfectly con- Bonant to the rules of war." Reading Lesson CXXIV. Arnold's justification of himself — " Arnold was, in ac- cordance with his bargain, made a brigadier-general in the king's service, and published an address to the inhabi- tants of America, dated at New York, October 7th, in which he endeavored to justify his desertion of their cause. He said, that when he first engaged in it, he conceived the rights of his country to be in danger, and that duty and honor called him to her defence. A redress of grievances was his only aim and object ; and therefore he acquiesced unwillingly in the declaration of independence, because he thought it precipitate. But, what now^ induced him to desert their cause, was the disgust he had conceived at the French alliance, and at the refusal of congress to comply with the last terms offered by Great Britain, which he thought equal to all their expectations, and to all their wishes. Facts respecting Arnold. — " The Americans, however, accounted for the conduct of Arnold, in a different and in a more probable and satisfactory manner. They alleged that he had so involved himself in debts and difficulties by 278 NEVV-VORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON CXXV. Ills extravagant manner of living, that he had rendered it very inconvenient for him to continue there ; that after the evacuation of Philadelphia by the British troops, Arnold, being invested with the command in that city, had made the house of Mr. Penn, which was the best in the city, his head quarters. This he had furnished in an elegant and expensive manner, and lived in a style far beyond his in- come. " It was manifest, they said, that he could, at first, have no great aversion to the French alliance, because that when M. Gerard, minister plenipotentiary from the court of France, arrived at Philadelphia, in July, 1778, general Arnold early and eai'nestly solicited that minister, with his whole suite, to take apartments at his house, until a proper one could be provided by order of congress. This offer M. Gerard accepted, and continued with him some weeks. " The French minister resided upwards of fourteen months in Philadelphia ; dui'ing which time general Ar- nold kept up a most friendly and intimate acquaintance with him, and there was a continual interchange of din- ners, balls, routs, and concerts : so that M. Gerard must have believed, that in general Arnold he had found and left one of the' warmest friends the court of France had in America. He was also one of the first in congratulating the chevalier De la Luzerne, the second French min- ister." Such are the remarks of Dr. Williams, on the character and conduct of Arnold. The baffled traitor was after- wards employed by the British commander, on maraud- ing expeditions against the inhabitants of the coast of Virginia, and against New London, which he conducted in the true spirit of a renegade bent on revenge, destruc- tion, and plunder. He died in England, disliked and shunned by the officers of the British army, and unsustained by any sym- pathy with the traitoi'ous act which now covers his name with infamy. Reading Lesson CXXV. Continued hostilities in the interior. — In the early part of the year 1781, the hostile force of mingled tories, Cana- dians, and Indians, continued to harass the interior of HISTORY.— 1781. 279 the state. Several of the garrison of fort Schuyler, were captured by them ; and, for a time, it was feared that the place would fall into their hands. But major Fish, by great efforts, succeeded in relieving it. This post, so important to the safety of the surround- ing country, was held, in the month of July, by another brave citizen of New York, an early leader in the cause of liberty, colonel Mai-inus Willet. A party oftories and Indians were, at this time, ravaging the Mohawk valley, and had dared to burn a village, not far from Schenectady. Colonel Willet, with his accustomed vigilance, had ascer- tained their numbers and direction, and, taking advan- tage of a dark night, drew out a party of his men, and proceeded to the enemy's camp, situated in a swamp in Cherry Valley. When near to the spot, he was oppor- tunely joined by a band of thirty men, under major McKean. The united force reached the swamp about daybreak. Colonel Willet disposed his men in two parallel lines, concealed behind intervening trees. Two men were then despatched, as a decoy, to show themselves to the enemy, and immediately I'etreat between the lines, as if unex- pectedly discovered. The ruse was successful. The In- dians came on fiercely, in pursuit, and, falling into the ambuscade, were received with a destructive fire. The survivors, then attempting to screen themselves behind the surrounding trees, were driven out, at the point of the bayonet, and pursued through their own camp towards the Susquehanna. Encounter at Johnson hall. — Colonel Willet again dis- tinguished himself, in a successful battle, with the same species offeree, in the vicinity of Johnson hall, the man- sion of the distinguished family of that name. A British officer, major Ross, had encamped, with a body of six hundred British, Canadian, tory, and Indian troops, not far from the hall, and about a mile from the village of Johnstown. Colonel Willet, on the 22d of August, marched from his post, with a party of three hundred men, for the pur- pose of attacking the enemy's camp. To facilitate his design, he detached colonel Harper, with a hundred men, to make a circuit, and fall on the enemy's rear. The British commander, having learned that a body of 280 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.-LESSON CXXV. Americans was approaching, drew out his whole force, to meet them ; and the overwhelming number thus brought to bear on the diminished party of colonel Willet, suc- ceeded, notwithstanding his brave efforts to rally them, in driving them back upon the hall, and, subsequently, the villao-e. Here, a reinforcement of militia, amounting to two hundred men, restored the fate of the day ; and colonel Harper having now commenced his attack on the enemy's I'ear, they were soon broken and utterly routed. The pursuit was briskly kept up, for miles, by the American troops. The savage Butler, who had, for years, spread devastation and terror among the peaceful inhab- itants of that region, here met his merited fate. The Oneida Indians had, ere this, adopted a different policy from that of the other tribes of the Indian confederacy, and joined cause with the American people. A party of Oneidas had, on the present occasion, taken the lead in puisuit of the enemy's retreating force ; and one of their warriors signalized himself by the death of the merciless foe of the American settlers. Butler, well mounted, had swum his horse over West Canada creek, and, having reached the bank in safety, turned, and defied his pursuers. The Oneida Indian, mentioned above, had followed so closely, as to be on the bank, opposite to Butler, at that moment. Raising his rifle, he fired, and brought Butler to the ground. " Then," says Mr. Campbell,* in his account of the battle, " throw- ing down his rifle and blanket, the Indian plunged into the creek, and swam across," "raised his tomahawk, and, with a yell, sprang like a tiger, upon his fallen foe." But- ler, though disabled, still retained strength enough to supplicate for mercy, — but in vain. The Oneida, remind- ing him of his own merciless massacre of others, screamed out the words " Cherry Valley !" as he drove the deadly tomahawk into his brain. Perplexities of Sir Henry Clinton. — The embarrassed situation of the British army under Cornwallis in Vir- ginia, rendered general Clinton extremely desirous of detaching what aid to him he could spare. But Washing- ton continuing encamped at White Plains, and threaten- * See his History of Tryon county, — a work rich in interest, and full of instruction regarding the scenes and times on -which we are now dwelling. niSTORY.-1782. 281 ing a descent upon the city of New York, the moment that any troops should be withdrawn from it, the British commander was forced to confine himself to his position, so as to avoid hazarding the loss of a place so important, as a centre of operations for the armies and fleets of Great Britain. Arnold'' s expedition against New London. — To induce Washington to weaken his force by detaching a part of it, Clinton sent out the traitor Arnold on one of those ravaging expeditions, so disgraceful to the British name and arms. The party was dii'ected to attack and destroy New London, in Connecticut ; and the errand was faith- fully performed by the wanton burning of private as well as public property, to a vast amount, although the town was Arnold's own native place. Withdrawal of the American army from 'White Plains. — Washington, however, was not induced to divert his atten- tion from his plan of operation, which was now decided ; and, still keeping Clinton on the alert for an attempt of the American army on New York, he did oot withdraw from White Plains till the position of Cornwallis, at Yorktown, induced him to proceed thither, with the army, for the purpose of securing the capture of Cornwallis and his troops, — a result, which, to the unbounded joy of America, was effected on the 19th of October, and vir- tually ensured the termination of the war. Movements of Sir Henry Clinton. — Aware, at last, of Washington's actual purpose, and of the exU'emities to which Cornwallis was reduced, general Clinton left New York with a powerful reinforcement, and arrived at the mouth of the Chesapeake, five days too late for his pur- pose. Hearing of the surrender of Cornwallis, he returned immediately to New Yoi'k, whither he was, ere long, fol- lowed by Washington, who resumed his head quarters on the Hudson. sec. vi. — events of 1782 and 1783. Reading Lesson CXXVI. Prospect of peace. — The year with which we commence our present section, opens a new era^ equally in our na- tional and local history. The American war had becomo exceedingly unpopular in England ; and the parliament 282 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON CXXVI. bad, in the month of Maixh, of this year, passed a formal resolve, declaring the prosecution of the war injurious to the true interests of the nation. Arrival of Sir Guy Carleton. — Early in the month of May, of this year, Sir Guy Carleton, who had been ap- pointed successor to Sir Henry Clinton, and who had re- ceived instructions to favor an accommodation with the United States, arrived at New York, and proceeded to the duties of his appointment. Inaction of the opposite armies. — There could, of course,' be no forma] cessation of hostilities, between the American and British armies, till peace should be regularly pro- claimed. But the issue of affairs was now too plainly in- telligible, to leave room for any serious purpose of a hostile nature, on either side. We find, accordingly, that, with the exception of a few insignificant skirmishes, the con- tending armies abstained from active movements, and re- stricted themselves to mere measures of precaution and vigilance. Preliminary articles ofjyeace. — On the 30th of Novem-i ber, 1782, the commissioners of Great Britain and thei United States signed, at Paris, the preliminary articles; of peace between the two countries. Discontents in the army. — The embarrassed condition of the country, had compelled congress to defer the pay- ment of large sums due to the army ; and the apprehen-i sion was now general, among the troops, that their just claims, if left to be settled by a future congress, would be entirely neglected. The officers of the army shared this impression equally with the soldiery; and so irritated had the minds of all become, that irregular meetings of dele- gates from the various grades, were appointed, and anony- mous addresses circulated, calling on the army to bestir themselves, on their own behalf, and to take such measures; as should enforce attention to their rights. The head-quarters at Newburg were the scene of theset proceedings ; and nothing but the prudence, mildness, and firmness of Washington could, at this crisis, have prevented: the American army from proceeding to extremities. On the 15th of March, he addressed the^assembled oflBcers, in a most impressive and eloquent appeal, admitting their grievances, but imploring them not to stain their well- earnfed fame, by any indiscretion which should wrest from HISTORY.— 1783. 283 them the meint of that triumph which was now so nearly- attained. He assured them that congress would not fail honorahly to redeem all its promises, and pledged him- self to use every personal exertion which might faciHtate the adjustment of all demands coming from an army en- deared to him by their common experience of so many vicissitudes, amidst which they had constantly adhered to him. The effect of this address was to quiet the minds of all, to call foith once more the better feelings of the army, to- wards their country's cause, to revive the confidence of the troops in the justice of congress, and to elicit the strongest expressions of regard and attachment towards the commander-in-chief. Definitive treaty of peace. — On the 3d of September, 1783, the definitive treaties of peace were signed by the commissioners of England, and those of the United States, France, Spain, and Holland. By the treaty between Eng- land and the United States, the entire independence of the latter was recognized and acknowledged. Thus the struggle which the American colonies had commenced against an unjust assertion of power, on the part of Eng- land, issued in the birth of a new Tiation, which has not only assumed, but nobly maintained its position, as sover- eign and independent. Nor has any countiy on the globe, within the same period of time, made equal advances in power and prosperity. The cessation of hostilities proclaimed. — The cessation of hostilities was proclaimed in the American army, on the 19th of April, — the eighth anniversary of the battle of Lexington, the first encounter in the struggle between England and her colonies. General Washington^ s tour in the state of Neio York. — By the month of July, " many of the troops," says Mr. Sparks, in his life of Washington, " went home on fui-- lough ; and general Washington having little to do in camp, till the arrival of the definitive treaty, resolved to employ the interval in making a tour to the northward, for the double purpose of gi-atifying his curiosity, in visit- ing the scenes of the late military operations in that quar- ter, and of ascertaining, from observation, the natural re- sources of the country. In company with governor Clin- ton, he ascended the Hudson to Albany, and proceeded 284 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSOxN CXXVII. thence over the battle-fields of Saratoga, as far as Ticon- deroga and Crown Point. Turning then to the Mohawk river, he extended his journey westward to fort Schuyler. — He was absent from Newburg nineteen days. i "Ever regarding the condition and affairs of his country on a comprehensive scale, and fixing his thoughts on its importance as a nation, he saw, while on his tour, the im- mense advantafjes that would result from a water commu-l nication between the Hudson and the great lakes, and! believed in its practicability. His hopes and his anticipa- tions have since been realized in the magnificent M'ork, opening a passage for boats by a canal from the Hudson I to lake Erie, and effected by the enterprise and vvealth of: the state of New York. Dishanding of the army. — "A large part of the officers and soldiers, as mentioned before, had been permitted,, during the summer, to retire from the army on furlough;; and congress issued a proclamation, on the iSth of Octo-- ber, discharging them from farther service, and all others ■* who had been enoraored to serve durino^ the war. TheJ army was thus, in effect, disbanded. A small force only/l was retained, consisting of such troops as had been en-' listed for a definite time, till the peace establishment: should be organized. " This proclamation was followed by general Washing-- ton's farewell address to the ai'my, expressing his cordial 1 and affectionate thanks for the devotedness of the officers-! and soldiers to him through the war, and for the manner: in which they had discharged their duty ; adding also seasonable advice as to their conduct in resuming the' character of private citizens, and in contributing to the support of civil government." Reading Lesson CXXVII. Preparati 071S for evacuating New York. — "At length Sir' Guy Carleton received orders from the ministry to evac- uate New York, and gave notice to general Washington that he should soon be ready for that event. Delay had ! been occasioned by the want of transports, in sufficient ! numbers, to send to Nova Scotia the refugees who had sought protection in New York, during the war, and the large amount of goods, stores, and military supplies, which HISTORY.— 1783. 285 had accumulated in that city. Many of these persons would gladly have remained in the country, having prop- erty which they desired to recover, and relatives and friends whom they were reluctant to abandon ; but they were exiled by the laws of the states, and could not be admitted to the privileges of a residence till these laws were repealed. Washington tahes possession of New York. — "Washing- ton repaired to West Point, to which place general Knox had drawn the troops that still remained in the service. Arrangements were made, with governor Clinton, the chief-magistrate of the state of New York, by which the city was to be delivered into his charge. A detachment of troops marched from West Point to Harlem, and was joined there by general Washington and governor Clin- ton. In the morning of the 25th of November, they ad- vanced to the upper part of the city, where they continued till one o'clock, when the British parties retired from the posts in that quartei", and were followed by the American infantry and artillery, preceded by a corps of dragoons. Meantime, the British troops embarked. Possession being thus taken of the city, the military officers, and the civil officers of the state, made a public entry. The general and governor rode at the head of the procession, on horse- back. Then came, in regular succession, the lieutenant- governor and members of the council, general Knox, and the officers of the army, the speaker of the assembly, and citizens. They were escorted by a body of Westchester light-horse, as a compliment to the governor and civil au- thority ; the continental military jurisdiction being sup- posed to have ceased, or, at least, to have been suspended, in deference to the civil power of the state. Governor Clinton gave a public entertainment, with which the trans- actions of the day were closed. Perfect order and quiet prevailed from the beginning to the end ; and no unto- ward incident occurred to mar the interest of an occasion, which had been so long wished for, and was so joyfully welcomed. General Washington's last meeting toitli the officers. — I" A trial of feeling now awaited the commander-in-chief, which, for the moment, was more severe and painful, than any he had been called to bear. The time had arrived, when he was to bid a final adieu to his companions in 286 NEVV-VORK CLASS-BOOK.-LESSON CXXVIt. arms, to many of whom he was bound by the strongest ties of friendship, and for all of whom he felt a lively gratitude and sincere regard." " This affecting interview," says chief-justice Marshall, in his life of Washington, " took place on the 4th of De- cember. At noon, the principal officers of the army assembled at Frances's tavern, soon after which their be- loved commander entered the room. His emotions were too strong to be concealed. Filling a glass, he turned to them and said, ' AVith a heart full of love and gratitude, I now take leave of you : I most devoutly wish that your latter days may be as prosperous and happy, as your former ones have been slorious and honorable.' Havinsf drunk, he added, ' I cannot come to each of you to take my leave, but shall be obliged if each of you will come and take me by the hand.' General Knox being neai-- est, turned to him. Washington, incapable of utterance, grasped his hand, and embraced him. In the same affec- tionate manner, he took leave of each succeeding officer. The tear of manly sensibility was in every eye; and not a wOrd was articulated to interrupt the dignified silence, and the tenderness of the scene. " Leaving the room, he passed through the corps of light infantry, and walked to White Hall, where a barge waited to convey him to Paulus Hook, The whole com- pany followed, in mute and solemn procession, with de- jected countenances, testifying feelings of delicious mel- ancholy, which no language can describe. Having entered the barge, he tuined to the company, and, waving his hat, bid them a silent adieu. They paid him the same affec- tionate compliment; and after the barge had left them, returned, m the same solemn manner, to the place where they had assembled." HISTORY.— 1787. 287 CHAP. VI. — OCCURRENCES BETWEEN THE PEACE OF 1783, AND THE WAR OF 1812. sec. i. — events from 1784 to 1795. Reading Lesson CXXVHI. Defective operation of tlie original confederacy of the states. — No sooner had the benign influence of peace begun to be felt throughout the country, than the imper- fect character of the articles of confederation by which the new states were held together, became apparent. Congress had no competent authority to assume or dis- charge the heavy debt incurred during the revolutionary war. The states, individually, though disposed to listen to the recommendations of congress, and make every ex- ertion for the payment of the public creditors, were not in a condition to do so. A universal bankruptcy seemed threatening to overwhelm the nation. Nor was any relief to be expected from the revival of commerce ; as tliere was no general system of operations piacticable, without an efficient national government to regulate commercial affairs. Preparatory steps for tlie formation of a national consti- tution. — For several years, the evils of the inadequate or- ganization of the federal government, had been felt, and loudly complained of, in all quarters. A convention of jdelegates from all the states, except one, had been held at Philadelphia, in May, 1787, for the purpose of revising ihe articles of confederation. But, on investigation, they [were found so deficient that the convention relinquished ;he idea of remodelling them, and pioceeded to draught a lew form of constitution. i! Adoption of the present constitution of the United States. \ — The new constitution was submitted to congress, and in the course of the following year, to the people of the I'everal states, and, within that time, adopted by nearly all, slilthough rather in the spirit of a compromise, than with hat of cordial approval. Influence of ike writings of Jay and Ha7nilton.— -The 238 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON CXXVIIL constitution proposed for adoption by the people of the United States, was by no means universally welcomed as a palladium of the national liberties. It embodied the sentiments of communities and parties differing widely in ^ opinion and habit, and even, in some respects, in commer- cial interests and social institutions. The friends of or- der and concord, therefore, looked with no slight degree of anxiety, on the prospect 'of its being generally adopted! by the states. To aid the desirable result, enlightened men, in all parts of the country, exerted themselves to the utmost, with a view to influence the general mind to a favorable decision. Foremost in this good work were those eminent sons of New York, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, whose names were already identified with their counti'y's welfare, in so many other relations. In conjunction with Mr. Madison, they issued a series of able papers, under the designation of the Federalist, which had no small share in removing popular prejudices, and enlightening public opinion, on the subjects involved in the new constitution. No parallel instance, perhaps, can be furnished from history, of a people so generally or effectually influenced by calm appeals to reason and judg- ment, in an affiir affecting the vital prosperity of a nation, and demanding the largest concessions from party feeling. First election of a president. — Provision had been made, in the new constitution, for the election of a president and vice-president of the United States. To the former office George Washington was unanimously elected, and to the latter, John Adams. Washington,'' s arrival in Ne?o York, previous to his in- auguration, as j)residc'nt of the United States. — On the 4tli of March, 1789, the city of New York became, once more, the scene of historical events, but of a character widely dif- ferent from those of the preceding part of our narrative. We are not now called to contemplate the revolting scenes of war and suffering, but those of peace and order and na- tional happiness. "It being known," says Mr. Sparks, "that the choice of the people had fallen on general Washington, for pres- ident, he made preparations to begin the duties of the office as soon as his election should be notified to him by the proper authority. The 4th of March was assigned as the day for the meeting of congress ; but a quorum did HISTORY.-1789. 289 not come together till a month later. The votes of the electors were then opened and counted ; and a special messenger was despatched to Mount Vernon, with a let- ter, from the president of the senate, to general Washing- ton, conveying official intelligence of his election. John Adams was, at that time, declared to be chosen vice-presi- dent of the United States. Two days after receiving the notification, Washington left home for New York, which was then the seat of congress. Washington's public entry into Neic Yoj-Tc. — " A com- mittee of congress, consisting of three members of the senate and five of the house of representatives, was ap- pointed to meet him in New Jersey, and attend him to the city of New York. To Elizabethtown Point came many other persons of distinction, and the heads of the several departments of government. He was there received in a barge, splendidly fitted up for the occasion, and rowed by thirteen pilots in white uniforms. . This was followed by- vessels and boats, fancifully decorated, and crowded with spectators. When the president's barge came near to the city, a salute of thirteen guns was fired from the vessels in the harbor, and from the Battery. At the landing he was again saluted by a discharge of artillery, and was joined by the governor and other officers of the state, and the corporation of the city. A procession was then formed, headed by a long military train, which was followed by the principal officers of the state and city, the clergy, for- eign ministers, and a great concourse of citizens. The procession advanced to the house prepared for the recep- tion of the president. The day was passed in festivity and jov; and, in the evening, the city was brilliantly illuminated. Waskingto7i's inauguj-ation. — " The first public act of the president, was that of taking the oath of office. It was de- cided by congress, that this should be done with some cere- mony. On the morning of the day appointed, April 30th, at nine o'clock, religious services, suited to the occasion, were performed in all the churches of the city. At twelve, the ! troops paraded before the president's door, and soon after- wards came the committees of congress and the heads of departments, in can-iages, to attend him to the Federal Hall,* where the two houses of congress were assembled. * This building occupied the site of the present custom house, in Wall street. N 290 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON CXXLX. The procession moved forward with the troops in front, next the committees and heads of departments, then the president in a coach, alone, followed by the foreign min- isters, civil officers of the state, and citizens. Arrived at the hall, he ascended to the senate-chamber, and passed thence to a balcony in front of the house, where the oath was administered to him, in presence of the people, by chancellor Livingston, The president returned to the senate-chamber, in the midst of loud acclamations from the surrounding' throng of spectators, and delivered to the two branches of congress his inaugural speech. He then went, on foot, to St. Paul's church, where prayers were read by the bishop, and the ceremonies were closed. To- kens of joy were everywhere exhibited, as on the day of his ariival ; and, at night, there was a display of illumina- tions and fireworks." Reading Lesson CXXIX. Washington's mode of life, as president, in New York. — " The president had not been long in New York, before he found it necessary to establish rules for receiving visit- ors and entertaining company. There being no prece- dent to serve as a guide, this was an affair of ccmsiderable delicacy and difficulty. In the first place, it was essen- tial to maintain the dignity of the office by such forms as would inspire deference and respect ; and, at the same time, the nature of republican institutions and the habits of the people, required the chief magistrate to be acces- sible to every citizen, on proper occasions, and for reason- able purposes. A just line was therefore to be drawn between too much pomp and ceremony, on the one hand, and an extreme familiarity, on the other. Regard was also to be had to the president's time and convenience. After a short experiment of leaving the matter to the discretion of the public, it was proved, that, without some fixed rule, he would never have an hour at his disposal. From breakfast till dinner, his door was besieged with persons calling to pay their respects, or to consult him on affairs of little moment. His sense of duty to the claims of his office and to himself, convinced him that this prac- tice could not be endured. The vice-president, Mr. Jay, Mr. Madison, Mr. Hamilton, and other gentlemen, con- HISTORY.— 1791. 291 curred in this opinion; and, by their advice, a different mode was adopted. " Every Tuesday, between the hours of three and four, he was prepared to receive such persons as chose to call. Foreign ministers, strangers of distinction, and citizens, came and went without ceremony. The hour was passed in free conversation on promiscuous topics, in which the president joined. Every Friday afternoon, the rooms were open, in like manner, for visits to Mrs.Washington, which were on a still more sociable footing, and at which gen- eral Washington was always present. These assemblages were in the nature of public levees ; and they did not preclude such visits of civility and friendship, between the president's family and others, as are customary in society. On affairs of business by appointment, whether with public officers or private citizens, the president was always ready to bestow his time and attention. He ac- cepted no invitations to dinner, but invited to his own table foreign ministers, officei-s of the government, and strangers, in such numbers at once as his domestic estab- lishment would accommodate. On these occasions, there was neither ostentation nor restraint, but the same sim- plicity and ease with which his guests had been enter- tained at Mount Vernon. " No visits were received on Sunday. In the morning, he uniformly attended church ; and, in the afternoon, he retired to his private apaitment. The evening was spent with his family ; and then an intimate friend would some- times call, but promiscuous company was not admitted. " Having laid down these general rules, which soon became known to the public, he found relief from a heavy tax upon his time, and more leisure for a faithful dis- charge of his duties." The routine of Washington's daily ! life and habits, continued the same when the meetings of congress were transferred to Philadelphia, as a situation more central and convenient for the general business of the country. sec. ii.— events from 1791 to 1795. Reading Lesson. CXXX. Terininatlon of disputes with Vermont, regarding terri- torial limits. — The want of due information respecting the r 292 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.-LESSON CXXX. remoter regions of their American colonies, had caused the British parliament to pass acts inconsistent with each other, and assigning the territory of Vermont both to New York and New Hamjsshire. The quarrels ai'ising from this source, we have seen, in previous parts of our history, occasioning the most serious apprehensions of open vio- lence, on both sides. The governor and the legislature of New York, were fully determined to assert what they deemed their rights, and had, as was formerly mentioned, expressed this determination in strong language, to con- gress. The eloquent appeals of Alexander Hamilton, however, had the effect of changing the current of public feeling, and bringing about a compromise. With the consent of New York, Vermont, as a state, was incoi-porated into the national union, in the year 1791. 'Progress of the state of New York. — The happy effects of a state of peace were now universally felt, throughout the state of New York. Its vast and fertile interior was rapidly filled up with a hardy, intelligent, and active im- migrant population, which was attracted chiefly from the New-England states, but interspersed with agriculturists and adventurers from all countries which have hitherto poured their sujplus of life and enterprise into the United States. Our pages being chiefly designed for young readers, we decline dwelling on that portion of our local history which consists of events merely political ; and, as our aim is to furnish an instructive reading-book, selected from all sources of interesting information regarding the condition and character of our state, rather than to furnish its his- tory in detail, we shall dwell on such topics only as are prominent and important. Many interesting particulars we have resei'ved to be in- terwoven with the biographical sketches of eminent per- sons, which occur in subsequent pages ; and some will be found interspersed with our accounts of public institu- tions. The peaceful times in which a community is most pros- perous, are those with regard to which the allusion was so justly made, " Happy is that people whose annals are written in sand !" Monumental sculptures and inscrip- tions, and the classic records of history, are too exclu- HISTORY.— IfiCl. 293 sively occupied with the dire events of War and destruc- tion. A happier day, it is to be hoped, is already dawning on the world, — a day when the peaceful progress of arts, science, literature, public and private virtue, and genuine prosperity, shall furnish the main themes of the historian. But the past, even to our own time, is yet overshadowed by the evil passions and evil deeds of man, registered in characters of bloodshed and havoc ; and a knowledge of the past is necessarily, to a great extent, the knowledge of ill. The fair scenes of our own beautiful region of the earth, have, again and again, been shrouded in the dark atmo- sphere of war. Three tempests of destruction have, in turn, swept over them. Two of these, we have tracked along their shifting paths of desolation. The " French war" rendered the border life of the early pioneers amid the receding wilderness of New York, a scene of cease- less peril and suffering, — when every man's life might be said, as of old, to be " in his hand." The revolutionary war ravaged, for successive years, the previous abodes of peace and plenty, and set even neighbors and kindred at deadly strife. The whirlwind of European war, raised, i in the early part of the present century, by the evil genius of Napoleon, drew America into its vortex ; and in the second strife against the arrogance of England, the border region of New York was, once more, laid open to the in- roads of hostile force, and all the attendant calamities of warfare, or became the theatre of preparation, whence they were to be launched on the adjoining provinces of Britain. sec. hi.— events from 1795 to 1812. Reading Lesson CXXXI. Election of John Jaij, as governor. — At the state election of the year 1795, the office of governor was, by the choice of the people, conferred upon John Jay, who was expect- ed soon to return from England, whither he had been sent, as envoy extraordinary, to adjust the treaty which bears his name. Mr. Jay continued in office till the year 1801, iwhen he declined a reelection, and retired to private life. At the election of 1801, George Clinton was induced, 294 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON CXXXL once more accepted the office of governor, which he had so long and so ably filled before ; and in this station he continued for three years, when, having been chosen vice- president of the United States, he relinquished the former office, and took up his residence in the city of Washing- ton. Governor Leiois. — In 1804, the office of governor was conferred on Morgan Lewis, son of a signer of the Decla- ration of Independence. Governor Lewis had, in early life, served with distinction, in the revolutionary army, in the northern part of the state, but subsequently relin- quished the military life, and adopted the profession of law, in which he attained the highest honors. At the time of his election, he was chief-justice of the supreme court of New York. Governor Tompkins. — In 1807, the election fell on Daniel D. Tompkins, a member of the convention, in 1801, for revising the state constitution, subsequently, a representa- tive in congress, and a judge of the supreme court of New York. Mr. Tompkins continued in office, till his resigna- tion in 1817, in consequence of his election as vice-pres- ident of the United States. It was during the incumbency of governor Tompkins, '■ that the second war between the United States and Great Britain was begun and terminated. During the period | of this war, New York, from its proximity to the British provinces of Canada, became, once more, the theatre of military operations. War of V^Vl. — For a full account of the origin of this war, we refer our readers to the general history of the country. It may suffice, here, to say, that the grievances which induced congress to declare war against Britain, were the encroachments upon American commerce by the British " orders in council," and the impressment of American seamen. The former of these aggressions may be briefly stated thus. England, being at war with France, had, in the year 1806, declared the whole coast of continental Eu- rope, from Brest to the Elbe, in a state of blockade. Bonaparte retaliated by declaring the British isles under blockade. The commerce of America with Europe was thus vii-tually annihilated. In 1808 followed the British orders in council, prohibiting all trade wdth France and i HISTORY.— 1812. 295 her allies, — a plain violation of the law of nations. Bona- parte, who, when engaged in war, was seldom troubled with conscientious scruples, regarding national rights, retaliated by his " Milan decree," forbidding all commer- cial intercourse with England and her allies. Congi'ess, reacting on both the European contending powers, decreed an embargo, in 1808 ; but, as no recog- nition of the national rights was obtained by the measure, it was repealed, in 1809, and all commerce interdicted with either of the offending nations. In November, 1810, Bonaparte revoked his restrictions on American commerce. But England continued hers ; and the better to enforce them, actually stationed her ships of war before the principal ports of the Union, to intercept communication. The public mind, throughout the Union, was highly irritated by these gross violations of the rights of neutral nations, and still more exasperated by the aggressive con- duct of England, in frequently impressing American sea- men into her naval service, without the least regard to remonstrance or protest, and sometimes, in face of direct evidence of citizenship, on the part of the injured seamen. In April, 1812, an embargo, for ninety days, was de- creed, on all vessels within the jurisdiction of the United States ; and, in the month of June, war was formally de- clared against Great Britain. CHAP. VII.— PERIOD OF THE WAR OF 1812. SEC. I. — EVENTS OP 1812 AND 1813. Reading Lesson CXXXII. Attack on Queenstown. — The first military operation of the year, on the frontier of New York, was the attack on Queenstown, by a body of militia, under the command of general Stephen Van Rensselaer. On the morning of the 13th of October, a detachment of two hundred and twenty- five men, under colonel Solomon Van Rensselaer, crossed 296 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON CXXXIL the Niagara, and, after some resistance, in which the colo- nel was wounded, gained a small battery on the heights. Notwithstanding the unexpected arrival of general Brock, with a reinforcement of several hundred men, the post was held, the enemy repulsed, and their general killed, by a party under captain (now general) Wool. Thus far, the success of the Americans was complete. But, unfortunately for ihem, a powerful reinforcement from fort George, came to the aid of the British, in the afternoon; and the reserve of the American troops being unwilling to cross the river, to the aid of their country- men, the gallant storming party, and those who did cross to their assistance, were overwhelmed by the superior force of the enemy ; and nearly all were either killed or taken prisoners. A universal feeling of indignation was uttered, through- out the country, against the conduct of the militia, in this instance ; and, unquestionably, the reluctance to go to the rescue of their countrymen in a situation of peril, seemed a feeling utterly unworthy of those who had assumed the duties and character of soldiers. But the people, in dis- tant parts of the Union, could form no just idea of the- repugnance which men, some of whom were natives of] the very border, felt at hostilities against the inhabitants of j a neighboring region, with some of whom they had been ' on terms of personal intimacy and friendship. The nat-i ural law of kindness in the human heart, will rise above' the arbitrary rules of war, or the local lines of patriotism. Attack on Toronto. — In the northern campaign of 1813, general Dearborn embarked, on the 25th of April, with a i force of seventeen hundred men, at Sackett's harbor, for! the purpose of capturing the British stores at York, — now ' Toronto. The landing was successfully effected, in spite of the enemy's resistance, and the assault bravely con- ducted by general Pike, when, during the advancing move- ' ment, the magazine blew up, killing and wounding sev- ' eral hundred men, and among the latter, the commanding officer, who did not long survive. The American troops, however, soon rallied, and carried the place, together with a large amount of baggage and public property ; the British general and his regular force escaping with much diffi- culty. Attach hy the British, on Sackctfs Jiarbor. — The Ameri- HISTORY.— 1813. 297 can squadron having returned to Sackett's harbor, set sail, soon after, for the Niagara frontier ; and the British, taking advantage of this moment, proceeded to Sackett's harbor. They landed, for this purpose, a force of a thousand men, under Sir George Prevost. The small body of American regulars made an efficient resistance to the enemy's ap- proach ; and general Brown, meanwhile, rallied the mili- tia, which, at first, had given way, and marched them to- wards the landing. Sir George, apprehending this move- ment as designed to cut off his retreat, withdrew, in great haste, to the boats. Successful attack hy the Americans, on fort George. — On the same day that the British were repulsed from Sackett's harbor, the American expedition made its attack on fort George, which was speedily taken. Capture of generals Chandler and Winder. — The Brit- ish troops which had relinquished fort George, were closely pursued by the Americans. On the night of the 6th of June, however, they attempted an attack on the American camp, in which, although they were repulsed, they were so far successful as to capture, amid the dark- ness and confusion of the moment, the brave generals Chandler and Winder. \ Unsuccessful attempt on Mo7itreal, — General Armstrong, iyho had recently been appointed secretary of war, had ibrmed the plan of an invasion of Canada, by a junction )f the forces under general Wilkinson with those under General Hampton, on the St. Lawrence, with a view to he reduction of Montreal. Many unforeseen obstacles nterposed to frustrate this plan of operations. General Wilkinson's force, embaiking from French creek, and proceeding down the St. Lawrence, were greatly annoyed )y strong parties on the Canada shore; and the troops inder general Brown, attempting to repulse them, were ;hecked at Williamsburg, on the 11th of November, with L loss of several hundred men. On the 12th, the army eached St. Regis ; but here general Wilkinson, learning hat the proposed junction atPlattsburg was impracticable, vithdrew to French Mills, and encamped for the season. Success of the British, on the Niagara frontier. — In the nonth of December, the American general found it ne- essax'y to relinquish fort George, on the approach of a uperior British force, and, as an expedient to cripple the 298 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON CXXXIIL enemy, burned the opposite village of Newark. This ill- judged step caused a cruel reaction, on the part of the British, who, after suprising fort Niagara, aided by their wonted savage allies, retaliated, by burning several Amer- ican villages. — At every step, in tracing the history of war, we see how it brutalizes the heart. The universal voice of the nation was lifted up, in England, in response to loi'd Chatham's eloquent invectives, in the British par- liament, against the cruelty of employing the Indian race in the revolutionary war. But the boasted refinement of the nineteenth century, does not, we see, redeem the Brit- ish character from this disgraceful stain. sec. ii.— events of 1814. Reading Lesson CXXXIII. Battle of Chipfewa. — On the morning of the 3d of July, 1814, generals Scott and Ripley, with a force of three thousand men, crossed the Niagara river, and took pos- session of fort Niagara, without opposition. On the 4th, general Brown, who had been detached with two thou- sand troops, from general Wilkinson's command, advanced to the village of Chippewa, to attack the British force there intrenched, under general Riall. On the morning of the 5th, the British general drew out his troops, and offered battle, but was compelled to retire, with a loss of five hundred men. Riall felt himself compelled to fall back on Queenstown and Burlington heights. Here he was joined by general Drummond, who took the command. Battle of Liundifs Lane. — The American force had ad- vanced so as to encamp near the falls of Niagara, when, on the evening of the 25th of July, the advance of the two armies again encountered at Lundy's lane, not far from the Falls. The battle was obstinately fought by the ad- vance, on each side, till the main body came up. Major (now general) Jessup, while general Scott was bravely maintaining the battle in front, against a vastly superior force, contrived to take the enemy in flank and rear, and to make general Riall and his suite prisoners. Storming of a hattery by colonel Miller and his regiment. — A British battery, on a commanding height, was deal- ing a most destructive fire on the Americans. To carry this position was the turning point on which depended the HISTORY.— 1814. 299 fortune of the field. Colonel Miller was asked if he would attempt the task. " I will try, sir," was bis modest answer to general Ripley, his commanding officer; and, with his brave troops, he advanced up the height till within a short distance of the enemy's guns, and then, in face of a sweep- ing fire of cannon and musketry, carried the battei-y, at the point of the bayonet. The American line was imme- diately formed on the height, and the ground held, notwith- standing the desperate efforts of the enemy to recover it. Success of the Americans. — In the last of these assaults, general Druramond was wounded; and his troops were then withdrawn. Tlie result of this hard-fought field, was, to the Americans, — notwithstanding their loss was nearly equal to that of the British, — equivalent to a deci- sive victory, owing to the number and. character of the troops engaged on the opposite side. Repulse of the British, in their attack on fort Erie. — Generals Scott and Brown having both been wounded, the command devolved on general Ripley, who deemed it prudent to reti'eat to fort Erie. Here he was attacked, on the 4th of August, by general Drummond, at the head of five thousand men. On the 5th, general Gaines, arriv- ing from Sachet's harbor, as senior officer, took the com- mand. On the 13th and 14th, a heavy cannonade was kept up, on both sides. On the 15th, a furious assault was made by the British, but issued in their final repulse, with a loss of nearly a thousand men. On the 2d of September, general Brown was again able to take the command, and, on the 17th, a successful sortie was effected, in which the enemy's advance works were entirely de£.troyed, and several hundred prisoners taken. The British, on the night of the 21st, retreated to fort George, on learning the approach of general Izard, with reinforcements for the American army. Close of the campaign. — General Izard arrived on the 9th of October, and, deeming farther operations unadvis- able, in that quarter, destroyed fort Erie, and withdrew the troops to winter quarters. Operations in the vicinity of lake Charnplain. — The British plan of campaign, in this quarter, was to obtain command of lake Champlain, and then to move down the Hudson, to cooperate with an intended attack on the citj"" of New York. The enemy's expectation was, in this 300 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.-LESSON CXXXIV. way, to dismember the Union, by cutting off the New- England states from communication with the other por- tions of the country, as, — it will be recollected, — was a favorite attempt of the British, in the war of the revolu- tion. Reading Lesson CXXXIV. General Wilkinson' s position at Plattshurg. — In the lat- ter part of February, general Wilkinson had left his win- ter quarters at French Mills, and removed his force to Plattshurg. He made an excursion thence into Canada, in the month of March. But, meeting a considerable force at La Colle on the Sorel, he had been repulsed, and com- pelled to fall back on Plattsbui'g. Here general Izard assumed the command, but, in August, was detached to the Niagara frontier, as already mentioned. Plattshurg, now under general Macomb, was thus left with a force of only fifteen hundred men. Advance of the British on Plattshurg. — The establish- ment of peace in Europe, left large additions of military force at the disposal of England ; and a portion of these was sent to Canada. Sir George Prevost, the command- ing general, was thus enabled to bring an army of four- teen thousand choice troops against Plattshurg; and an attempt was, at the same time, to be made, to destroy the American flotilla on lake Champlain, under commodore MacDonough. The enemy reached Plattshurg on the 6th of September; and general Macomb withdrew his small force to a favorable position, across the Saranac, where, for four days, this heroic little band withstood every effort of the British veteran army to force a passage. MacDonough's victory on the lake. — On the morning of the 11th, a general cannonade was opened on the American works ; and, soon after, the British fleet, under commander Downie, bore down, and, anchoring in line, abreast of the American fleet, under commodore Mac Donough, commenced the attack. The superior size, and number and weight of guns, of the British flag-ship, gave her great advantage over the American ; so that, in the space of two hours, the latter . became nearly unmanageable. By skilful manoeuvering, however, she was winded on her antagonist, with a fresh broadside from her larboard, which was yet sound. The HISTORY.— 1814. 301 errific havoc, thus effected, caused the enemy's flag to be truck, a few minutes afterward. Most other vessels of he British fleet, had, in the meantime, surrendered or )een sunk. Among the killed, in this bloody encounter, vas the British commander; and the prisoners amounted o nearly nine hundred. The inferiority of the American brce, ou this occasion, greatly enhanced the value of the victory. Repulse and retreat of the British army. — The bombard- nent was maintained, meanwhile, on land, without inter- •uption, till sunset ; and three furious but unavailing at- acks weie made by the British, with a view to force a Dassage of the river, at three different points. But all at- empts failed ; and the surrender of the British force on ;he lake, which took place in sight of both armies, was but ;he prelude to the speedy retreat of the enemy, under iavor of the dark. The loss of the British, in valuable military stores, in deserters, as well as in their number of \ilied and wounded, and their disabled sick, who were abandoned in the retreat, was very great ; and the morti- ication of defeat was, in this instance, aggravated by the ligh expectations which had been formed of the results to 3e achieved by the valor and discipline of the veteran roops, engaged, contrasted with the scanty and raw force )f the Americans. Termination of the war. — In the month of August, 1814, he commissioners of Great Britain and the United States, net at Ghent, and, on the 24th of December following, ;oncluded and signed a treaty of peace. The change in he political aspect of Europe, seemed, however, to ren- ler unnecessary any express stipulation regarding the auses of the contest ; and, notwithstanding the passing louds whicn have since, for a moment, obscured the unshine of peace and cordial feeling between the two ountries, there seems little reason to apprehend any ature renewal of the attitude of contention and strife ietween them. Nor can the hope be pronounced sanguine, that the :»otsteps of war shall no more pollute the soil or deface - le fertile valleys of our native state. We may reason- bly trust, that the repose of its beautiful scenes of river, ike, and inountain, shall never, henceforward, be dis- irbed by the roar of hostile cannon ; and that the only 302 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.-LESSON CXXXV, sourixls which shall startle the echoes of its solitudes, shall be the peaceful and cheerins^ echo of the woodman's axe, as he toils to let in the fertilizing light and warmth of the eun upon the bosom of the soil, or the harmless explosion of the powder blast, as it rends the rock, to level the way for the transit of the steam-car, destined to facilitate the interchange of the fruits of industry and the blessings of peace, throughout the world. CHAP. VIIL— EVENTS FROM 1814 TO 1847. Reading Lesson CXXXV. Events subsequent to the treaty of Ghent. — Returning toj the narrative of our state history, we omit, as was for- merly explained, events connected only with the vicissi- tudes of political party, as unsuited to a work designed] to subserve the purposes of general education, and toj cherish the spirit of just local attachments in the mind off youth. The establishment and progress of public insti-j tutions, are reserved for connected and succinct accounts! of such matters separately, at the close of our woi'k. Wei proceed, therefore, to mention briefly the prominent facts | of a character strictly historical, which occurred within i the period subsequent to the conclusion of the peace se- cured by the treaty of Ghent. De Witt Clinton chosen governor. — At the election of - 1817, governor Tompkins was succeeded by De Witt] Clinton, an individual whose name is inseparably con- nected with the prosperity of the state, in its great sys- tem of internal improvements, but particularly the con- struction of the Erie canal, and the other public works! which have been produced as its ramifications. Governor' Clinton was reelected in 1820, but declined being a can- didate in 1822. Amendment of the state constitution. — The constitution of the state, which was adopted in 1777, had undergone revision in 1801, and was, in 1820, remodelled once more, so as to become adapted to the progress of popular sentiment, and the actual condition of the people. The I HISTORY.— 1847. 303 modifications to which we refer, will be found in a subse- quent page, in the statements connected with a brief sketch of the constitutional history of the state. It will suffice, for the present, to mention, in explanation of the shortened period of office assigned to the station of gov- ernor, that, by the amendments of 1820, the term was limited to two years. Terms of governors Yates, De Witt Clinton, ^-c. — In 1822, Joseph C Yates was chosen governor; and, in 1824, De Witt Clinton was once more called to that office, and again reelected, in 1826. His death, in February, 1828, occurred previous to the completion of his last term. The official duties were, in consequence, devolved on Nathaniel Pitcher, then lieutenant-governor. For three months of the year 1829, Martin Van Buren, — afterwards elevated to the presidency of the United States, — held the office of governor of the state of New York. The duties of this station were next discharged by Enos T. Throop, then lieutenant-governor, and, in 1830, elected governor. In 1832, William L. Marcy was chosen governor, and, having been reelected in 1834 and 1836, continued in office till 1838. At the election of the year last men- tioned, William H. Seward was appointed governor, was reelected in 1840, and held office till 1842, when he was succeeded by William C. Bouck. In 1844, Silas Wright was chosen governor, and, in 1846, John Young. Revision of the state constitution. — A convention, for the revision and modification of the constitution of the state, was held at Albany, in the summer of 1846 ; and the con- stitution then revised, was adopted, by the people, at the autumn election, in November of the same year. The principal features of the new constitution, will be found described at the close of this volume. Concluding ohservations on the history of Neto York. Our survey of the history of New York, is now finished. We have traced the stream of local events from its source, n the humble enterprise of Hudson, and the trading ex- jeditions of Dutch adventurers, down through the ampler leld of narrative presented in the era of the Dutch West- India company's power, and thence to that of British rule, ivhen the American colonies became the grand theatre of 304 NEW-YORK CLASS BOOK.-LESSON CXXXV. war between the great European I'ivals, England and France, — a period during which New York was occa- sionally the scene and the centre of warlike operations destined to a place in the historical records of the world. We have followed the widening current of our history, through the years of that unnatural strife which the tyranny of England forced upon a people, chiefly descended from herself, speaking her own language as their native tongue, inheriting the immunities of her free institutions, and affoc- tionately clinging to her, till the hand of filial attachment was harshly shaken off. We have witnessed the termi- nation of the strife, in the triumph of justice and liberty, and the diffusion of the blessings of peace and plenty and order and happiness, over our own and the other united and independent states of the great American union. We have been reluctantly recalled to trace, once more, the footprints of war amid our native scenes, but soon again to rejoice in the establishment of peace and the enjoy- ment of its attendant benefits. Amid these shifting scenes of weal and woe, we have frequently observed, conspicuously displayed, the brave deeds and noble characters of those whom we delight to claim, not only as American compatriots, but as native or adopted citizens of our own state. On the majestic and beautiful scenery of mountain and valley, lake and river, for which our native region stands conspicuous in the world, no eye can look with indifference ; nor is it the mere boast of local partiality, which declares that, in this respect. New York has no rival among our whole family of confederated states. But there is yet a nobler source of gratulation on which to dwell, in connection with our local attachments, — we allude to the men who have, by their valor, their wisdom, their patriotism, their intelligence, and their worth, shed a living lustre on the state of which they were honored members, and in which their memories will be gratefully cherished, through succeeding ages. On the characters to which we now refer, we could not conveniently dwell, during our brief and rapid survey of historical events. But we feel assured that our readers will take pleasure in studying them individually, in the following pages. Such models may well inspire the mind of youth with the noblest incitements to virtue. BIOGRAPHY OF DISTINGUISHED INDIVIDUALS, CONNECTED WITH THE HISTORY OF NEW YORK. Reading Lesson CXXXVI. j Introductory Observations. ; The most instructive part of history, is that which informs us of the lives and characters of eminent men. History has been happily termed " philosophy teaching by examples ;" and, in no part of it, does this definition prove more just than in biography. This private page of history reveals to us the secret springs of those great actions which constitute the themes of the historian : it exhibits the personal dispositions and characters of those conspicuous actors in the great theatre of the world, whose recorded deeds become the history of their times. The biographical portion of history has a double charm for the mind. It wins our attention to our fellow-men in their daily routine of private life. It places them be- fore us in a position which enables us to view them dis- :inctly, as beings like ourselves, with whom we can sym- aathize, in whose successes or failures we take a lively interest, and whose example is full of instruction for warning or incitement. We learn, thus, to admire their i^irtues, to shun their faults, to emulate their noble qual- ties and great actions, and to trace the inseparable con- lection between the most illustrious deeds which confer "enown on public life, and the cultivation of those traits 3f personal habit and private character, which are the sources of human conduct. The remotest antiquity exerts, in this way, an influ- ence on the present time, and still continues to teach and :o inspire the virtues of life, in successive generations. But the record of human excellence becomes still more mpressive in its instructions, when it comes down to our Dwn period of the world's history, and speaks to us, fi'om 306 NEW-YORK CLASS BOOK— LESSON CXXXVI. its silent yet eloquent pages, of the thoughts and deeds of our ancestors, and even of our fathers. More instruct- ive still, is the lesson of the historian, when he records the doings of those who have dwelt in the very scenes amid which we lead our daily life, and whose actions have consecrated to our hearts the very spots on which our eyes are daily turned, or on which we can plant our own footsteps. History then seems to walk into our homes, and lift up its voice at our fireside. It resembles, then, the venerable relative, who recounts, amid the family circle, the tale of by-gone days, when our fathers, in their youth, mingled' with their countrymen, to rescue their native land from oppression. Familiar names then fall from the lips of the narrator ; and our kinsmen take each his place in the ranks of history. We dwell then, with double delight, on the porti-aits of human worth, and feel assured that merit is brought within our own reach. The state of New York furnishes to its youth, for their perusal, a most instructive page of private history. Its list of great names in science, art, and literature, and in public life, is rich, and full of inspiring influence. The limits of a book such as this, restrict us to the selection of a few prominent actors on the stage of our local his- tory, and to brief sketches of even these. But we hope that the mental relish of the slight repast which we here offer, will create a taste for more extensive reading in this department, in the subsequent years of life, when our young readers shall have completed the period of education, and have entered on the sphere of active du- ties and maturer age. The moments of leisure which may then intervene between the calls of business, can be spent in no way more useful, than in dwelling on the lives and actions of the men to whom New York owes her present position in the Union, and in the broader field of the world. The order in which the following biographical sketches are presented, is designed to follow, as nearly as practi- cable, the succession of events in our local history.* * The subjects of the following lessons have been drawn from various authentic sources, to which more particular references woulil have been made, but for the necessity of those modifications which such materials undergo, in the process of compilation, with a view to BIOGRAPHY.— CAPTAIN WILLET. 307 Reading Lesson CXXXVII. CAPTAIN WILLET.* " Captain Willet, first mayor of New York, arrived at Plymouth, in 1629, a young man, but much esteemed for lis good character and capacity for business. In 1630, he Plymoutli company sent him to superintend their trad- ng house at Penobscot, where he remained several years. Ln 1650, he was engaged by the Dutch governor, Stuyve- saut, to aid in compromising the question of boundary with S^evv Haven. " In 1651, he was an 'assistant' in Plymouth colony; md he was annually reelected till 1665, — when he was excused, at the request of colonel Nicolls, who, soon after, ippointed him mayor of New York, which office he filled line years. His acquaintance with the language and customs of the Dutch, made him highly serviceable to the lew government. " In 1674, he retired to his farm at Rehoboth, now in idapt them to the purposes of a schoolbook. Teachers who wish to lid their pupils in extending their course of biographical reading, may efer them, advantageously, to the volumes of American biography, idited by Mr. Sparks, or to the more compendious articles in the Encyclopaedia Americana, — works which ought to be accessible to all lUf youth, among the books contained in their school libraries. One of the most substantial rewards which a teacher can confer on liligent and attentive pupils, is to relate to them, orally, for a few ninutes, daily, the substance of those more extensive biographies vhich are embodied in separate works too extensive or costly for juvenile readers. Among such books we would mention the follow ng, as connected with our local history. The Life of Gouvenieur Morris, by .Tared Sparks; of Alexander lamilton, by John C. Hamilton ; of William Livingston, by Theodore >edgwick, Jr. ; of De Witt Clinton, by Professor Renwdck ; of Robert -"niton, by the same author, and by Cadwallader D. Colden; of John i. Livingston, by Alexander Gunn ; of Samuel J. Mills, by Gardiner spring; of Mrs. Schuyler, by Mrs. Grant; of Isabella Graham, by Divie Bethune ; of Lucretia Maria Davidson, by Miss Sedgwick ; of Vlargaret Miller Davidson, by Washington L-ving. To these may be added the lives of Brandt and Red Jacket, by tV. L. Stone; the Indian Biographies, by B. B. Thacher; and the lurnerous and valuable biographical notices contained in Mr. Ben- jamin F. Thompson's copious and instructive volumes on the history )f L'lng Island. * For this and several other biographical sketches we are indebted o the valuable work of Mr. Thompson, mentioned in the preceding 10 te. 308 NEW- YORK CLASS BOOK— LESSON CXXXVIH. the town of Seekonk, Bristol County, Massachusetts, where he died, August 4th, of that year. He maintained, through life, an exalted reputation for integrity and firm- ness, and was not inferior to any of the pilgrims, in those high qualities which rendered them so illustrious. Thus, the first English mayor of the first commercial city in America, lies buried on a lonely and barren heath in the humble town of Seekonk, at a place seldom visited by the footsteps of man ; and a plain monument marks the spot where his ashes repose. The late colonel Marinus AVil- let,* ' whose name our readere will recollect as occurring in our revolutionary history, " was his great-great-grandson, and held the same office, in 1807, which had been filled by his ancestor, one hundred and forty-two years before. Readi>-g Lesson CXXXVIII. LION GARDINER, " From whom Gardiner's island has its name, was a n tive of Scotland, and served as a lieutenant in the Britisl army, in the Low Countries, under general Fairfax. He belonged to the republican party, with the illustrious Hampden, Cromwell, and others of the same stamp. " He was commander of Saybrook fort, when captain Mason, in 1637, pursued and destroyed the Pequots, at a swamp in Fairfield, and came near being captured by that savage people ; one of his men having been taken and tortured, the fort burned, and the family of captain Gar- diner narrowly escaping the worst of deaths. He con- tinued in command here, till 1639, when he removed to the island which bears his name, where he fixed his resi- dence. " This valuable island was purchased of lord Stirling's agent, by Lion Gardiner, March 10th, 1639, having previ- ously agreed with the Indians for their right, to whom he paid, according to tradition, 'one large black dog, one gun, a quantity of powder and shot, some rum, and a few Dutch blankets.' The price paid Mr. Fanet, the agent, was little more, with an annuity of d£5, to the earl of Stirling, ' if demanded.' This was the first Eng-lish set- tlement within the present limits of this state, being one year anterior to that of Southampton or Southold. " Gardiner gave assistance to the planters of Easthamp- BIOGRAPHY.— LIOX GARDINER. 309 on, both in organizing tlieir settlement, and procuring the riendship of the Montauk sachem, and the people under lis authority. In 1653, he gave his son David possession )f the island, and took up his subsequent abode at East- lampton. In his family bible, among other entries, in lis handwriting, is the following curious item : " ' In the yeare of our Lord, 1635, July the 10th, came '., Lion Gardiner, and Mary, my wife, from Woerden, a owne in Holland, where my wife was borne. We came rom AVoerden to London, and from thence to New Eng- and, and dwelt at Seabrooke forte four yeares, of which I vas commander ; and then I went to an island of mine »wne, which I bought of the Indians, c^ed by them Man- :honoke, by us the isle of Wite.' Mr. Gardiner was instrumental in restoring to the achem of Montauk his daughter, previously captured by "finicraft, and his men, with thirteen other women ; in ac- nowledgment of which, the noble-minded chief presented im a deed for a part of the territory now comprised in he limits of Smithto\\Ti. Having lived at Saybrook, dur- ug the final struggle with the Pequots, and being well cquainted with the circumstances attending it, Mr. Gardi- er was requested to commit to paper, what he recollected F that melancholy event, and the causes which led to it. [is communication on the subject, is contained in an pistle, of which the following is a copy. Reading Lesson CXXXIX. Life of Lion Gardiner, continued. " ' Easthampton, Jime 12th, 1660. 'Loving Friends, Robert Chapman and Thomas Hurl- at. — My love remembered to you both. These are to "iform,, that, as you desired me, when I was with you and lajor Mason, at Seabrooke, two years and a half ago, to snsider and call to mind the passages of God's provi- ence at Seabrooke, in and about the time of the Pequit av : — wherein I have now endeavored to answer your ?sires, and have rumaged and found some old papers len written: it was a great help to ray memory. •• "You know that when I came to you, I was an engi- ?er or architect, whereof carpentry is a little part ; but pu know I could never use all the tools ; for, although 310 KEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSOX CXXXIX. for my necessity, I was forced sometimes to use my sliift- ing chissel and my holdfast, yet you know I could never endure nor abide the smoothing -plane. " ' I have sent you a piece of timber, scored and fore- hewed, unfit to join to any piece of handsome work ; but, seeing I have done the hardest work, you must get some- body to chip it and to smooth it, lest the splinters should prick some men's fingers ; — for the truth must not be spoken at all times; though, to my knowledge, I have written nothing but truth ; and you may take out or put in what you please. But I think you may let the governor and major Mason see it. I have also inserted some addi- tions of things that were done since, that may be consid- ered togethei". And thus, as I was when I was with you, so I remain still, your loving friend. Lion Gardiner.' " The narrative of the letter was as follows : — ' In the year, 1635, I, Lion Gardiner, Engineer and Master of Works of Fortifications, in the Legers* of the Prince of Orange, in the Low Countries, through the persuasion of Mr. John Davenport, Mr. Hugh Peters, with some other well-affected Englishmen of Rotterdam, I made an' agreement with the forenamed Mr. Peters, for c£100 per annum, for four years, to serve the company of patentees. I say, I was to serve them only in the drawing, ordering, and making of a city, towns, or forts of defence. "'And so I came from Holland to London, and from thence to New England, where I was appointed to attend such orders as Mr. John Winthrop, Esquire, the present governor of Coimecticut, was to appoint, whether at Pe- quit River or Connecticut, and that we should choose a place, both for the convenience of a good harbor, and also for capableness and fitness for fortification.' " He then proceeds to express his disappointment, on arriving at the mouth of the river, to find so few men, so small means of defence, and slender provision for the number of persons necessary to the building of the fort. So they returned to Boston, and sent Mr. Stephen Win- throp to the mouth of the river for the purpose of trading with the natives in exchange for cloth, and who, with his own company, came near being killed. Afterwards, cap- tains Endicott, Turner, and L^nderhill, with a company of soldiers, arrived at Saybrook, where they posted them- * In modern orthography, leaguers, — sieges. BIOGRAPHY.— CAPT. UNDERHILL, 311 selves, much to the dissatisfaction of Mr. Gardiner, believ- ing that their presence would exasperate the natives, and render them more hostile to the English." But, as this narrative belongs more properly to the histo- ry of New England, we must omit it here, with the excep- tion of its highly characteristic closing sentence. " Thus far I had written in a book, that all men and posterity might know how and why so many honest men had their Mood shed, yea, and some flayed alive, others cut in pieces, and some roasted alive, only because one Bay Indian killed one Pequot." The allusion is here to the facts, in detail, connected with the commencement of the Pequot war. Reading Lesson CXL. CAPTAIN JOHN UNDERHILL. " On a farm lately owned by one of his descendants, called by him Killingworth, and by the Indians Matinne- cock, in the town of Oyster Bay, Long Island, is the grave of this wonderful man, of whom so frequent mention is taade in the early histones of New England and New York. ' He was,' says the Rev. Mr. Bacon, ' one of the Tiost dramatic persons in our early history.' Having served as an officer in the British forces, in the Low Coun- :ries, in Ireland, and at Cadiz, he came fi-om England to .Massachusetts, soon after the commencement of the colo- ly, and was very generally employed in such expeditions 4S required the most extraordinary courage, energy, and perseverance. " He had an important command in the war against the Pequots, in 1636 ; and, on the 2d of February, 1637, he was sent to Saybrook with twenty men, to keep the fort there igainst the Dutch and Indians ; both of whom had mani- ested a design upon that place. He was a man of the nost determined resolution, activity, and courage ; and mch was the rapidity of his movements, and his subtility )f attack, that his enemies were almost always taken by mrprise, and consequently defeated. " He was one of the first deputies from Boston to the general courts, and one of the earliest officers of the An- (iient and Honorable Artillery Company. Most of the iccouuts of that interesting period, are full of the partic- ilars of his checkered life ; and few persons were more 312 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON CXL. distinguished, or rendered more valuable service to the colonies, than this individual, especially in their wars and controvei'sies with the savages. " He was the personal and political friend of Sir Hen- ry Vane, who, in 1637, at the age of twenty-six years, was appointed governor of Massachusetts. Underbill was also an enthusiast in religion, so far, at least, as appearances were concerned, yet was a debauchee in practice. Strange as it may seem, the church did not censure him so much for his irregularities, as for saying that he dated his con- version from the time he was smoking tobacco. He was eccentric in many respects, and, in evei-ything he did, was apt to run into extremes. " That he was in America, as early as 1632, is evident from the accounts of the treasurer of the Massachusetts colony, showing that he received a pension of thirty pounds a year, for services rendered to the colony, in its contests with the Indians. Hutchinson says, he was one of the most forward of the Boston enthusiasts ; and Hub- bard declares, that, in 1636, he was in high favor with the governor, or, as he calls him, right worthy Master Vane. " He went to England, in 1638, where he was interro- gated, and finally banished. While in England, he pub- lished a book, entitled, ' News from America, or a New and Experimental Discoverie of New England ; contain- ing a true relation of warlike proceedings, these two years past, with a figure of the Indian fort or palisado ; by John Underbill, a commander in the wars there.' " This curious book is now quite scarce, but is, in all respects, singularly characteristic of its author. He gives therein, in his peculiar and quaint manner, aii account of the frequent, and sometimes sanguinary conflicts, be- tween the whites and Indians. The war against the Block Islanders, was occasioned, he says, by their mur- der of captain John Oldham, whom ' they knocked upon the head, and martyred most barbarously, to the great grief of his poor distressed servants, which, by the provi- dence of God, were saved. The blood of the innocent called,' says he, ' for vengeance ; God stirred up the heart of the honored governor, Master Henry Vane, and the rest of the worthy magistrates, to send a hundred well-appoint- ed soldiers, under the conduct of Capt. John Hendicot, and, in company with him, Capt. John Underbill, Capt. il BIOGRAPHY.— CAPT. UNDERBILL. 313 Nathan Turner, Capt. William Jenningson, besides other inferior officers.' " In the engagement which followed, Underhill received an arrow through his coat, and another against the helmet, upon his forehead, which said helmet he was advised by his wife to take. ' Therefore,' says he, ' let no man de- spise the advise and council of his wife, though she be a woman.' " The wi'iter gives a flattering description of the coun- try, and observes that ' Long Island is a place worth the naming, as affording many accommodations.' " Reading Lesson CXLI. Life of captain Underhill, continued. " Underhill afterwards resided at Dover, where he was made governor; but his conduct could not long be toler- ated, on account ot' his great irregularity. He behaved ery ungratefully toward the wife who, he acknowledges, ad, by her precaution, saved his life, in the affair with the Indians; and, with many expressions of sincere remorse, he besought the church ' to have compassion on him, and eliver him out of the hands of Satan.' " But the church considered him insincere, and cast im out of their communion. In 1639, he solicited to be eceived, with a few families, upon Long Island, and to snjoy the privileges of an inhabitant of the Dutch govern- Qent. This request was granted by the governor, upon ondition that he and his adherents should subscribe the ath of allegiance to the States General and the prince f Orange. It is probable that he declined the terms fFered. " Underhill had been engaged, with captain Mason, in ,n attack upon the Indian fort at Mystic, in which the erce spirit of that warlike tribe was finally broken, by e loss of so many men, as were then destroyed ; even assacus was discouraged ; and, very soon, those Indians, a tribe, were extinguished. In 1641, having been osen governor of Exeter and Dover, he was soon in ouble with the church, of which he was a member. ' He was, after his arrival on Long Island, employed iit> ^ the Dutch, and took command in the war with the l^ ftdians north of the Sound, and west of the Connecticut O 314 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.-LESSON CXLI. settlements. This contest lasted till 1646. In Trumbull's history, it is stated that Underbill destroyed three hundred Indians, north of the Sound, and one hundred and Iwentyj upon Long Island, who had crossed the Sound, to lavage and destroy the Dutch plantations there. At the perioc of this military employment, he lived at Stamford, ConneC'j ticut, was a delegate from that town to the general coui at New Haven, in 1643, and was appointed an assistant justice. " In 1644 he came, with the Rev. Mr. Denton, anc others of his church, to Long Island, and, soon after, bej came a resident of Flushing, where he evinced the sam« restless temper as formerly, and was anxious for a mil^ tary employment. " On the refusal of the committee of the United Cok nies to engage in the controversy between England anc Holland, he applied to Rhode Island, which, on the 17th" of May, 1653, resolved to appoint a committee from each town, ' for the ripening of matlei's that concerned the Dutch,' whom they styled enemies of that commonwealth, and agreed to furnish ' two great guns, twenty men, and other aid.' They also gave a commission to Undevhill and William Dyre, ' to go against the Dutch, or any ene- mies of the commonwealth of England.' " Under this authority, it is supposed he made an attack upon the Indians at fort Neck, when he captured the fort, anil destroyed many of the natives. He was after- wards settled in Oyster Bay ; for, in 1655, he was a dele- gate from that town to the meeting at Hempstead, by order of governor Nicoll, and was by him made sheriff of the north riding on Long Island. The Dutch had been detected by him, at a furmer period, in correspondence with the Indians, for the destruction of the English ; and, when they resumed possession of New York, in conse- quence of his disclosures in that respect, a^uard of sol- diers was sent from Manhattan to take him ; but on his engaging to be faithfid to the Dutch thereafter, he was set at liberty, and allowed to depart even without reproof " In 1667, the Matinnecock Indians conveyed to him a large tract of their lands, a part of which, called Killing- worth, remained in his family, for nearly two hundred years. His death occurred in 1672." biograpiiy.-dr. colden. 315 Reading Lesson CXLII. CADWALLADER COLDEN, Distinguished as a mathematician, a physician, a naturaHst and an historian, and, for many years, heutenant-governor of the pi'ovince of New York, was the son of the Rev. Alexander Golden, of Dunse, in Scotland, and was born February, 17th, 16S8. He completed the usual course of study, at the university of Edinburgh, intending to de- vote himself to the profession of medicine. But his favor- ite pursuit was the study of mathematics, in which he made great proficiency, according to the standard of mathematical studies, at that time, in Scotland. In 1708, he emigrated to Pennsylvania, and practised, las a physician, for some years; after which, he returned to England, and there acquired professional reputation by an ingenious essay on a branch of physiological research. [From London he went to Scotland, and repaired again to [America, in 1716. I He settled, a second time, in Pemisylvania, but, in Il718, removed to New York. After a residence of a lyear, in this city, he was appointed the first surveyor-gen- eral of the lands of the colony, an office for which his 'mathematical talent rendered him peculiarly competent. .He received, at the same time, the appointment of mas- ter in chancery, for which, however, neither his general learning, nor his studies in Scotland, could have afforded lim opportunity of special qualification. In 1720, he ilitained a seat in the king's council, under governor 3urnet. For some time previous to this, he had resided on a ract of land, about nine miles from Newburg, on the HLudson river, for which he had received a patent. Here le was exposed, at every moment, to the attacks of the ndians ; the tract being situated on what was then the rentier. His position, in this respect, was, no doubt, a hief cause of the interest which he took in the study of ndian life and character ; and, to the same circumstance, /e are probably indebted for his historical work on the 'ive Nations. In 1761, he was chosen lieutenant-governor of New 'ork, and occupied this station, during the remainder of 316 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON CXLIIL his life. He was, moreover, as the reader will remember, from our history, repeatedly placed at the head of affairs, by the absence or death of several governors. Golden, we have seen in the history, was a resolute tory, faithful to his notions of colonial subjection, and determined to oppose, on all occasions, the diffusion of popular ideas of liberty and independence. He was, therefore, no favorite with the people, especially after the odious measures of parliament which led to the revolution. On the return of governor Tryon, in 1775, he retired to a seat on Long Island, where he died, September 28th, 1776, in the 89th year of his age. Dr. Colden's literary productions were numerous, con- sisting of botanical and medical essays. Among them, is a treatise showing the causes, and pointing out the reme- dies, of the yellow fever, which, about the year 1743, desolated New York. He also wrote an account of the prevalent diseases of the climate, besides his history of the five Indian nations. But the work which cost him most time and labor, was one on the cause of gravitation, or, as the title runs in the second and enlarged edition, the " principles of action in matter," to which is annexed a " treatise on fluxions." Dr. Golden corresponded with many of the most dis- tinguished characters of his day, among whom were Lin- naeus, Gronovius, the earl of Macclesfield, doctor Franklin, and other individuals of eminent repute. He always took the greatest delight in the study of botany. His descriptions of between three and four hun- dred American plants, were published under the sanction of the university at Upsal, in Sweden, under the eye of the great botanist, Linneeus. He paid attention, also, to the climate, and left a long course of diurnal observations on the thermometer, the barometer, and the winds. On his character as acting governor, we have already dwelt, in the historical part of our work. Reading Lesson CXLIIL Writings of Dr. Golden. The following extracts will serve to give the reader an idea of the character of Dr. Colden's interesting work, the History of the Five Nations, WORKS OF DI^. COLDEX. 327 Customs of the Five Nations. " The Five Nations think themselves by nature sune nor to the rest of mankind, and call themselves JS hon^oe; that is men surpassing all others. Th's opinfon which they take care to cuftivate into their chi^d^en' gives them that courage which has been so terrible to aH the nations of North America; and they have taken such care to impress the same opinion of their people on all their neighbors, that they/on all occasionsSld the most submissive obedience to them " I have been told by old men in New England who remembered the time when the Mohawks made waron then Indians, that, as soon as a single Mohawk was dis^ to v!'. V^^ T""''^' '^^"- Indians'raised a cry from hi 1 like h ' w"^ ' -^iohnv^k ..-upon which tl7ey alTfled ike sheep before wolves, without attempting to make the least resistance whatever odds were on thei°r side th. .1'^- P.^'^^New-England Indians immediately ran to the christian houses; and the Mohawks often Lisued so closely, that they entered along with them, andTocl ed their brains out in the presence of the people of the house ; but if the family had time to shut the door the v never attempted to force it, and, on no occasion dd an J injury to the christians. ' ^"^ "All the nations round them have, for many years en n wampum : they dare neither make war nor peace without the consent of the Mohawks. Two old merf com! nionly go about, every year or two, to receive this tr but™ and I have often had opportunity to observe what aS^ the poor Indians were under, while these two old men ^^^^u^ T '^^' P""' ^^ ^he country where I was An o^d Mohawk sachem, in a poor blanket and a dhty sh^t t^oritv' ^^«V''^^"^r^" °^'^^^^ ^"'^ ^« arbitrary^anTu: thority, as a Roman dictator. ^ make'w.r"'' w'/^^ '\^^ ^^ '"^"'^' ^<>^^^er, that they make war; but from the notions of glory, which they thJf "T T' '''°"°'y ^-'"P^^"^^^ «" ^heir'minds ; and the farther they go to seek an enemy, the greater glory they think they gam. There cannot, I thinkfbe a JeZr or stronger instance than this, how much the sentfment" mipressed upon a people's mind, conduce to their grand- 31 S XEW-YOKK CLASS-rOOK.— LESSON CXUV. eiir. or one that more verities a saying often to be met with, thousrh but too little minded, that it is in the power of the rulers of a people to make thera either great or little : for. by inculcating only the notions of honor and virtue, or those of luxury and riches, the people, in a little time, will iHX'ome such as their rulers desire. The Five Nations, in their love o( liberty and of their country, in thoir bravery in battle, and their constancy in enduring torments, equal the fortitude of the most renowned Ro- mans. I shall finish their general character by what an enemy, a Frenchman, says of them. — Monsieur De la Poterie. in his history of North America. '• ' ^^'hen we speak.' says he, ' o£ the Five Nations in France, they are thought, by a common mistake, to be mere barbarians, always thii-stinsr at\er himian blood ; but their true character is very different. They are. indeed, the fiercest and most formidable people in North Amer- ica, and, at the same time, are as politic and judicious, as well can be conceived : and this appears from the manage- ment of all the affairs which they transact, not only with the French and English, but likewise with almost all the Indian nations of this vast continent/ " Keaping Lesso:^ CXLIV. E:r'riic: frc^n ;,';<• His:cr-j cf :he Five JV,:::. ";.-■. i-. •;:•'; :.to the code of laws adopted by the state. " He died at his seat near Albany, November 18th, 1804, in the seventy-third year of his age. He possessed 370 NEW-YORK CLASS BOOK.— LESSON CLXVL great strength of mind and purity of intention. In the contrivance of plans of public utility, he was wise and circumspect; and, in their execution, enterprising and persevering. In his deportment, he was dignified, but courteous. He was a pleasing and instructive companion, and, in all the functions of private life, was highly exem- plary." Reading Lesson CLXVI. WILLIAM FLOYD, " Commonly called general Floyd, great- grand son of the first emigrant of his name, was born on the family estate at Mastic, December 17th, 1734. His early education was less extensive than might have been expected from the wealth and ability of his father. His natural intelli- gence was great, and his moral character elevated. His academic course was hardly closed, when the death of his parent made it necessai'y for him to take charge of his patrimonial estate. " His sound mind, disciplined and enlightened by the moderate education he had received, his friendly disposi- tion, his kindness and affability, all united in rendering him popular in the community where he lived; and, at an early age, made him a leading man among his fellow-citizens. His fidelity in the execution of minor offices imposed upon him, induced his promotion to others of more importance, and, eventually, to some of the highest places of political trust and confidence. He was early chosen an officer in the militia of Suffolk county, and rose finally to the rank of major-general. " At an early period of the controversy between Great Britain and her colonies, the feelings of general Floyd were strongly enlisted on the side of the people; and he entered, with zeal, into every measure calculated to ensure their rights and liberties. These feelings, on his part, ex- cited a correspondent sympathy on the part of the people, and led to his subsequent appointment to the first conti- nental congress, which met at Philadelphia, September 5th, 1774, and he most heartily concurred in all measures adopted by that body. " On the journals of 1775, are recorded the numerous committees on which he served and the important ser- BIOGRAPHY.-GEN. FLOYD. 371 vices which his intelligence and active habits, enabled him to render, to promote the common cause. " Few of the leading patriots of the revolution suffered more severity than he. His mansion-house and farm were exposed to the enemy, during their possession of Long Island; and his family were, of course, exiled from their home and propeity. The produce and stock of his estate were seized, to furnish provisions for the British army; his woods cut down, for their use ; and his dwelling used as a rendezvous for a party of horse. Thus, for seven years, he derived no benefit from his lands ; while he and his family were driven to find shelter and safety in Connecti- cut. When again allowed to return to his home, he found it, as might have been expected, in a state of dilapidation and ruin. The naked soil was nearly all that remained without bearing marks of destruction. "General Floyd was one of that immortal band of pa- triots, who, on the 4th of July, 1776, signed and published to the world the great charter of American independence. In 1777, he was elected a senator, and, on the 7th of No- vember, of that year, took his seat in the first constitutional legislature of this state. On the 15th of October, 1778, he was appointed by the legislature a member of congress, and was reappointed, on the 14th of October, 1779. " On the adoption of the federal constitution, in 1788, and when the government was to be new-organized, he was returned a member of the first congress convened in New York, March 4th, 1789, when general "Washington was inaugurated president of the United States. "In 1784, he purchased a tract of land, now of great value, on the Mohawk river, then in a state of nature, without inhabitants or culture ; and, when free from pub- lic life, he undertook to improve it. To this estate he removed with his family in 1803, — after having been, in 1800, one of the electors of president and vice-president of the United States, when he deposited his vote for the republican candidates, Jefferson and Burr, and, in 1801, having been a delegate from Long Island, to the conven- tion called to revise the state constitution. He afterwards served repeatedly as presidential elector, and, for the last time, in 1820. " He continued to enjoy unusual health, till near the close of life ; and the faculties of his mind remained un- 372 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.-LESSON CLXVII. impaired to the last. In his person, he was of roirlflle stature, and possessed a natural dignity, which seldom failed to impress those with whom he associated. H leased, and partly cultivated ' upon shares.' The Home Farm, cultivated under their own immediate direction, comprises upward of two thousand acres, of which more than half is a rich alluvial ' flat' of the Genesee river. This portion was for many years the only part from which any profit was derived ; and to the raising and feeding of cattle, of which mention has already been made, was added the culture of hemp, for which crop the inexhaustible fertility of the soil was admirably adapted. " The hilly land which borders the alluvial soil on the east, was, in its original state, what is styled an 'oak open- ing,' namely, a swelling surface studded with gigantic black-oak trees, and free from undergrowth. Tlie latter had been kept down by the fires which the Indians were accustomed to light in it, for the purpose of rendering it a profitable hunting-ground. Where this custom is put a stop to, young trees and bushes speedily Jiiake their ap- pearance ; and unless cultivation of some description be applied, the whole soon becomes a tangled thicket. This description of land was at first considered to be of little value. When, however, the state of the Spanish peninsula B10GRAPHY.-JAME3 WADS WORTH. 441 led to the importation of considerable flocks of Merino sheep, the Wadsworths were speedily among the largest proprietors of animals of that species, which were fed upon the uplands; and the high prices which the fleeces long bore upon the seaboard, sufficed to defray the cost of the tedious transportation to the navigable waters of the Hudson. " Experience has shown that the oak openings, so much underrated at first, are better fitted for the growth of wheat than any other soils. But it is not surprising that this valuable property should have so tardily developed as to be considered by some a fortuitous discovery. It was not until the Erie canal was opened, that wheat would yield a return of the bare freight from the Genesee river to a market ; and hence there was no inducement to cultivate more of that grain than could be consumed on the spot. In spite, however, of the admirable adaptation of the up- land of the Home Farm to the production of wheat, gra- zing was, to the very last, the principal object. This appli- cation to a purpose which might, at first sight, appear the least profitable, was dictated by the prudence of Mr. Wadsvvorth, who was aware that it was impossible, by means of hired labor, to cultivate 'grain on as good terms as could be done by those who held their own ploughs. For similar reasons, root crops never formed a part of his system of husbandry. " The leasehold lands were, at first, granted to the settlers for the term of two joint lives and the survivor ; the parties named being usually the settler and his wife. By mutual agreement, these were subsequently changed to leases for a term of years ; and this became, from that time, the form of the original contract. These farms usually comprised each about one hundred acres. The rent was, in most cases, fixed by a money standard ; but it was many years before money began to pass from the tenant to the landlord. The convenience of the former demanded that it should be received in the product of the farm, or worked out in labor. It was not until the war of 1812 caused the expenditure of government funds in the Western district of New York, that money made its appearance ; and this was in the form of a partially de- preciated paper. The establishment of banks speedily followed ; and they were, in spite of the taint on their II ^* " 443 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON CCIV. origin, the instruments of no little benefit to the poor landholders and the tenants of small farms. " Larger farms than those of one hundred acres, were leased for shorter terms, on the conditions of the payment of a share, usually one-third, of the grain crops, and a stipulated sum for the portions not under the plough. The rotation of the crops on property of this description, and the manner of cultivation, required much individual attention from the proprietor, and, although more profit- able to him than lands leased in the other manner, were far more troublesome to manage." Reading Lesson CCIV. Life of James Wadsivorth, continued. " In the collection of his rents, Mr. Wadsworth looked for the same punctuality and good faith from his tenants- that he was accustomed to exhibit in his own dealings with others. Hence, with the improvident or careless, o he gained the reputation of severity. That this was un- e merited, none acquainted with his active benevolence « and equanimity of temper can doubt. The knowledge, t] on the part of his tenants, of the steadiness of his course, in this respect, was, to the industi-ious, rather a benefit than an injury, for it compelled them to a close calcu- lation of their profits ; and the requirement of punctu- ality in payment prevented the careless from accumulat- ing debts beyond their ability to discharge. " Many of the farms held for long terms of years, re- verted to Mr. Wadsworth before his death ; and, while the land itself was generally in good order, the tenants had, for the most part, made such profit from the occu- pation as to be in comfortable circumstances. From in- quiries and comparisons made upon the spot, it was inferred that the tenants of his estate were, upon the whole, more successful in their pursuits, enjoyed a greater share of comfort, and laid by larger profits than those who purchased, upon credit, lands of equal quality in the neighborhood. " Mr. Wadsworth married, in the year 1804, Naomi Wolcott, of East Windsor, Connecticut. In his wife he had the good fortune to meet with tastes and disposition congenial to his own ; and those who had the happiness of BIOGRAPHY.-JAMES WADS WORTH. 443 enjoying her acquaintance, still speak in the highest terms of her worth. Under her inspection and management, in circumstances that all who have attempted house- keeping on a liberal scale in new settlements, will know to be those of difficulty, the mansion at Geneseo became a model of well-ordered, generous, and yet unostentatious hospitality. " The loss of his wife, of his brother, and of a daughter who had just reached the age of womanhood, and been fortunately married, shed a, gloom over some of his later years ; but he still took pleasure in collecting a circle of select friends at his residence, daring the season at which Geneseo was readily accessible. Intelligent, well in- formed, and fond of intellectual converse, he possessed, in a high degree, the happy talent O'f drawing out his guests, and bringing their several talents and acquire- ments into requisition, for their mutual entertainment. The visitors of liis house, hence, never felt the pains of ennui ; and while he laid no restriction upon their engaging in games of chance or skill, the customary re- source of vacant minds in country residences, it is said that no desire for amusements of this description was felt by his occasional inmates for the last twenty years of his life. " The success which attended Mr. Wads worth's career was due, in a great degree, to his regularity and skill, as a man of business. We have seen how actively he was employed, for many years, in bringing his property into a productive state. In his later years, he, without noise or apparent effort, directed the cultivation of the large farm retained in his own hands, superintended the numerous tracts let upon shares, and gave due attention to his interests in the leases for long terms of years; while he, at the same time, fulfilled with punctilious exactitude the duties of agent for several considerable estates. All this was effected with so much ease and method, that, to his visitors, he had the air of being entirely at leisure. " Habits of this description gave him, during the winter and times unfavorable for travelling, the command of many hours in each day. These were employed by him in reading and literary correspondence. His favorite study was political economy ; but he did not fail to keep himself informed of the progi-ess of all the physical 444 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON CCV. Bciences. He, in fact, furnished a singular instance of a person who had closed his elementary education, and entered into a life of great activity, at a period when the very names of chemistry, geology, and mineralogy, were yet unknown in our colleges; and had, notwithstanding, and at a distance from all the usual facilities, contrived to acquire as much of them as is considered necessary as an accomplishment, in our modern schemes of in- struction. " The interest he took in these pursuits, was enhanced by the clear view which he took of their power of being usefully applied to agriculture; and while, upon his own lands, the necessity of renovating the soil appeared in a perspective too remote to affect his descendants for several generations, he, notwithstanding, felt a generous impulse to bring the aid of science to those less fortu- nately situated. Selected tracts on scientific subjects in general, and others specially devoted to the application of science to agriculture, were, for tliis purpose, printed at his expense, for gratuitous distribution. In many cases the fact of his intervention in these publications, remained unknown, except to himself and the editors. Other articles of less extent he caused to be inserted, at his expense, not only in agricultural periodicals, but also in the newspapers circulating among the farmers of the state." Readiijg Lesson CCV. Life of James Wadsivorth, continued. " The utility of these efforts was evidently limited by the want of education among the persons for whose benefit they were intended ; and a knowledge of this fact led to the direction of his attention to the extension and improvement of the school system of the state. The subject of the education of the body of the people, thus became the absorbing interest of his later years. In his reflections on this subject, he formed the conclusion that the important point was to form a taste for reading, and provide suitable books; and it was among his projects to give to subjects of instruction the popular form of the newspaper. To carry this into effect would have re- quired more. time than he could have personally devoted to it ; and he found no one equally enthusiastic in the BIOGRAPHY.-JAMES WADSWORTH. 445 cause with himself. Failing in this, he suggested the plan of the school-district libraries; and, when this had received the sanction of the state legislature, his in- fluence was exerted in procuring the printing of an an- nual series of suitable works, and his taste consulted in the choice of a competent editor. To insure the publica- tion of the series thus selected, he became responsible for the sums directed by the law to be raised in school dis- tricts in his own neighborhood — of which in most cases a pait, and in some the whole, became an actual contribu- tion to the cause of education from his private purse. He had thus the consciousness of bestowing a chaj"ity of the best description, and in the most unostentatious manner ; for, so far as the publishers or the public could learn, the funds appeared to be raised in the usual man- ner, by subscription or assessment among the inhabitants of the district. " His influence was more directly and openly exerted in urging the enactment of a law by which the controller of the state of New York was authorized to purchase, and send to every school district in the state, a copy of Hall's ' Lectures on Teaching.' Finally, aware of the want of text-books specially adapted to the use of the common schools, he placed in trust a sum sufficient to call the best talents into competition, to be paid to the authors of the best elementary treatises on certain specified subjects. After much delay, on the part of the very distinguished gentlemen who were invested with the power of award- ing the prize, the money was paid to the successful can- didates ; but, by this time, the want he had desiied to supply had been satisfied by individual enterprise, and the successful treatises have not been published. In the selection of his umpires, Mr. Wadsworth had regard to a character beyond suspicion of improper influence, and in- telligence of the highest order. It was not his fault that they undertook a duty which their important avocations as statesmen prevented them from performing for a long time, and then, it is believed, by deputy. Nor can we blame him if the works exhibited for competition were so inferior in quality, or the judgment in awarding the prizes so imperfect, that the authors of the prefeired treatises have not yet been able to find a publisher bold enough to risk his capital on the faith of the award. 446 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK— LESSON CCV. " His plan had embraced the publication, at his own cost, of the successful compositions. The necessity of such publication having been done away with by private enterprise, the fund he had set apart for this purpose was applied, by his directions, to the publication of a work drawn up by professor Nott and Mr. Emerson, entitled, ' The School and the Schoolmaster.' " With views of the same description, he encouraged the access of lecturers on subjects of utility to his neigh- borhood ; and the sums with which he eked out their re- muneration from their auditors reached, in the aggregate, a large amount. " In his efforts for the promotion of education and the dissemination of knowledge among the people of the stale, Mr. Wadsworth studiously avoided publicity. He appears to have shrunk with instinctive modesty from any mention of his name as a public benefactor. Many of the facts which have just been stated, have been reached with diffi- culty ; and it may be inferred that they are far from being a complete list of the benefits he confeiTod upon his fel- low-men.* « " The correspondence of Mr. Wadsworth was necessa- rily voluminous, from the amount of the interests which he either possessed or represented. But, in the later years of his life, it took a more extended form ; and to the details of mere business he added a series of communica- tions on subjects of literature and science, in particular relation to his darling scheme of extending and improving the means of popular education. His letters are marked with the precision of the man of business and the pure diction of the scholar ; and it is said that they were occa- sionally extended into well-digested essays on the subjects he had so much at heart. Of these, but one has seen the light, in a piinted form. This was a letter on the subject of civilizing the Indians, which appeai'ed in the newspa- pers of the day. The publication, however, took place without his knowledge ; and, had he been consulted, he * It may not be deemed irrelevant, here, to state the fact, known only to the publishers of the original American Journal of Education, and the compiler of the present work, then editor of that periodical, that when that work was established, in 1826, its existence was, for a time, maintained, to a gi-eat extent, by the personal liberality of Mr. Wadsworth and the friends whom he induced to cooperate with him. II BIOGRAPHY.- JAMES WADSWORTH. 447 would probably have refused his assent. The distin- guished statesman to whom it was addressed, was, no doubt, of opinion that he had no right to lock up so valua- ble a communication from the public, on whom it was well calculated to produce a powerful impression, and that favorable to the interests of a race which, unless some powerful agency intervene, seems destined to destruction. "It might have been expected that with such extensive concerns to manage, as a land agent and landlord, not to mention the great extent of his own farm, cultivation on a small scale could have created but little interest in his breast. But this was not so; for he delighted in directing the culture of his garden, and in propagating the finest descriptions of fruit adapted to the climate, although he eschewed the costly luxury of the forcing-house. " One peculiarity marks and distinguishes his posses- sions not only from those of small proprietors, but from those of the greater part of large landholders. This is, the manner in which they are studded with trees, isolated and in clumps, or surrounded and divided by belts. In this respect, their aspect is that of the most admired por- tions of England, with this difference in their favor — that the trees are not planted by the hand of man, but continue to exhibit the grandeur of form and dimensions which they had acquired in the primeval forest. In England, accord- ing to his own statement, he learned to love trees, ere it was too late to prevent their entire destruction on his own domains, by the unsparing axe of the pioneer of cultiva- tion. He, moreover, was taught that a time is finally reached, in the progress of population, when timber is of more value than any other product, even of the most fer- tile arable soils. With this love of the beauty of trees as a mere object of sight, and sense of their prospective value, he willingly encountered the prejudice which represents them as injuring the meadows, whether for the scythe or for pasture, by their shade. To his surprise, he found no diminution in the product of hay in his sheltered savannah, while to his stock, in the summer of our climate, the um- brageous shelter proved of incalculable benefit. More par- ticularly his rich alluvial land, extended in the form of a peninsula from a narrow isthmus, has been protected from encroachment and from the wash of the river, by the native belt of wood which surrounds it. 448 NEW-YORK CLASS-BOOK.-LESSON CCVI. " Few as are the events which mark epochs in the quiet and successfully industrious life of Mr. Wadsworth, it would be possible to dilate, at great length, upon these and other points in which his example and experience might be of great value to the proprietor and cultivator of land. We have, however, already exceeded the limits to which we are confined, and must hasten to a conclusion. " In 1843, Mr. Wadsworth became sensible of a decline in his health. His disorder soon exhibited symptoms which demonstrated its pj'obably incurable nature. The certain- ty of his dissolution, at no distant day, became apparent to him ; and although he yielded to the wishes of his friends and children, by trying a change of scene and air, he was himself aware how fruitless must be the attempt. The slow and gradual approach of death he awaited with equanimity and fortitude ; and, although he no longer manifested his accustomed interest in his favorite active pursuits, his intercourse with his friends was not devoid of its usual cheerfulness, which was damped rather by their anxieties than by his own. Returning to his resi- dence at Geneseo, he there died on the 7th of June, 1844." Reading Lesson CCVI. DAVID HOSACK, M.D. and LLD., " Eminent as a physician, and as a lecturer in several de- partments of his profession, was born in the city of New York, on the 31st of August, 1769. After receiving his preparatory classical education, first, in the school of the Rev. Dr. McWhorter, at Newark, in New Jersey, and, next, in that of Dr. Peter Wilson, at Hackensack, in the same state, he became a student of Columbia college, in his native city, in the year 1786. There he continued during the space of two years and a half, when he went to Princeton college, where he was gi-aduated A.B., in 1789. " On his return to New York, he studied medicine, under the direction of Dr. Richard Bayley. He subse- quently attended the medical lectures in the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia. The degree of M.D. was conferred upon him, by this institution, in 1791. "Dr. Hosack commenced the practice of his profession at Alexandria, in the District of Columbia ; but quitted that place, about a year afterwards, — although he had made BIOGRAPHY.— DR. HOSACK. 449 a very favorable impression on its inhabitants, — with the design of fixing his residence in the city of New York. " Not long, however, after his ai-rival there, he changed his plans, and went to Europe, to prosecute his medical studies more extensively and profitably, than it was, at that period, supposed could be done in his own country. He heard lectures, and attended the hospitals, at Edin- burgh and London ; and he did not confine his attention exclusively to subjects strictly professional. His attain- ments in natural history, and especially in botany, led to his being elected a member of the Linnsean society. " A paper was also presented by him to the Royal so- ciety, the purpose of which was, to show that the eye adapts itself to view objects at different distances, by means of the external muscles. This paper was publish- ed in the transactions of the society, in 1794. " Dr. Hosack returned to New York, in the course of the year just mentioned, and immediately entered on the duties of his profession. Through his own merits, as well as the patronage of Dr. Samuel Bard, then an eminent practitioner of medicine, who took him into partnei-ship, his reputation rapidly grew ; and when Dr. Bard, in 1800, retired to his country-seat at Hyde-Park on the banks of the Hudson, Dr. Hosack was left in the possession of an extensive and valuable practice. Such a practice too, he contiimed to enjoy until he himself, thirty years after- wards, retired to the same Hyde-Park, which he had purchased. " Dr. Hosack was equally distinguished as a professor or lecturer, and as a practitioner of medicine. His first professorship was that of botany, in Columbia college ; to which he was appointed in 1795, the year following that in which he returned from Europe. In 1797, he became professor of materia medica, as well as of botany. On the establishment of the college of physicians and sur- geons of the state of New York, he was chosen, by the regents, to one of the chairs of that institution. " On the organization of the Rutgers medical college, in 1826, he became professor of the theory and practice of physic in that institution, and remained such until its op- erations were suspended, in 1830, by the action of the state legislature in behalf of the medical school under the superintendence of the regents of the university. 450 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON CCVIL ic " As an author, Dr. Hosack is also entitled to publ notice. His medical writings consist of a number of es- tsays or discourses, — for the most part inserted in the medical journal, — which were collected and published by him, in three volumes octavo, under the title of Medical Essays, together with a System of Practical Nosology. " His other writings are a discourse on horticulture, one on temperance, biographical notices of Dr. Rush and. Dr. Wistar, and an elaborate memoir of De Witt Clinton. " Dr. Hosack was a fellow of the Linncean society of London, and of the Royal society of London, of the Royal society of Edinburgh, and also a member of the Ameri- can philosophical society. " He died of an attack of apoplexy, on the 23d of De- cember, 1825, in the sixty-seventh year of his age." Reading Lesson CCVII. DE WITT CLINTON, " Was born, March 2d, 1769, at Little Britain, in Orange county. New York. His family was of English origin. His father served, with great distinction, during the revo- lutionary war, and became a major-general in the army '. of the United States. His mother's original name was De Witt: she was a member of the distinguished Dutch family of that name ; her parents having emigrated to America. " Mr. Clinton was educated at Columbia college, where he highly distinguished himself. He then commenced reading law with the late honorable Samuel .Tones, and, in due time, was admitted to the bar. But before he was able to acquire any practice of importance, he was ap- pointed private secretary to his uncle, George Clinton, and continued in this office until the end of his relative's administration, in 1785. " In the interim, he had been chosen secretary to the board of regents of the university, and to the board of fortifications of New York. " In 1797, Mr. Clinton was elected a member of the legislature of New York, at the time when the two great parties which have since divided the country, were organ- ized, and embraced the republican or democratic side. " In 1800, he was chosen by ' the council of appoint- BIOGRAPHY.-DE WITT CLINTON. 451 lent,' of which body he was a member, to support their ause, in a controversy between them and governor Jay. ^his was finally settled by a convention, which met at ilbany, in ISOl, when the constitution of New York was lodified in various ways. " The same year, he was chosen a member of the senate f the Union, in order to supply the vacancy occasioned y the resignation of general Armstrong, and continued a lember of that body for two sessions. After that period, e was chosen mayor of New York, and remained in this ituation, with the intermission of but two years, until 815. " In 1817, he was elected, almost unanimously, gover- or of the state ; the two great parties having combined )r the purpose of raising him to that dignity, — so high ras the general sense of his talents and services. " After his reelection, great resistance, on the part of is political opponents, was made to his measures ; but, jrtunately, the canal scheme, of which Mr. Clinton was ne of the prime movers and most efficient advocates, had een so firmly established, that it was secure from attack. " In 1822, he declined offering himself again as a cari- idate, and retired into private life." Reading Lesson CCVIII. Life of De Witt Clinton, continued. "In 1810, Mr. Clinton had been appointed, by the sen- te of his state, one of the board of canal commissioners; ut his political opponents, who were, at that time, great- y predominant in the legislature, succeeded in depriving im of his office. " This act, however, occasioned a complete reaction of he public feeling towards him. His friends did not suf- er the opportunity to escape, but again brought him for- vard, as a candidate for the office of governor, and suc- ;eeded in securing his election. In 1826, he was again sleeted ; but he died before the term was completed. " His decease was in consequence of a catarrhal affec- ion of the throat and chest, which, being neglected, oc- sasioned a fatal disease of the heart. He expired almost nstantaneously, whilst sitting in his library, after dinner, February 11th, 1828. 452 NEW- YORK CLASS-BOOK.— LESSON CCVIH. " The next day, business was suspended in Albany. The public testimonials of respect paid to his memory, throughout the state and the Union, were almost number- less. His body was interred with every honor. " In person, Mr. Clinton was tall, finely proportioned, and of a commanding aspect. In his domestic and social relations, he was cheerful and kind ; in his friendships, warm and sincere ; and, in his moral character, unexcep- tionable. His manners were rather distant and reserved, in consequence of long habits of abstraction, and a natural diffidence, of which he never could divest himself " Mr. Clinton was an early riser, and extremely labori- ous ; every moment which he could spare from his neces- sary duties, being devoted to the cultivation of his mind. No one was ever more ambitious of a reputation for science and literature. In some of the physical sciences he was especially versed ; and his proficiency, as a classical and belles-lettres scholar, was very considerable. Hfe was a member of a large part of the literary and scientific insti- tutions of the United States, and an honorary member of many of the learned societies of Great Britain and the continent of Europe. " His productions are numerous, and consist of his speeches in the state legislature and in the senate of the - Union ; his speeches and messages as governor; his dis- courses before various literary, philosophical, and benev- olent institutions ; his addresses to the army, during the late vvar ; his communications concerning the canalf and his judicial opinions; besides various fugitive pieces. " As a public character, he is entitled to lasting honor,— His national services were of the greatest importance;! the ii.rie canal, especially, although his title to the merit ot being the originator of the project may be disputed, will always remain a monument of his patriotism and per- severance. He was, also, a promoter and benefactor of many religious and charitable institutions. "In the performance of judicial duties which he was called upon to discharge whilst mayor, and as a member of the 'court of errors,'— the highest judicial tribunal of JNew iork,— his learning and ability have received un- qualified encomium. "As a magistrate, ho was firm, vigilant, dignified, and of incorruptible integrity. From none of his official sta- BIOGRAPHY.— CADVVALLADER D. COLDEX. 453 tions did he derive any pecuniary benefit ; though he had often opportunities of acquiring affluence. As an orator, he was forcible and manly, though not very graceful." Reading Lesson CCIX. CADWALLADER D. GOLDEN, " Was the grandson of lieutenant-governor Golden, and son of David Golden, — a gentleman who was distinguished for his attainments in mathematics and natural philoso- phy, as well as his correspondence with Dr, Benjamin Franklin. " The subject of our present sketch was born at Spring- hill, near Flushing, in Queen's county. Long Island, on the 4th of April, 1769, and was educated, in part, at home, by a private tutor. He went to school, however, at the tov/n of Jamaica, not many miles distant. " In the spring of 1784, he embarked with his father for England, where he attended a classical school near London, until the autumn of 1785, when he returned to New York. He then commenced the study of law, in that city ; but his family affairs making it necessary for him to visit the British province of New Brunswick, he pursued his legal studies there, for some time, and com- pleted them, on coming back to the state of New York in 1789, at Kinderhook, on the Hudson river. " Mr. Golden was admitted an attorney, in January, 1791, and received from governor George Glinton a com- mission as a public notary. He had practised his profes- sion in the city of New York for a short period only, when he removed to Poughkeepsie, in Dutchess county. There his success was so decided as to encourage him to resume his station at the New- York bar, in 1796. "About this time, he received the appointment of dis- trict attorney ; and, by his zeal, industry, and talents, soon laid the foundation of his subsequent eminence as a lawyer. " His intense application to business, however, so im- paired his health, in the course of a few years, that his friends became seriously alarmed on his account; and it was judged expedient that he should go on a journey, with a view to its restoration. He embarked, accordingly, for France, in the spring of 1803, and spent about eighteen 454 NEW- YORK CLASS BOOK.— LESSON CCIX. months in that couTitry and other parts of the continent of Europe. " Returning from abroad, with his constitution reinvig- orated by this excursion, he not only found no difficuhy in recovering the business which he had before his de- parture from home, but rapidly extended it. His success was, indeed, flattering in the extreme; and, it was not many years before his standing, as a commercial lawyer, was at the head of his profession ; while, in every other respect, he was ranked among the first. "On the occurrence of the war with Great Britain, in 1812, although it is probable that his practice at the bar was more lucrative than that of any other member of his profession in the state, Mr. Golden relinquished a large portion of it, that he might attend to military duties. He was colonel of a regiment of volunteers, and contributed his aid, efficiently, in the erection of the fortifications which were deemed necessary for the defence of the city of New York. " Mr. Golden was elected a member of the House of Assembly, in 1818 ; and, during the same year, succeeded Mr. De Witt Glinton, as mayor of the city. As such, he presided in the municipal court, and, by his ability, dig- nity, and impartiality as a judge, fully sustained the high reputation which that court had obtained. "In 1822, he was elected to congress; and, in 1824, to the senate of his own state. He was a distinguished and useful member of these bodies; his opinions being always listened to with great respect, and especially so on questions requiring, for their proper decision, exten- sive legal attainments. " In addition to the professional and other duties al- ready mentioned, which Mr. Golden was called upon to perform, he found leisure to bestow much attention on devising the means of promoting, in various ways, the im- provement and well-being of the community to which he belonged. The intellectual and moral education of youth was, with him, a favorite object ; and the public schools in ; New York, accordingly, ranked him among their most active and efficient founders and patrons. He took a i prominent part in digesting a proper system for the ref- ormation of juvenile delinquents, and was subsequently \ the president of the society incorporated for this impor- BIOGRAPHY.— CADWALLADER D. GOLDEN. 455 tant purpose. For many years he was one of the govern ors of the New-York hospital." Reading Lesson CCX. Life of CadwaUader D. Colden, continued. " Mr. Colden was one -of the earliest and most zealous promoters of the system of ' internal improvement' in the state of New York. His name is recorded among those subscribed to the celebrated memorial on the subject, bearing date in February, 1816 ; and he was a member of the committee of correspondence appointed by the great meeting held in the city of New York, in that year, relating to it. In the history of the Erie canal, which was published by order of the state legislature, we find his name often recorded in connection with measures condu- cive to the accomplishment of that important work. After its completion, he wrote, as is well known, the memoir concerning it which was published by the common coun- cil of the city. " Subsequently to his withdrawal from the senate, in 1827, he devoted much of his time to the supenntending of the construction of the Morris canal, connecting the waters of the Delaware river with the bay of New York. " His hfe of his friend, Robert Fulton, is his chief lit- erary production. It was read by him before the New- York literary and philosophical society, and published by that association, with the laudable design of erecting some memorial in honor of that eminent and successful experimental philosopher. " Mr. Colden contemplated the publication of the writ- ings of lieutenant-governor CadwaUader Colden, in a number of volumes, with an original memoir of his life, drawn up from materials in his possession ; but he made only partial advances in the undertaking. " His death, from dropsy in the chest, took place on the 7th of February, 1834, in Jersey city, where he had resided for several years. " What has been said by Mr. Colden of Fulton, may, with entire propriety, be applied to himself: — ' In all his domestic and social relations, he was generous, liberal, and affectionate. He knew of no use for money, but as it was subservient for charity, hospitality, and the sciences.' 456 NEW-YORK CLASS BOOK.-LESSON CCXI. "Besides the time and money which he spent in pro- moting the interests of his fellow-citizens, in the various i modes already mentioned, it may be stated, to his great credit, that he was ever solicitous to afford encouragement to the younger members of his profession, to genius in the arts and sciences, and, in short, to all who were actuated by commendable motives. To such he liberally imparted his counsels, his hospitalities, and even, if requisite, pecu- niary aid. And there was no advocate at the bar more prompt to lend his professional services, without reward, when the occasion called for it, in defence of tiie poor and unfortunate," Reading Lesson CCXI. MRS. FRANCES P. LUPTON, " A woman of very extraordinary attainments, was the daughter of Dr. Piatt Townsend, formerly of Cedar Swamp, Long Island, and was married early to Lancas- ter Lupton, Esq., — a lawyer of respectable attainments, who died, a few years after his mairiage, leaving to his widow the care of an infant daughter, who likewise died, — ere she completed her sixteenth year. " On the decease of her husband, Mrs. Lupton devoted herself to the acquisition of knowledge, both as a source of rational delight, and for the improvement of her child. And, having tasted the pleasures of science, she continued the pursuit, after the object which first urged her forward, had been taken away by death. " She acquired a general knowledge of natural history, particularly of botany, of which sbe was very fond, and, in which she made great proficiency. She spoke the French language with facility, and was also well versed in its lit- erature. She read Spanish and Italian with ease, and had so far mastered Hebrew, as to have perused the Old Testament in that language. She was, moreover, learned in the polite literature of her own country ; and her knowl- edge of ancient history was distinguished for its accuracy and extent. Her taste and skill in the fine arts, excited universal approbation. " She was an honorary member of the National Acad- emy of Design, and executed, during her leisure, many pieces in painting and sculpture, which elicited high com- BIOGRAPHY.-REV. DR. J. M. MASON. 457 mendation from the most competent judges. Among all her various pursuits, she neither overlooked nor despised the oi-dinary avocations of her sex. " Her productions in embroidery, needle-work, dress, and fancy articles, would of themselves, on account of tlieir execution, have justly entitled her to the praise of uncom- mon industry. In short, she attempted nothing in which she did not excel'; and in an industrious and well-spent life, there were but few things which she did not attempt. She spent much time, however, in society, and mingled in its enjoyments with alacrity and pleasure. In a word, she was one of those rare and highly gifted females, whose endowments are not only an ornament to her sex, but to human nature. In all the relations of wife, mother, rela- tive, and friend, she was all that duty required, or that affection could desire." Reading Lesson CCXII. JOHN MITCHELL MASON, D.D., "An eminent theologian and pulpit orator, was born in the city of New York, March 19th, 1770. He entered Columbia college, in that city, and was graduated in May, 1789, with the reputation he ever afterwards sustained, of a thorough classical scholar. " Under his father, a learned and respectable clergy- man of the Presbyterian denomination, he then prepared himself for the sacred ministry, until the year 1791, when he left his native country, in order to complete his educa- tion at the university of Edinburgh. Hei-e he attended the most celebrated courses of lectures connected with divinity, and formed valuable and distinguished acquaint- ance. In the theological societies, he made himself con- spicuous by the vigor of his understanding, the energy of his elocution, and the rigor of his doctrines. " Towards the end of the year 1792, he was obliged to return to New York, by the death of his father, whom he soon succeeded in the Scotch presbyterian church in Ce- dar street. " In 1800, he conceived the idea of a public theological seminary, to be established by the authority, and to con- tinue under the superintendence of the general synod of the ' associate reformed church.' The plan which ha U 158 NEW- YORK CLASS-B00K.-LES30\ CCXIII. digested, was carried into operation, by his own agency and influence, in 1801. " The synod appointed him their professor; and, with their sanction, he visited Europe, for the purpose of pro- curing a library. After his return, he zealously discharg"