Yale University Library

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Early Long Island, addres?
William Wmton Goodrich

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EARLY LONG ISLAND

An Address by
HON. WILLIAM WINTON GOODRICH
delivered before
THE NEW YORK SOCIETY
OF THE
ORDER OF THE FOUNDERS AND
PATRIOTS OF AMERICA
March 16, 1904

THE NEW YORK SOCIETY
OF THE
Order of the Founders and Patriots of America

OFFICERS
FOR THE YEAR ENDING APRIL IQ, 1904
Governor
Hon. ROBERT B. ROOSEVELT
Deputy- Governor
THEODORE FITCH
Chaplain
Rev. GEORGE B. SPALDING, D. D.
Secretary
SAMUEL VICTOR CONSTANT
Treasurer
HENRY DUHRING MILLER
State Attorney
WALTER SETH LOGAN
Registrar
TEUNIS D. HUNTTING
Geneaolgist
COLGATE HOYT
Historian
JOHN ELDERKIN
Councillors
MILO MERRICK BELDING, Jr.
HENRY LINCOLN MORRIS
Col. HENRY W. SACKETT
EDWARD PAYSON CONE
Hon. WILLIAM WINTON GOODRICH
WILLIAM A. MARBLE
THEODORE GILMAN
HOWARD SUMNER ROBBINS
JAMES LE BARON WILLARD

Note
The following address was delivered by the Hon.
William Winton Goodrich, of the New York Society
of the Order, before said Society at a meeting held
at the Hotel Manhattan, New York City, Wednesday
evening, March 16, 1904, and is published by the
New York Society of the Order of the Founders and
Patriots of America, in accordance with the vote of
said Society.

EARLY LONG ISLAND.
BY
HON. WILLIAM WINTON GOODRICH

Probably the first person to discover that Long Island was
entirely surrounded by water was Adrian Block, who sailed from
Holland in 1613. Arriving at Manhattan Island, he erected a
fort and a few dwellings and traded with the Indians for skins.
Late that fall his vessel, the "Tiger," was accidentally burned
while lying at anchor off the Battery, and he wintered on Man
hattan Island. The next summer he completed and launched
the first decked vessel built in America, the " Onrust." In this
little craft of 16 tons he set out on an exploring expedition and
was the first European to pass into the Sound through that
treacherous opening which he aptly christened Hell Gate. He
discovered the Connecticut River and ascended it for a con
siderable distance. Then, returning, he crossed the Sound to
Montauk Point, visited the island which is named for him, gave
the name Roodt Eylandt to what is now Rhode Island, and con
tinued on to Cape Cod, where, after visiting Salem (to which
the Dutch had previously given the name of Pye), the limit of
what he regarded as the Dutch possession, he left his American-
built yacht and returned to Holland in one of the Dutch vessels
which had accompanied him on his westward voyage.
The grant made by Charles II. to the Duke of York in 1664
covered a large territory, including New York State, and also
" all that island or islands commonly called by the several name
or names of Matowacks or Long Island."
The Duke completed a code (afterwards commonly known as
" The Duke's Laws ") for the government of the entire colony,
which went into effect in 1674. These were promulgated at
Hempstead, L. I., in 1665 and are still on file in the Clerks'
offices at East Hampton and Hempstead.
Long Island very early derived its distinctive name from its
peculiar shape. By act of Colonial Legislature in 1693, the
name was changed to " Island of Nassau," but, though the act
was never repealed, the name soon became obsolete.

8 Early Long Island
At the time of the first settlement of Long Island by the
Dutch and English it was occupied by thirteen distinct tribes
of Indians, who were very numerous, as is evidenced by the
immense shell banks on the shores of many harbors and bays.
Yet the conduct of the Long Island Indians towards the whites
is without a parallel in the history of this country. Even indi
vidual acts of aggression were rare, and, as the historian, Prime,
well said : " It is a remarkable fact, which should be recorded to
the eternal honor of the Long Island Indians, that they never
formed a general conspiracy, even of a single tribe, against the
whites." The reason for this is found, doubtless, in the kind
and equitable treatment which they received at the hands of the
whites. Among the first Europeans to settle on Long Island were
some Walloons, who came over with Peter Minuet, in 1626, and
made their homes on the western end of the island. They gave
the Wallabout its name. The first family to settle in what was
afterwards the town of Brooklyn was that of Rapalje, a French
man. In the spring of 1625 they made their home near the
present site of the Navy Yard, and on June 9th of that year the
first white child on Long Island was born to them. An interest
ing story is told how the good Peter Minuet discovered this
infant's fondness for Indian dumpling.
One day Peter and three friends, having crossed over to Long
Island on a gunning excursion, became extremely hungry and
entered Rapalje's house to seek refreshment. Finding no one
within, they helped themselves to an Indian dumpling, the only
eatable they could find. Just as they were concluding their
frugal repast, the housewife, with her child in her arms, returned
from the field, where she had been assisting her husband.
Finding her only provision consumed by a company of lawless
intruders, she gave them a severe reprimand, calling them
thieves and robbers, but particularly complaining that she had
come home on purpose to feed her hungry child, and they had
consumed the only article of food that she had to give it. When
she had finished her complaint, the good-natured Minuet made
himself known, and promised, when the ships came from Europe,
to give her a milch cow in compensation for the dumpling. He
was better than his word, for, with the cow, he gave her an ad
ditional tract of land, for the support of her child.

Early Long Island 9
The greater part of Long Island, the eastern and central, was
originally settled by people from New England, who formed an
alliance with the older colonies on the main and placed them
selves under the government of the Connecticut Colony. This
alliance extended as far west as what is now Queens County
and caused a prolonged controversy between the Dutch govern
ment of New Netherlands and Connecticut, which was not
settled until the Treaty of Hartford in 1650, when the Dutch
and English commissioners met at Hartford and agreed that the
easterly part of Long Island should belong to the English and
the westerly to the Dutch, the dividing line running south from
Oyster Bay. In view of the proximity of New Amsterdam to
the western portion of Long Island, it seems strange that the
eastern portion was first settled, but this was because the early
arrivals there came in groups. They purchased the land of the
Indians and obtained patents from the English government
authorizing them "to make purchases of the Indians, and settle
thereupon, with as full and free liberty, both in church and civil
government, as the plantations in Massachusetts enjoyed." Some
of these groups actually came with their churches already organ
ized, and enjoyed divine worship on the first Sabbath of their
history. Thus Southold was settled in 1640 and Southampton
about the same time. At the west, however, the settlements
were commenced in desultory manner, and while the first Euro
pean family to settle on Long Island made its home within the
present boundaries of Brooklyn and others followed, there is no
evidence that they assumed or received the power of municipal
jurisdiction until 1646.
It is a notable fact that the first houses of worship erected
within the entire province of New Netherlands were built on the
easterly end of Long Island. In 1640, a church was erected at
Southold, and one was commenced during the same year at
Southampton and completed the following year. In the city of
New Amsterdam, on the other hand, the first Dutch Church was
not commenced till 1642 and not completed till 1647. On the
west end of Long Island, the first church was commenced at
Flatbush in 1654, and in this the inhabitants of Brooklyn and all
the adjacent settlements combined. The two hundred and fifti
eth anniversary of this church was celebrated with great cere
mony only a few weeks ago.

10 Early Long Island
During the terms of the Dutch governors of New Amsterdam,
many Dutch and English came to Long Island, the English, who
settled Gravesend, Newtown, Flushing, Jamaica and Hempstead,
becoming necessarily, though reluctantly, Dutch subjects. Upon
the peaceful conquest of New Amsterdam by the English in
1664, Long Island became annexed to and a part of the posses
sions of the Duke of York. It is interesting in this connection
to note that the first Mayor of New York was Captain Thomas
Willet, of Plymouth, Massachusetts. His great-great-grandson,
Colonel Marinus Willet, held the same office in 1807. After nine
years of misgovernment by the deputies of the Duke of York,
this territory, by another peaceful conquest, came once more
under the government of the Dutch. Their control lasted but
a scant two years, a period as to which English historical writers
have been remarkably silent. During this time Connecticut,
Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth Colonies assisted the English
on the central and eastern portions of Long Island to make
considerable resistance to the Dutch government. By the treaty
of Westminster, February 19, 1674, the terms of which provided
that England was to receive New Netherlands in exchange for
Surinam, the colony of New York was finally restored to the
agent of the Duke of York in October of that year and New
Orange became New York.
Not until October 17, 1683, did New York have a popular
assembly, after Dongan had been sent over as governor by the
Duke, to convoke a free legislature. " And thus, "says Thomp
son, in his history of Long Island, "by the persuasions of a
Quaker (William Penn, whose advice had been sought by the
Duke of York), did a bigoted Roman Catholic prince give
orders to a papistical governor, to introduce a popular assembly,
elected by the people themselves, who had before no share in
the government. An event similar in principle, and of nearly
equal importance to that glorious independence which their de
scendants procured for themselves in less than a century after."
The condition of Long Island during the Revolutionary War
was peculiar. The battle of Long Island, to which I shall pres
ently refer, and the early occupation of the territory by the
British forces prevented all expression of patriotic sentiment,
which, as the years passed, became stronger and stronger in
other parts of the colonies.

Early Long Island ii
" The inhabitants of Long Island generally," says Prime, " are
entitled to as high a character for patriotism and love of free
dom, as any part of the country. Though in consequence of
the island being taken possession of by the British army, at an
early period of the Revolution, and held under absolute subjec
tion to its close, they had not the opportunity of engaging
actively in the contest, yet the sacrifices which they made, the
sufferings which they endured, and the assistance they rendered
to the cause of freedom, whenever an opportunity presented,
entitled them to a place among the most patriotic citizens. It
is a fact, that the little county of King's alone, while under the
constant surveillance of British officers, found means to furnish
more than $200,000 in specie, to aid their countrymen, in the
prosecution of their rights. Of this sum, $5,500 was furnished
by a single individual, in whose house a British officer had his
quarters, and supposed the owner to be favourable to the royal
cause. This whole amount was loaned, with no other security
than a scrap of paper, which, in many cases, was buried in the
ground, to prevent detection."
For six years, the people of Long Island were continually ex
posed to the grossest insult and abuse. They were harassed,
plundered and humiliated, yet they were to experience an act of
injustice from their own State. " By an act of the Legislature of
the State of New York, passed May 6th, 1784, a tax of ^100,000
was imposed upon the southern district, ^37,000 of which was
assigned to Long Island, as a compensation to the other parts
of the State, for not having been in a condition to take active
part in the war against the enemy ! " Thus," says Wood, in
an article published in 1828, " what had been their misfortune
was interpreted a crime ; and because they did not emanci^
pate themselves from a mighty army, to whose power the whole
continental force had abandoned them in the very commence
ment of the contest, they must be subjected to a heavy fine ;
and after being pillaged by a remorseless enemy, and tortured
by their constant presence for six gloomy years, they must be
taxed to repair the losses of those who had been subjected only
to occasional depredations. It is difficult to find, in the whole
course of human legislation, a grosser 'violation of public law
and the immutable principles of justice.'"

Early Long Island
THE BATTLE OF LONG ISLAND.

The British evacuated Boston on March 16th, 1776, and New
York became the strategic center of the war. " Neither Hell,
Hull nor Halifax," wrote a British officer, "can afford worse
shelter than Boston." Yet the British fleet first refitted at
Halifax and did not arrive at Sandy Hook until about July 1st,
when General Howe landed his forces on Staten Island to await
reinforcements, which arrived that month, increasing his strength
to 30,000 experienced veterans. Washington agreed with Jay,
that it was best to burn New York, lay waste Long Island and to
defend the Hudson at West Point, thus preventing New England
from being shut off. The Continental Congress, however, having
resolved that New York must be held, Washington promised "his
utmost exertions under every disadvantage," desiring, as he
said, "to obey the orders of Congress with a scrupulous exact
ness." In the defense of New York, he had 10,000 raw troops
scattered fifteen miles apart, for none could tell where the attack
would be made and it was most likely to come at more than one
point at the same time. His position could hardly have been
worse, and only what has been termed a military fiasco prevented
a sudden termination of the war and the cause of American
Independence. Just as at Bunker Hill, Howe attacked where
Washington most desired; but, while at Bunker Hill he had
shown rash temerity, in this campaign his conduct was to be
marked by extreme dilatoriness. On August 2 2d the British
landed at Bath Beach, Gravesend Bay, but did not begin their
forward march until four days later.
Brooklyn Heights was the position most necessary to be held,
for guns mounted there would command New York. Before
daybreak on the 27th, the British line had advanced. Howe,
starting early with more than half of his army, made a wide
detour by way of the Jamaica road, in secret, as the people of the
neighborhood sympathized with the British. On the left, General
Grant was in command of the Highland troops, while in the
center were the Hessian troops under General von Heister. It
was the first time these mercenaries were used in this country, but
there was no doubt that they would fight for their lives, for they
had been instructed that the Americans gave no quarter.
Grant met the American outposts under Lord Sterling (notable

Early Long Island 13
as the only lord on our side), probably near what is now Dyker
Heights. Grant had once made a speech in Parliament, in which
he declared that with 5,000 British troops he could march from
one end of the colonies to the other. Sterling had been present
and had heard the boast. As he formed his men in line of battle
he repeated it to them, and added: "He may have his 5,000
with him now; we are not so many, but I think we are enough
to prevent his advancing further than that mill-pond." At this
time Grant had more than 5,000 men, yet he did not drive Sterling
back to any extent until ample reinforcements from the center
and right of the British line had come to his assistance ; but
this is anticipating.
Opposed to the Hessians were Sullivan and his men, defending
the Bedford and Flatbush roads. The line between the armies
probably ran through what is now Prospect Park and Greenwood
Cemetery. It was simply impossible for the Americans to cover
the stretch of territory occupied by the British, and Howe easily
outflanked the American line and appeared in Sullivan's rear
shortly after the latter engaged the Hessians. The rout was
•complete. Wilson says: "The Americans were outnumbered,
ridden down and sabred by dragoons, riddled by solid infantry,
mowed by light batteries," and Sullivan and nearly all his force
were made prisoners. Referring to this engagement, a British
officer wrote: "The Hessians and our brave Highlanders gave
no quarter; and it was a fine sight to see with what alacrity they
dispatched the rebels with their bayonets, after we had surrounded
them so they could not resist. We took care to tell the Hessians
that the rebels had resolved to give no quarter — to them in par
ticular — which made them fight desperately, and to put to death
all that came into their hands." Another British officer of rank
wrote: "The Americans fought bravely, and (to do them
justice) could not be broken till they were greatly outnumbered
and taken in flank, front and rear. We were greatly shocked at
the massacre made by the Hessians and Highlanders after
victory was decided."
On the American right, a brave defense was put up by Sterling
for four hours. His line of battle stretched from Gowanus Bay
to the Flatbush road, his center being on Battle Hill, in what is
now Greenwood Cemetery. The Connecticut regiment on his
right, holding the Gowanus road, was finally overwhelmed, and

14 Early Long Island
Von Heister and his Hessians at last poured in on Sterling's left
in a most savage assault, giving no quarter, slaying the wounded
and mutilating the slain. Cornwallis, too, coming from the rout
of Sullivan, attacked Sterling's rear and took the Cortelyou
house. Then came a charge which, it is claimed, has never been
surpassed. To save his command from capture, Sterling re
formed his line near what is now the junction of Fifth avenue
and Tenth street, Brooklyn, and, with less than 400 remaining of
the Maryland Regiment, again attacked the enemy. " Artillery
ploughed their lines, infantry rained lead into their ranks, and
the Hessian jagers picked them off from the hills ; but," says
Palmer, " above the roar of the slaughter and the scream of the
hideous cheers and jeers, the shout of the patriot leaders rang
loud and hearty, 'close up! 'close up!' — and the staggering
but unflinching files, grown fearfully thin, closed up across the
corpses of their fellows, and again turned their faces to the foe.
They drove the British advance back upon the Cortelyou house,
and never halted until Cornwallis poured grape and canister
into their faces. The shattered column was driven back — but
only for a breathing space to gather their hearts together, as
Sterling pointed to the struggling masses in the water, choking,
drowning and dying, and shouted, ' close up !' Panting, bloody,
wild-eyed, they gathered about him once more and charged
again — this time with such frantic impetus that they swept the
gunners from their battery and dashed like breakers against
the very walls of the house. Cornwallis, astounded and con
fused, would have recoiled, but again the fire from the jagers on
the heights drove those wild lads back — only to return three
times to fling themselves upon a reinforced enemy ; of scarcely
350, the dead and wounded prisoners numbered 271. Sterling was
captured, but through the unexampled bravery of the remnant
of the Maryland Regiment, "an hour more precious to Amer
ican liberty than any other in its history had been gained, and
the retreat of many hundred of their countrymen covered. The
carnage of a battle could scarcely have been more destructive
than that retreat, for at this time no vestige of an army forma
tion remained — only a mob of flying people, among whose
masses officers and privates were borne undistinguished along."
A monument in memory of this gallant affair has been erected
in Prospect Park. Thus ended the Battle of Long Island, for

Early Long Island 15
Howe did not follow up his advantage by assaulting the de
fenses on Brooklyn Heights.
Washington's position, however, with no immediate retreat
possible, owing to the enemy's complete control of all the water
approaches, was simply desperate, but reinforcements came to
him in the shape of three good regiments, one of which, already
famous, was made up under Colonel Glover of sailors and fisher
men from Marblehead and Gloucester, and had marched over
land from Boston. At this particular time, Washington needed
men who could handle an oar and trim a sheet far more than he
did those who could only handle a musket and wield a shovel.
Colonel Glover was a man whose modesty alone had prevented
name from appearing among the signers of the Declaration of
Independence and it was a singular piece of good fortune that
brought him to Washington at this juncture. Washington never
forgot the service rendered him by Glover and his men at the
most critical moment of the Revolutionary struggle.
We are all familiar with the East River and know something
of the strength of its tidal currents. The Americans had only
what small craft of various sorts they could collect, yet, under
cover of almost providential fog during the few dark hours of the
short August night, the second after the battle, those sturdy tars
rowed and sailed over to the New York shore the entire force of
about 9,000. No British craft patroled the river, and a negro
servant sent by a Tory wife to inform the British of the retreat,
being met by Hessian sentries who could not understand his
language, was detained till morning, when the information was
too late. Washington was the last to leave the Brooklyn shore.
Howe's dilatoriness and a most fortunate combination of cir
cumstances had enabled Washington to withdraw his forces from
a position absolutely untenable, and thus was made possible a
continuation of the war for independence.
After the American army abandoned Long Island to the
British, the prominent Whigs of Suffolk fled to the mainland
with what they could carry, leaving their other possessions to the
enemy. Those who remained took an oath of allegiance against
their wills and became treacherous subjects of the King. Most
of the people of Queens County took the oath of allegiance in
good faith, and observed it. The leading Whigs, trusting to
British proclamations, remained at home and were punished in

16 Early Long Island
various ways, many suffering imprisonment and death. In Kings
County the situation was like that in Queens, and the leading
Whigs who did not flee were thrown in the Provost. Soon after
the American army had left the island the principal inhabitants
of Kings, Queens and Suffolk had signed a representation of
loyalty to King George the Third, and in order that this might
have as much influence as possible in the other rebellious por
tions of the state, it was published in the New York Mercury,
with the names of all the signers in Kings and Queens.

Early Long Island 17
BRITISH PRISON SHIPS OF THE
WALLABOUT.

The British victory in the battle of Long Island, and the
capture of Fort Washington in November following, brought
more than 5,000 prisoners, who crowded the existing prisons in
New York to overflowing. Awful as was the suffering of those
incarcerated in the city prisons, their wretched lot was not to
be compared with the utter misery of those unfortunates who
were confined in ten prison ships anchored in the Wallabout, for
merly the cattle transport ships of the British and used as pris
ons during the continuance of the war. These foul hulks,
swarming with filth and vermin, were literally packed with the
captives. Scant rations and impure water were served to them,
when anything at all was doled out, for it frequently happened
that some of the prisoners received no food for days at a time. >
They received no clothing and became mere bundles of rags.
There was no medical attendance furnished and the men died
like sheep, of starvation and fever. Such a relief was it to get
a breath of pure air that the cry of the guard every morning,
" Bring up the dead," always met with an active and plentiful
response. It is well authenticated that on one hulk alone, the
" Old Jersey," over 10,000 of the prisoners died, while the total
number of deaths approximated 20,000. An eye-witness of some
of these horrors wrote : " I saw the sand beach, between the
ravine in the hill and Mr. Remsen's dock, become filled with
graves in the course of two months ; and before May 1, 1777,
the ravine itself was occupied in the same way. In May, 1777,
two large ships were anchored in the Wallabout, when the prison
ers were transferred from the Whitby to them. These vessels
were also very sickly, from the causes before stated. Although
many prisoners were sent on board of them, and none exchanged,
death made room for all. On a Saturday afternoon, about the
middle of October, 1777, one of the prison ships was burned ;
the prisoners, except a few, who, it is said, were burned in the
vessel, were removed to the remaining ship. It was reported at
the time that the prisoners had fired their prison, which, if true,
proves that they preferred death, even by fire, to the lingering
sufferings of pestilence and starvation."

i8 Early Long Island
As early as January 13, 1777, Washington had written to Howe
about the cruel treatment of prisoners in the ships, saying : " I
hope the miseries of cold, disease and famine may not be added
to their other misfortunes. You may call us rebels, and say we
deserve no better treatment, but remember we have feelings
keen and sensible as loyalists, and will retaliate on the unjust
invaders of our rights, liberties and properties. My injured
countrymen have long called on me to obtain redress of their
grievances. I am sorry I am again under the necessity of re
monstrating to you on the treatment which our prisoners con
tinue to receive in New York. Those who have lately been sent
out, giving the most shocking accounts of their barbarous usage,
which their miserable, emaciated countenances confirm. If a real
scarcity of provisions and fuel, at this inclement season, is the
cause that our prisoners are debarred from them, common hu
manity points out a mode, which is, to suffer them to go home
under parole, not to serve during the war, or until an equal
number are released by us. Most of the prisoners who have
returned home have informed me they were offered better treat
ment, provided they would enlist in your service."
To go ashore to dig graves was a privilege eagerly sought
by the prisoners, and the fortunate ones, though prevented by
the guards from bathing their faces as they rowed to the shore,
sometimes managed to bring back clods of earth for those left
behind to smell of. Though the prisoners believed that no
efforts were being made in their behalf by their countrymen,
they steadfastly refused freedom, conditioned as it was upon
service in the British army. True heroes, they sang, with what
strength remained, their patriotic songs on the Fourth of July,
the first anniversary of Independence Day, and were sworn at,
abused and finally many of them were bayoneted.
Philip Freneau, our Revolutionary poet, himself one of the
prisoners, told his story in a thrilling, if not very lyrical, poem
written in 1780 : .
" The various horrors of these hulks to tell,
These Prison Ships where pain and horror dwell,
Where death in tenfold vengeance holds his reign,
And injur'd ghosts, yet unaveng'd, complain;
This be my task — ungenerous Britons, you
Conspire to murder those you can't subdue.

Early Long Island 19
Of the food he wrote:
Such food they sent, to make complete our woes,
It looked like carrion torn from hungry crows,
Such vermin vile on every joint were seen,
So black, corrupted, mortified and lean.
His tragic reference to the Hospital Prison Ship was:
Now toward the Hunter's gloomy sides we came,
A slaughter-house, yet hospital in name ;
For none came there (to pass thro' all degrees)
'Till half consumed, and dying with disease.
********
O may I ne'er review these dire abodes,
These piles for slaughter, floating on the floods—
And you, that o'er the troubled ocean go,
Strike not your standards to this miscreant foe.
Better the greedy wave should swallow all,
Better to meet the death-conducted ball,
Better to sleep on ocean's deepest bed
At once destroy'd and numbered with the dead,
Than thus to perish in the face of day
Where twice ten thousand deaths one death delay."
The last words, "one death delay," doubtless referred to the
jailer, Cunningham, who was in charge of the prisoners. There
is a letter, said to have been written by him, in which, just before
his death, he confessed his frightful crimes in his dealings with
the prisoners. There is some question of its authenticity, but
the facts which he details are susceptible of proof, and coincide
with historical records.
" The Life, Confession and Last Dying Words of Capt. Cun
ningham, formerly British Provost-Marshal in the City of New
York, who was executed in London, the 10th August, 1791.
" I, William Cunningham, was born in Dublin Barracks, in the
year 1738. My father was Trumpeter in the Blue Dragoons; and
at the age of eight years I was placed with an officer as his
servant, in which station I continued until I was sixteen, and
being a great proficient in horsemanship, was taken as an assistant
to the riding master of the troop, and in 1761, was made sergeant
of dragoons; but the peace (in the war with Spain) coming the
year following, I was disbanded. Being bred to no profession, I
took up with a woman who kept a gin shop, in a blind alley, near

20 Early Long Island
the Cole Quay, but the house being searched for stolen goods,
and my doxy taken to Newgate, I thought it prudent to decamp;
accordingly I set off for the North and arrived at Drogheda,
where, in a few months after, I married the daughter of an
exciseman, by whom I had three sons. About the year 1772, we
removed to Newr)r, where I commenced the profession of scaw-
banker, which is that of enticing mechanics and country people
to ship themselves for America, on promise of great advantage,
and then artfully getting an indenture upon them, in consequence
of which on their arrival in America, they were sold or obliged
to serve a term of years for their passage. I embarked at Newry,
in the ship Needham, for New York, and arrived at that port the
4th day of August, 1774, with some indented servants I had
kidnapped in Ireland ; but they were liberated in New York, on
account of the bad usage they had received from me during the
passage. In that city I used the profession of breaking horses
and teaching ladies and gentlemen to ride ; but rendering my
self obnoxious to the citizens in their infant struggle for free
dom, I was obliged to fly on board the Asia man-of-war, and
from thence to Boston, where my own opposition to the meas
ures pursued by the Americans in support of their rights, was
the first thing that recommended me to the notice of Gen. Gage ;
and when the war commenced I was appointed Provost-Marshal
to the Royal Army, which placed me in a situation to wreak my
vengeance on the Americans. I shudder to think of the mur
ders I have been accessory to, both with and without orders from
Government, especially while in New "York, during which time
there were more than 2000 prisoners starved in the different
churches, by stopping their rations, which I sold. (It used to be
said of Cunningham at that time : ' He fed the dead and starved
the living.') There were also 275 American prisoners and ob
noxious persons executed, out of all which number there were
only about one dozen public executions, which chiefly consisted
of British and Hessian deserters. The mode of private execu
tions was thus conducted : A guard was dispatched from the
Provost, about half-past twelve at night, to the Barrack street,
and the neighborhood of the upper barracks, to order the
people to shut their window shutters, and put out their lights,
forbidding them at the same time to presume to look out of
their windows and doors on pain of death, after which the un-

Early Long Island 21
fortunate prisoners were conducted, gagged, just behind the
upper barracks, and hung without ceremony, and there buried
by the black pioneer of the Provost. At the end of the war, I
returned to England with the army, and settled in Wales, as
being a cheaper place of living than in any of the populous
cities ; but being at length persuaded to go to London, I entered
so warmly into the dissipations of that capital, that I soon found
my circumstances much embarrassed, to relieve which I mort
gaged my half pay to an army agent ; but that being soon ex
pended, I forged a draft for ^300 sterling, on the Board of
Ordnance, but being detected in presenting it for acceptance, I
was apprehended, tried and convicted, and for that offence am
here to suffer an ignominious death. I beg the prayers of all
good Christians, and also pardon and forgiveness of God for
the many horrid murders I have been accessory to.
Wm. Cunningham."
Of the above extraordinary confession, Onderdonk, in his
little history of Suffolk and Kings, says : ' All the dates, his
torical and local allusions, in this confession, as far as I know,
are correct ; which would almost incline any one to put faith in
the startling disclosures it makes of the secret murdering of
American prisoners. The question of its genuineness can be
put at rest only by referring to the London newspapers or the
records of Newgate. It was printed in a Philadelphia paper
towards the close of 1791 (about the time it would probably
reach there from England) and is spoken of as just received
from London, and is authentic' Thence it was copied into the
Boston papers, but does not appear to have attracted much
attention." Mr. Robert H. Kelby, Librarian of the New York Historical
Society, writes me that " The confession of Cunnigham was
published in the 'American Apollo,' Boston, 1792, Vol. I, page
68, and reprinted in the 'American Historical Record,' Vol. II,
page 441, also in the Memorial History of the City of N. Y.,
Vol. II, page 540, Note."
At the end of the war, the " Old Jersey" was abandoned as
she lay, but so great was the fear of contagion, that no one
dared to board her, and she finally sank at her anchorage.
For many years the bones of the dead were found scattered
along the Wallabout shore, and even now excavations uncover

22 Early Long Island
them ; even so lately as 1900 a large number of skeletons were
found. As early as 1792 efforts were begun to remove the re
mains to a suitable location, and in the beginning of the last
century many of the bones were removed and reinterred near
Front street. Appropriate ceremonies were held and the corner
stone of the new tomb laid by the Tammany Society or Colum
bian Order. Later, in 1873, the remains were again removed to
Fort Greene Park, where they now lie entombed. Efforts are
being made to erect a suitable monument in their honor, and it
will not be long before a splendid memorial will mark the place
of their eternal repose, and tell to all succeeding generations the
story of their martyrdom. In that effort our order should have
part and place.

1794

rcK