fort, all the gates in the palisade were closed, and no person might
enter or leave the city from that time, which was nine of the clock in
the evening, until sunrise of the next morning.
I have heard it said that there were many living beyond the palisade who
claimed that this was all too early for them to leave the houses of
their friends in the town, when there for a visit of pleasure; but I
hold to it that he who would remain out of his bed longer than that is
little better than a night-brawler, because of honest people being ready
for sleep when the day's work is at an end.
OTHER THINGS ABOUT TOWN
A thing which displeased me, though perhaps I was easily put out by
anything Director Stuyvesant did, was that he should have set up the
gallows in front of the stone tavern built by Master Kieft, after it had
been turned into the town hall.
[Illustration]
To me that instrument of justice was a blot on the fair building, even
though it be something necessary in all towns; the whipping-post and the
stocks seem to be there by right, and do not cast such a horror upon
him who passes them, but to have ever in sight that which had been built
for the taking away of men's lives is, in a way, brutal.
The hooft, or city dock, was ever a pleasant lounging place to me,
particularly when there were many ships in the roadstead. It was
pleasing to sit there idle, thinking Master Tienhoven was poring over my
accounts when the day was so fair that one enjoyed being in the
sunshine, and to watch the ships or the small boats that flitted to and
fro. It was enough to make one believe that in the days to come this New
Amsterdam of ours might grow to be even as large as Amsterdam in
Holland.
[Illustration]
Then could I, and all others who had a part in the building of the town,
look back with pride upon our life-work, save that in it should be
something of shame and crime, as in the case of Master Kieft, who, I may
say here, was drowned in a shipwreck on his way back to Holland to
answer to the Company for his misdeeds.
But there was at times one matter which gave me pain at the city dock,
and that was whenever there arrived a vessel laden with black men, who
had been stolen from Africa. With such a scene in view I had no desire
to linger.
It so chanced that I went there on a certain day when the _White Horse_,
a slave ship that came more than once to our town, was sending ashore a
throng of forlorn looking negroes to be exposed for sale, and there was
so much of suffering and heart-sickness in the scene that I went back to
the storehouse, glad to stay with Master Tienhoven rather than see the
misery which I could not cure.
A VISIT OF CEREMONY
Before Master Stuyvesant had ruled over us many months, he went in great
state to meet the governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony at some place
in the Connecticut Colony, and if all that was said regarding the matter
be true, he did what he might to persuade the Englishmen that he was of
vast importance in this New World.
He journeyed on the ship _Black Eagle_, taking with him no less than
eight servants, four trumpeters, and twelve soldiers, and I wonder much
whether those people who had built here in America such towns as Salem,
Plymouth, and Boston, were greatly impressed because the chief
magistrate of New Amsterdam, where were living no more than fifteen
hundred persons, could not go abroad without a following of twenty-four
men, to say nothing of the secretaries, the clerks, cooks, and
jacks-of-all-trades whom I saw flocking on board the ship.
[Illustration]
I was told that Director Stuyvesant went to meet the chief men of the
eastern colonies to talk with them about the threatenings of the
Indians, and as to what should be done in regard to sending to their
owners runaway slaves, and concerning other such like matters; but how
the different affairs were settled, I never heard.
At all events, Master Stuyvesant came back in the same high and mighty
state as when he left us, after having been absent near to two weeks,
and in the meantime had made many enemies in New Amsterdam, for there
were not lacking those who claimed he was trying to make friends with
the English for some purpose of his own, when all his time should have
been spent in behalf of the West India Company.
NEW AMSTERDAM BECOMES A CITY
It was in the year 1652 that the town we had built was made a city, with
a charter straight from Holland, and our people rejoiced because of its
being possible at last, after so much of misrule, for them to have some
voice in affairs.
According to this charter, the freemen of our new city were to select a
schout, four burgomasters, nine schepens, which last were what in
England would be called magistrates--and a council of thirty-six men
whose duty it would be to advise with the Director on all affairs
concerning the public welfare.
There was great rejoicing in New Amsterdam when Stoffel Mighielsen, the
town crier, made this announcement, and I dare venture to say that on
the night the news was made public, but little attention was paid to the
farmer's bell by those who lived outside the palisade.
[Illustration]
On every hand you could hear men giving joy to each other because of the
time's having come when the Director would no longer have absolute power
over all in the town, but must be guided by those who were to be
elected by the ballots of the people, and following such rejoicings was
ever the question as to when the election would be held.
There was much talk as to who should be chosen to fill the offices, and
all with whom I spoke declared that they were not to be influenced by
anything Master Stuyvesant might say; but would pick out such men as
could stand up honestly for the rights of all, instead of bending like
slaves to the whims of the Director.
MASTER STUYVESANT MAKES ENEMIES
Because of our people's being so excited over this opportunity to have a
part in the affairs of the city, you can well fancy what discontent,
which swelled almost to open mutiny, was among us when Master Stuyvesant
boldly announced that there would be no election. He had decided, so he
said in that high and mighty voice of his, that he would appoint the
city officers himself, without vote of the people, and this he did,
naming those men whom he knew would sneeze when he caught cold.
Of course there were many vain threats made, and much whispering in dark
corners, the purport of which might have been construed into open
mutiny, had Director Stuyvesant or any of his following overheard the
stealthy conversation. The whipping-post, and even the gallows, stood
too conveniently at hand, while Big Pieter, the negro executioner who
had charge of the public floggings, was ever ready to adjust a noose, or
swing with vicious force the thongs of the whip.
Many a time did I hear threats which would have sent him who made them
straight to the gallows, had they been repeated in the government house;
but the people were cautious, not minded to risk their necks for the
common good, and, so far as I can tell, Director Stuyvesant never knew
how near he was to a hornet's nest, when he took it upon himself to
throw aside one of the greatest privileges of New Amsterdam's charter.
I doubt if it would have disturbed him much even had he known of the
discontent, for he ruled, as the saying is, with a rod of iron, and
seemed to think that there was never one, or an hundred, of the common
people to whose mutterings he need take heed.
But for that act of his, I question if our men of the city would have
stood so calmly by when the English fleet came to capture New Amsterdam,
turning out of office every Dutchman. Director Stuyvesant would have
found more by his side in that bitter hour, when he was the same as
driven from the land, if he had kept the promise made when he first
arrived, to govern the people of our town as a father governs his
children.
But it is not for me to speak of the English yet, for there is much to
tell concerning what was done by the Dutchmen, before Colonel Richard
Nicolls anchored off the battery with the guns of his fleet trained upon
us.
ORDERS FROM HOLLAND
We had settled down to the belief that while Director Stuyvesant ruled
us with an iron hand, neither allowing the people nor the West India
Company to interfere with his wishes, he was improving the city, when
orders came from Holland which aroused us all to the highest pitch of
excitement.
The West India Company had sent positive commands that the Swedes, whom
Master Minuit had settled on South River, were to be driven out from
their posts, and there was not a Dutchman in New Amsterdam who did not
burn with the desire to have a hand in the driving; as if this big
country of America were not large enough for all the Swedes and the
Dutchmen that might want to live in it.
Now you must know that when Master Minuit was made governor of the
Swedish people on South River, there had already been built there a fort
by the Dutch, which was called Casimer. This the Swedish people captured
and changed its name to that of Trinity. When Master Minuit came, he
built a fort on the river above Trinity, and named it Christina, in
honor of the Swedish Queen.
They were not bad neighbors, these Swedish people whom the Queen had
advised to make a home in the New World. They minded their own business
far better than did either the Dutch or the English, and were at peace
with the savages, dealing honestly by them and treating them as if they
were equals; therefore, why the West India Company should want them
driven out of the New World was more than I could then, or can yet,
explain to my own satisfaction.
However, the order had come that these people, who had been harming no
one, be deprived of the homes which they had built in the wilderness,
and there was in my mind the belief that Director Stuyvesant was only
too well pleased to receive such commands.
MAKING READY FOR WAR
Straightway there was much marching to and fro by the soldiers; and
great scurrying by the seamen, who were at once set about carrying
cannon and ammunition aboard the vessels, for Master Stuyvesant had
decided he would fit out a fleet of no less than seven ships.
The trumpeters were sent up and down the land to every Dutch farm and
settlement calling for those who were willing to aid in driving out the
Swedes, to present themselves at the fort that they might be drilled and
equipped, and many there were who obeyed the summons.
[Illustration]
Those were idle days for me. No one thought of trading, and if
peradventure a solitary Indian did venture into the city with a bundle
of furs, he saw so much in the way of war-like preparations, that he
scurried away, forgetting his desire for beads or cloth, to tell his
people that the Dutch of New Netherlands were making ready to drive
every other person off from the face of the earth.
Master Tienhoven no longer visited the storehouse, because of being busy
with taking down the names of those who would join Director Stuyvesant's
army, and I was at liberty to wander at will around the fort, if I but
kept a watchful eye over my quarters, in case any came who was brave
enough to venture in for trade where was so much of military
preparations.
More than once I said to myself that if Master Minuit could have been
spared to the Swedes, our people would not have an easy task of driving
them away; but I knew, from word brought a long time before, that he was
no longer in this world; therefore, perhaps, Director Stuyvesant would
be able to work the will of the West India Company.
AN UNEXPECTED QUESTION
That I should be counted as among those to accompany the expedition,
never once had lodgment in my mind, until Master Tienhoven came to me
the day before the fleet was to sail, asking if all my preparations for
the voyage had been made.
[Illustration]
I was in a maze of perplexity because of the question. He who has charge
of a company's goods is supposed to remain where he can keep them under
his hand, more particularly in time of war, and for me to be pinned to
Master Stuyvesant's coat sleeves not only seemed useless, but positively
foolish.
It may be that I said something of this kind to the Secretary, for he
shut me up in short order by curtly saying, as if he had his
instructions so to do, that the Director had supposed I would know my
duty sufficiently well to follow the army because of its being possible
there might be much plunder, in which case I was the one person who
should take charge of the Company's share.
I was not such a simple but that I could understand it would please
Master Tienhoven right well if I made protest against going, for there
was little love lost between us two, and, believing he would repeat to
the Director in his own fashion whatsoever might be said by me, I held
my peace, save in so far as to ask on what ship I would be expected to
sail.
He told me that Master Stuyvesant would himself embark upon one of the
vessels which had been sent out from Amsterdam, called the _De Waag_,
and that as an officer of the Company, even though an humble one, I
would be expected to journey on the same vessel.
To one who had not been given to spending his wages upon brave attire,
and who owns little more than that in which he stands, it is not a
lengthy task to make ready for a voyage, however long.
And here, by the way, let me say, lest any should think I was not
prudent, that I had carefully saved the wages paid me by the West India
Company, to the end that I might have sufficient of money to start in
some business on my own account, when the day came--as I believed it
would soon, yet without having much reason to do so--that my services
would no longer be required in New Amsterdam.
WITH THE FLEET
And now to go back to the war against the Swedes: I left the storehouse
in charge of Kryn Gildersleeve, and on Sunday morning bright and early
was in church to hear the sermon which was to be preached, as a portion
of the religious preparations for the driving out of the Swedes.
When the sermon was at an end, instead of looking around the fort to see
the soldiers paraded before being sent on board the fleet, I quietly
took boat for the ship _De Waag_, and was there an hour after noon, when
Director Stuyvesant, attended by eight trumpeters, and a bodyguard of
sixteen men, put off from the shore amid the booming of cannon, as if he
had been a veritable king.
I know not whether the Director had really given orders to his secretary
that I should be informed as to what was expected of me, but suppose
such must have been the case, although no heed was given to so small an
official as myself, from the time of setting sail until we were returned
to New Amsterdam.
[Illustration]
So far as Master Stuyvesant was concerned, I might as well not have been
there, but this overlooking me did not cause my heart to burn, for I was
well content to be forgotten entirely by the gentleman who ruled over
our city with an iron hand.
The officers of the ship, whose acquaintance I had already made, gave me
fairly comfortable quarters, apart from the Director's following, and
although such expeditions were not to my mind, I drank in all of the
enjoyment that could come to one who was embarked upon a venture which
to him seemed wrongful.
There is no need why I should tell you anything whatsoever concerning
the journey from New Amsterdam to Trinity, save to say that we arrived
off that fort at noon on the following Friday, when without delay our
trumpeters were sent on shore to demand the surrender.
DRIVING OUT THE SWEDES
In the fort were forty-six men with a captain, and, as a matter of
course, they could do no less than surrender when called upon so to do,
for our force numbered upwards of seven hundred, and we had sent from
the fort in New Amsterdam, on board the vessels, guns enough to tear the
fort into splinters within an hour.
The Swedish captain said all he could to soften the heart of Director
Stuyvesant, who would listen neither to entreaties nor arguments, save
that he permitted the garrison to march out with full honors of war, and
immediately this had been done, a number of our men, sufficient to hold
possession of the place, were sent on shore.
Then nearly all the people of the fleet assembled on board the _De Waag_
to hear our preacher give thanks to God for the bloodless victory which
had been won, and within four and twenty hours we were on our way to
Christina, where, so we learned at Trinity, there was a force of only
about thirty men.
[Illustration]
Here the trumpeters blew their shrill blasts again in front of the fort
and surrender was demanded; but the governor of the colony was not
minded to give in without at least a struggle of the tongue. From the
second until the fifteenth day of September, we lay there at anchor
while he protested against what he called high-handed proceedings,
trying vainly to prove to Director Stuyvesant that he and his following
had as much right in the wilderness of the New World, as had the Dutch.
It was all in vain, however, and, as may be expected, the result was
that we captured Christina as we had Trinity, thus putting an end to
this colony of New Sweden.
Again did we give thanks to God, although we had done a wrong, and it
was while we were thus praising the Lord, and giving much credit to
ourselves for having conquered without bloodshed seventy-seven men with
a force of seven hundred, that a messenger came in hot haste from New
Amsterdam.
In the twinkling of an eye our rejoicings were turned to something very
like fear.
THE UPRISING OF THE INDIANS
And this is the news which the messenger brought:--It seems that two
days after our fleet had sailed from New Amsterdam, Master Van Dyck
found an Indian woman in his orchard stealing peaches; without parley or
warning, he shot her dead, and there were those of her tribe nearby who
carried with all speed to the Indian villages information of the murder.
The savages knew that Master Stuyvesant and nearly all the fighting men
of the city were away, and speedily they gathered to take revenge. It
was said that no less than two thousand savages, having come in
sixty-four canoes, paddled down the Hudson River in front of the city
while we lay off Christina arguing with the Swedish governor.
The Indians claimed that they had come only in order to find some
enemies of their tribe whom they believed had fled there, and proceeded
to break open a dozen or more of the houses while searching for those
whom they professed to be seeking.
Now there had been left in the fort less than twenty soldiers, while
the greater number of our cannon were on board the fleet for the purpose
of killing the Swedes, in case they refused to give up their forts to
us. Therefore it would have been folly had our people made any attempt
at holding the savages in check.
[Illustration]
The burgomasters and other officers of the city did what they could to
pacify the painted visitors, and so far succeeded, by soft words, as to
persuade them to withdraw to Nutten Island.
One can well fancy in what a state of terror were those whom Director
Stuyvesant had left behind in New Amsterdam, while so great an army of
savages, who had just cause for anger, was so near at hand.
The women and the children fled to the fort for protection, where but
little could have been given them had the brown men made an attack, and
during all the hours of the day no one dared venture abroad. The shops
and the dwellings alike were left unprotected, while those trembling,
frightened ones who crouched within the fort, believed that death was
close beside them.
[Illustration]
AN ATTACK BY THE INDIANS
The Indians remained quietly on Nutten Island until nightfall, when they
came into New Amsterdam again, went directly to Master Van Dyck's house,
and killed him.
One of his neighbors attempted to lend him aid, and was stricken down in
short order,--not, however, before he had given an alarm. Such soldiers
as had been left in the fort, together with the men of the city,
hastened with true courage to the scene of the murder, where a small
battle took place, in which three Indians were killed outright, and many
wounded.
It was as if the savages needed only this to send them upon the war path
again; but instead of making any attack upon New Amsterdam, where were
so few to oppose them, they went to the plantations nearby, killing or
capturing men, women, and children, burning dwellings and destroying
crops.
Yet this was no more than we had threatened to do to the Swedes, and
without such cause as the savages had.
During the three days that the Indians remained near New Amsterdam, so
the messenger said, more than one hundred persons had been killed, and
nearly twice as many carried to a dreadful captivity. The buildings on
twenty-eight of the plantations were burned and the crops destroyed
utterly.
It needed not that this man who had come to us pale with terror, and
fearing lest on his return he should find those whom he loved butchered,
should tell us into what condition the city was plunged because of such
a state of affairs. We could see, in our minds, the people of New
Amsterdam as they cowered like sheep before wolves, unable to flee.
There was no place for them to go, save into the wilderness where lurked
brown men who were thirsting for revenge, and they were unable to do
more than make the merest show of defence, owing to the fact that
Director Stuyvesant had taken with him nearly all the able-bodied men,
and a goodly portion of the weapons, to the end that he might do much
the same as were the savages doing.
[Illustration]
HASTENING BACK TO NEW AMSTERDAM
It can well be supposed that every man of us, from the Director down to
the youngest soldier, was eager to get back to New Amsterdam, for I
question whether, with the single exception of myself, there was a
member of the company who had not left behind him loved ones; and how
could our people find any satisfaction in continuing the conquest of
the Swedes, when there was every possibility that the savages were
murdering and torturing white men, women, and children?
Within an hour after the messenger had arrived, two hundred of the
soldiers were sent across the land to New Amsterdam, under orders to
march at their swiftest possible pace until they were come to the city.
As soon after these men had set off as could be arranged for, the fleet
was in motion.
Because of my having received no orders whatsoever, I remained on board
the _De Waag_, and my heart was so sore that I could not talk with those
around me concerning what we had heard, or what we had done.
To me both were equally horrible. It was villainous work for us to drive
the poor Swedes away, and it seemed almost like a judgment of God, that
the Indians should have descended upon our city at a time when we were
showing ourselves to be no better than savages.
Fortunately, or so it seemed, we had a favoring wind, and within four
and twenty hours from the time of making sail, were come to anchor off
the fort. That those who had been sent across by land had arrived, we
knew because of the numbers to be seen on duty in the bastions, and that
the Indians had not made further attack upon New Amsterdam, we also
understood because of the people who were gathered to give us welcome.
I went directly from the ship to the storehouse, where I found Kryn
Gildersleeve and his fellow clerks working valiantly to pack our goods
into cases, which had been brought from Holland, with the hope that
these might be saved, even though the savages gained possession of the
town.
[Illustration]
Although I held my peace, the thought was in my heart that he who could
give his time to the saving of such useless trinkets as ours, when
mayhap before morning not a single white man would be alive, was much
the same as trifling with the Angel of Death.
However, I was soon engaged in the same task, and while thus busy,
forgot everything save the fact that I was the clerk in charge of the
storehouse, whose duty it was to look after whatsoever we had for
barter, whether to my mind it was of value or not.
COAXING THE SAVAGES
And now I have to tell you that which bears witness to Master Petrus
Stuyvesant's ability as a ruler. Although I never felt friendly
disposed towards him, because of thinking myself neglected, there is
enough of honesty in my heart to give praise where it is due.