Olde Ulster : an Historical and Genealogical Magazine
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31833027626958 iGENEALOGY 974.701 IUL70 1906 Price Tzventy-five Cent LD STER An Hiftoricai and Genealogical Magazine Mf KINGSTON, N. V. P ub I t/h e d by the Editor^ Be nj a m i 7i My er B r i Ji k , k. IV. Andcrfon 6- Son, Printers, IV. Strand, King/Ion, N. V. ",;b!ic Library 3ox 2270 ^ u LSTER County SA VINGS InstiHction No. 278 Wall Street Kingston, New York Depofits, $3,000,000.00 I N G S T O N K SAVINGS BANK No. 273 Wall Street Kingston, New York OFFICERS: James A. Betts, Pres Chas Burhans, Treas Myron Teller, [ .^ „ Frank Johnston, Act ^^"^^'^^^^ John E. Kraft, \ j. j. Linson, Counsel HTHE DR. C. O. SAHLER SANITARIUM KINGSTON, N. Y. A\ental an^ Nervous Diseases CONTENTS Vol. II JANUARY, 1906 No. i Page The Rescue of the Captives i Ravages of Esopus Wolves 9 Saving the State Records lO Religious Liberty in New Netherland. .^ 13 Orphan Masters in Old Ulster 14 The Call to Domine Blom 16 Journal of Henry Pawling 18 Lineage of the De Witt Family 25 The Cauterskill Falls . 28 Editorial Notes 32 pORSYTH& DAVIS BOOKSELLERS & STATLONERS 307 WALL STREET, KLNGSTON, N. V. m E have a few copies of the ^ ^ ^ ^ Dutch Church Records that we offer at a very low price. These books are invaluable in tracing the history ot Ulster County families and are becoming scarce. We also have a large line of -^^s 5ouvcnir Postal Cards ^^ showing local scenes, including the Rev:>luticnary Buildings. OLD^ VLSTER Vol. II JANUARY, 1906 No. I 7/^^ Rescue of the Captives RS. VAN IMBROCH, who had been one of the captives at the Indian "new fort" in the Shawangunk, whose ransom price had been paid, but who had been taken to Little Esopus by her captor in spite of his prom- If ise to give her up, when she had at last freed herself, attempted to guide the troops ^* to the Indian stronghold. She was not suc- cessful in piloting the soldiers through the wilderness, nor could it have been expected. The pres- ent attempt was to accomplish the rescue of nearly every one of the captive women and children. Continuous rains through August had prevented the march and swollen every stream to the overflowing of its banks. We left Captain Cregier just across the Rondout at Rosendale after a day's detention there while ropes and axes could be obtained from Wildwyck to construct rafts. At last, about two o'clock in the afternoon of the 4th of September, 1663, his forces I O Id e Ulster advanced and he bivouacked for the night four miles further on his way. The rain continued to fail. The energetic commander was not to be deterred by obstacles. He was determined once for all to strike and bring the matter to an end. He had despatched ahead an Iroquois, one of the faithful allies of the Dutch of the Mohawk tribe, to prevail upon the Esopus savages to keep their captives in their fort and not scatter them through the woods as usual. Now he was advancing with all celerity to surround them and their captives in their stronghold. We will quote the graphic words of the accomplished captain who knew how to write the story as well as march and fight : " Sept. 5th, 1663. —Set out again at daybreak, and about noon came to their first maize field where we discovered two squaws and a Dutch woman, who had come that morning from their new fort to get corn. But as the creek lay between us and the cornfield, though we would fain have the women it was impossible to ford the stream without being seen and then discovered. We, therefore, adopted the resolution to avoid the cornfield and the road, and turned in through the woods so as not to be seen. Arrived about two o'clock in the afternoon within sight of their fort, which we discovered situate on a lofty plain. Divided our force in two—Lieuten- ant Couwenhoven and I led the right wing, and Lieutenant Stilwil and Ensign Niessen the left wing. Proceeded in this disposition along the hill so as not to be seen and in order to come right under the fort ; but as it was somewhat level on the left side of the fort and the soldiers were seen by a squaw, who was piling wood there and who sent forth a terrible scream which was heard by the Indians who were standing and working near the fort, we instantly fell upon them. The Indians rushed forthwith through the fort towards their The Rescue of the Capti houses, which stood about a stone's throw from the fort, in order to secure their arms, and thus" hastily picked up a few guns and bows and arrows, but we were so hot at their heels that they were forced to leave many of them behind. We kept up a sharp fire on them and pursued them so closely that they leaped into the creek which ran in front of their maize land. On reaching the opposite side of the kill, they courageously returned our fire, which we sent back, so that we were obhged to send a party across to dislodge them. In this attack, the Indians lost their Chief, named Papequancehen, fourteen other warriors, four women and three children, whom we saw lying both on this and on the other side of the creek, but probably many more were wounded, when rushing from the fort to the houses, when we did give them a brave charge. On our side three were killed and six wounded and we have recovered three and twenty Christian prisoners out of their hands. We have also taken thirteen of them prisoners, both men and women, besides an old man who accompanied us about half an hour but would not go further. We took him aside and gave him his last meal. A Captive Indian Child died on the way, so that there remained eleven of them still our prisoners. The enemy being conquered, we reviewed our men ; found that we had one wounded more than we had horses. Convened the Council of War ; submitted to them what was now best for us to do relative to cutting down the maize. The Council of War decided that we could indeed cut it down, but were any more of our men wounded, how could they be removed having already one more than we had horses, and this one must be borne, with great trouble, on a litter by two. Resolved to let the maize stand for the pres- ent plundered the ; houses wherein was considerable booty, such as bear skins, notassen, blankets, elk hides, besides sev- eral other smaller articles many of which we were obliged to leave behind that we could not bring along with us, for we could well fill a sloop. We destroyed as much as we could; ' Olde Ulster broke the kettles into pieces; got also twenty- four or five guns, more than half of which we smashed and threw the barrels here and there in the stream, hacking and breaking in pieces as many as we could. Found, also, several horns and bags of powder, in all about twenty pounds; got also thirty-one belts and some strings of wampum; took the best of the booty along and resolved to set off. Placed the wound- ed on the horses and had one carried in a blanket on poles by two soldiers in turns. Set out thus in good order on our return and marched that day full two [Dutch, or six English] miles from the fort. The fort was a perfect square with one row of palisades set all around being about fifteen feet above, and three feet under ground. They had already completed two angles of stout palisades, all of them almost as thick as a man's body, having two rows of portholes, one above the other ; and they were busy at the third angle. These angles were constructed so solid and strong as not to be excelled by Christians. The fort was not so large as the one we had already burnt [at Kerhonkson. See Volume I, page 357.] The Christian prisoners informed us that they were removed every night into the woods, each night to a different place, through fear of the Dutch, and brought back in the morn- ing ; but on the day before we attacked them a Mohawk visited them, who slept with them during that night. When they would convey the Christian Captives again into the woods the Mohawk said to the Esopus Indians— 'What! do you carry the Christian prisoners every night into the woods ! To which they answered— 'Yes.' Whereupon the Mohawk said, ' Let them remain at liberty here for you live so far in the woods that the Dutch will not come hither, for they can not come so far without being discovered before they reach you. ' Wherefore they kept the'prisoners by them that night. The Mohawk departed in the morning for the Manessings and left a new blanket and two pieces of cloth which fell to us also as booty; and we came just that day and fell on them ; The Rescue of the Captives so that a portion of them is entirely annihilated. Wherefore praise and thanks be given to God Almighty. The course lies about South Southwest to the Indians' new fort [Blooming- burgh] which is distant about twelve miles. The way is some- what stoney and hilly, but the road for the greater part is good.