...

Presented to the

LIBRARY of the

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO

by

T;:TAZI:

E LIB?A?.Y

TORONTO

AUG 28 1922

A HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION.

ONTARIO

I NISINK REGION

WHICH INCLUDES THE PRESENT TOWNS OF

MINISINK, DEERPARK, MOUNT HOPE, GREEN
VILLE AND W AW AY AND A,

IN ORANGE COUNTY, NEW YORK,

KROM THEIR ORGANIZATION" AND FIRST SETTLEMENT TO THE PRESEN

. ALSO, INCLUDING

A GENERAL HISTORY OF THE FIRST SETTLEMENT
OF THE COUNTY.

CHARLES E. STICKNEY.

flits is mg o

MIDDLETOWN, N. Y. :

COE FIXCH AND I. F. GUIWITS, PUBLISHERS.
18(57.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1407.

Br CHARLES E. STICKNEY,

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of

New VorV.

COK FISCH. PRIXTKR. MIDDLE-TOWN-, N". Y.

PREFATORY REMARKS.

READER : Before you commence the perusal of the following History,
allow me to say that, if you wish to avoid disappointment, you will please
bear in mind that it has not been written with the object of presenting to
your view a brilliant piece of composition, or of absorbing your attention
with the interest of a fascinating romance. No deep-laid plot of mystery
or ideal love pervades its pages to lure you on from line to line from be-
ginning to end. It has been intended rather as a true record of past events
of statistics connected therewith of old traditions that have survived
the touch of time, and in short, of the records and incidents that go to-
wards forming a HISTORY OF THB MISISISK REGION, the first-settled portion
of Orange County. To many these will prove of barren interest ; and I
deem it proper to say to you that this work has been written more for the
purpose of supplying a void in our local history more to preserve the de-
tails (now fast sinking into oblivion) of our ancestors' struggles with labor
and inconvenience, coupled with the wiles of a savage foe, while rearing
their humble cabins, when

His echoing xe the settler swung,"

in the wilderness two centuries ago; more to review their actions and
remember their deeds and sufferings in the glorious war of the Revolution,
and their prosperity since than to please the idle fancy for a moment, and
then be thrown aside forgotten.

It is intended as a book useful for reference to the scholar to those who
like to sit by the fireside of an evening and review the doings of the olden
time; and as a foundation perhaps for some future historian to build an
abler work upon. If it shall accomplish but a part of this, my labor will
have been rewarded.

And, reader, if it should gain your approval by furnishing needed in-
formation, or by causing some weary hour to glide smoothly away ; if,

Viii PREFATORY REMARKS.

when the dark hours that visit all of us are upon you when disappoint-
ments, and troubles, and treacherous friends, enshroud jour path, and you
wish to banish gloomy thoughts if, then, the comparison of your petty
grievances with the gigantic ones overcome by the energy and perseverance
of our forefathers, when miles separated neighbors and friends, when the
war-whoop of th merciless Indian blended of an evening with the dreary
howl of the wolf, and when, if a father .left his home in the morning he
knew not but his return at night mijht find it 'a smoldering ruin, and his
wife and children mangled corpses or in a cruel captivity ; if this compar-
ison shall inspire you with new courage to contend in the " world's great
din of battle," pleased shall I be to record you upon my list of friends,
and feel thankful for the time spent in placing the narration before you.

I make no apology for the simplicity of language that clothes the inci-
dents narrated. I am aware that many will think themselves better
informed in matters of early history, and perhaps far better able to dispose
of the task of preparing them for publication, than myself. But until they
avail themselves of their knowledge and talents, and do better, I shall pre-
sent my humble work for your consideration, hoping it may find what
appreciation its merit deserves.

THE AUTHOR.

SLATS HILL, N. Y., 1867.

CONTENTS.

V

CHAPTER I. Origin of the name, and first recorded visit of a white man.

CHAPTER II. First settlement of Orange County and Minuink.

CHAPTER III. Church affairs.

CHAPTER IV. The war with the Jerseymen.

CHAPTER V. Incidents of the French and Indian wars.

CHAPTER VI. The Pledge of 1775 and its signers.

CHAPTER VII. Indian depredations.

CHAPTER VIII. First and second invasions of the Minisink Region by

Brandt's Indians and Toriet.
CHAPTER IX. The battle of Minisink.
CHAPTER X. Town of Minisink.
CHAPTER XI. Town of Deerpark.
CHAPTER XII. Town of Mount Hope.
CHAPTER XIII. Towns of Wawayanda and Greenville.
CHAPTER XIV. Greycourt Inn; or, the Scourge of the Highlands.
CHAPTER XV. The Legend of Murderer's Creek.
CHAPTER XVI. A Reminiscence of the WallkilJ.

A HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION,

CHAPTER I.

ORIGIN OF THE NAME, AND FIRST RECORDED VISIT OF A
WHITE MAN.

To arrive at a proper commencing point in the history
of the localities included in the limits of the region for-
merly known as the Minisink, it will be necessary to look
back to the time when the hard-headed Peter Stuyvesant
bore rule over his mimic kingdom of the New Nether-
lands, and sat in rigid state among the few rude habita-
tions lying in peaceful serenity at the mouth of the
Hudson since grown in countless numbers and regal
splendor, as the proud city of New York ; to the time
when John Rising. Governor of the Colony of Swedes
at the mouth of the Delaware, was taking upon himself
u degree of importance that interfered sadly with the
plans of jthe worthy Peter, and threatened to shipwreck
his fondest hopea of conquest in that quarter. His
windy manifesto, full of big Dutch words long drawn
out by his valiant secretary, declaring the aforesaid
Colony (if New Sweden to be within the limits of hie

12 HISTOBY OF THE MINISINK REGION.

majesty's dominions, and threatening the direst ven-
geance upon all who refused to acknowledge the same.
was received in scornful silence by the imperturbable
John: The insult, of itself, was bad enough, but that
so much good Dutch grammar should be absolutely
thrown away, was not to be tolerated. Days were spent
by Peter in determining a plan of revenge that would
at once avenge the slight, and maintain his dignity; and
at last the tobacco used in these deliberations resolved
itself into something more than ephemeral smoke, for it
brought an idea into the head of its august user. Other
men had covered themselves with unfading laurels on
the battle-field, why should not he ?

The consent of the mother country was first to be
obtained, for the commencement of a quarrel between
even so insignificant belligerents as these, might result
in serious complications in the home countries of Europe.
The old maps of the New Netherland provinces, made
years before by Captain Hendrickson, were brought
before the Government of Holland by Peter ; the right
of Holland to the territory called New Sweden thereby
made clear, and Peter's request was granted ; and he has
been handed down to posterity by the great historian
as the immortal conqueror of Fort Christina and the
Swedes. It is upon the maps thus made use of by
Peter, that the first allusion is made in history to the
old territory of Minisink. The whole of that territory
is there described as being occupied by a tribe of Indi-
ans known as the Minquas, (Vol. I. Documents relating
to the History of New York,) and this we may properly
regard as the original word from which the name Mini-
sink was derived. At all events, this was the name by
which the Indians were known throughout that region,
till at last the Swedes and the Hollanders, with their

ORIGIN OF NAME, AND FIRST RECORDED VISIT. 1H

resolute chieftains, all fell into subjection to the mighty
power of England, in 1664. Then everything under-
went an entire change. The little Dutch village of
Xew Amsterdam or Manhattan, that had been growing so
quietly amid its cabbage gardens, and so unobserved in
the shadow of the smoke that arose from the pipes of its
steady burghers, was at once given a more sounding title,
in honor of the Duke of York, and of York in England,
and came out with a grand flourish as the City of New
York. The little stockaded fort, and its surroundings of
steep-roofed houses with their "gable ends" to the street,
that had long been regarded as one of the outposts on
the limits of creation, up the Hudson, soon came to be
known as Albany, instead of Orange and what is more
to the purpose, tho tribe of Indians, spoken of, became
known as the Minsies instead of the Minquas.

This is the name they were first known by in Eager's
History of Orange County, and he says it signified: peo-
ple living on a low tract of land, from which the water
had been drained alluding to the legendary belief that
the. valley along the Delaware, occupied by them, had
once formed the bottom of a vast lake, from which the
water finally escaped by breaking through the moun-
tains, at a place now known as the Water-Gap, in the
Delaware. This, most probably, was the original mean-
ing and derivation of the word Minisink; for it is easy
to trace the connection from the old Dutch name of the
Minquas, to its English translation the Mimics, and
finally to its later and last corruption of the Indian
tongue. Mini-sink. It was known by this latter name as
early as 1694, as we find from a journal kept by Captain
Arent Schuyler, of a visit made by him to that region :
and as this is the first visit of a white man to that sec-
tion, recorded in authentic history, I have thought

14 HISTORY OK THE M1NISINK REGION.

proper to give it entire, word for word, as it was most
probably written and spelled by the valiant Captain
himself, and as it may be found on p. 98, Vol. IV. of
Documents relating to the History of New York. Gov.
Fletcher, at the time, lorded it over the province by
authority of the Crown of England, and this journey
appears to have been taken at his command, for the pur-
pose of ascertaining whether or no the French, who then
occupied Canada, and were continually warring with
the English, had not sent emissaries among the Minisink
Indians to bribe them to unite with the Canadian Indi-
ans to wage a war of extermination against the New
Yorkers, which they would be most capable of doing 1
from among their impenetrable fastnesses in the Shaw-
angunk Mountains.

JOURNAL OF CAPTAIN ARENT SCHUYLER 7 S VISIT TO THE
MTNISINK COUNTRY.

May it please your ExceU:

In persuance to y r Excell: commands I have been
in the Minissinck Country of which 1 have kept the fol-
lowing journal: viz'

1694 y e 3 d of Feb: I departed from New Yorke for
East New Jersey and came that night att Bergentown
where I hired two men and a guide.

Y e 4 th Sunday Morning. I went from Bergen tfc
travilled about ten English miles beyond Qaghkingsack
to an Indian place called Peckwes.

Y e 5 th Monday. From Peckwes North and be West
I went about thirty two miles, snowing and rainy
weather.

y gt th Tuesday. I continued my journey to Mag-
gaghkainieck [the Indian name of the river Neversink.
which falls into the Delaware a little south of Port

ORIGIN OP NAME, AND FIRST RECORDED VISIT. 15

Jervis] and from thence to within half a day's journey
to the Menissinck.

Y e 7 th Wendsday. About eleaven a clock I arrived
att the Minissinck, and there I mett with two of their
Sachems and severall other Indians of \vhome I enquired
after some news, if the French or their Indians had sent
for them or been in y e Menissinck Country. Upon
w ch they answered that noe French nor any of the
French Indians were nor had been in the Menissinck
Country nor there abouts and did promise y l if y e French
should happen to come or y 1 they heard of it that they
will forthwith send a mesinger and give y r Excellency
notice thereof.

Inquireing further after news they told me that six
days agoe three Christians and two Shanwans Indians
who went about fifteen months agoe with Arnout Vielle
into the Shanwans Country were passed by the Menis-
siuck going for Albany to fetch powder for Arnout and
his company; and further told them that s d Arnout
intended to be there w tb seaven hundred of y e said
Shanwans Indians loaden w th beavor and-peltries att
y c time y e Indian corn is about one foot high (which
may be in the month of June.)

The Menissinck Sachems further s' 1 that one of their
Sachems & other of their Indians were gone to fetch
beavor & peltries which the}" had hunted; and having
heard no news of them are afraid y' y Sinneques have
killed them for y e lucar of the beavor or because y e
Menissinck Indians have not been with y e Sinneques as
usual to pay their Dutty, and therefore desier y l your
Excellency will be pleased to order y l the Sinneques
may be told, not to molest or hurt y e Menissincks they
be willing to continue in amity with them.

la the afternoon I departed from y 1 Menissinek*; the

1ft HISTORY OF THE MJN1SINK BEGION,

8* b , 9 tb & 10 th of Feb. I travilled and came att Berg-en in
y morning and about noone arrived att New Yorke.

This is may it please your Excell. the humble reportc
of your Excellency's most humble serv*

ARENT SCHUYLER.

Scarce one hundred and seventy-two years have passed
since the above journey was taken, and the comparison
between then and now may be taken as a fair index to
the rapid improvement that has everywhere been
striding over the American Continent. Then the jour-
ney occupied eight days four in going and four in
returning and was accomplished by untiring perse-
verance, amid the gloomy depths of an interminable
forest, peopled only by the wild men of nature, and the
panthers, bears, wolves, and other beasts that then
prowled in its recesses ; the trackless path pointed out
by an Indian guide, and its winding way followed over
mountains and across valleys, one continual swamp and
woodland, through the bitter cold and wet of a storm of
rain and snow. Now, the same journey from New York
to Port Jervis may be accomplished in the short space
of about three hours and a half, by simply stepping in
one of the elegant cars of the New York and Erie Rail-
way, and sitting down in one of the velvet-cushioned
seats taking no note of the blinding snow or driving
rain that may be falling out of doors, and with nothing
to do but lean back on the cushions and enjoy the rock-
ing motion as you glide along glance out of the cozy
little windows at the snug farm-houses and cultivated
fields, as they flit before your vision no guide no
nothing to think of, but to be ready with your paste-
board when the conductor thrusts his hand before your
eyes and drives away your dreajny reveries with the
oft repeated qry of" Tickets I"

ORIGIN Of* NAMii, AND FIRST RECORDED VISIT. 17

If it be indeed true that the shades of those gone
before sometimes revisit earth, what emotions of surprise
and pleasure must we conjecture to fill the bosom of that
.sturdy old backwoodsman, Arent Schuyler, if his spirit
should come back from the confines of the invisible
world and repeat his journey to Port Jervis then a
desolate swamp, now a flourishing village by riding on
the cars, in these days of luxury and speed. O, that he
could speak to us, we would find our wildest imaginings
to fall short of the tide of wonder and delight that
would overflow his soul!

CHAPTER IT.

FIRST SETTLEMENT OF ORANGE COUNTY AND MINISINK.

The early settlement of this region is shrouded in
mystery. The surrounding mountains appear to have
served as barriers to the encroachment of the whites,
and after they had effected a lodging to have prevented
a knowledge of their early transactions from coming to
the ears of the historians of those times, until almost a
generation of the first Minisink pioneers had passed
a way. Lord Bellomont, Governor of New York in 1701 .
says, in a letter to the lords of trade, that the country
west of the Highlands, at that time, was a dense wilder-
ness, there being but one house in all that section on
Captain Evan's grant, which was along the Hudson.
This was the first house built within the present limits
of the eastern part of Orange County, and as such, it is
but just to glance a moment at the history of the builder.
It was built some years before Bellomont 's notice of it.
Ity Col. Patrick Magregorie, a Scotchman, who came to
America with a band of followers in 1084. They landed
in Maryland, but like the majority of the early emigrants.
were continually roving around in quest of a better loca-
tion. Magregorie was next located at Perth Amboy.
Xew Jersey; but this was no better suited to his taste.
and, in 1685, he petitioned for leave to take up land
within the bounds of Billop's Point, on Staten Island.

FIRST SETTLEMENT. 1 V

At the instance, it is said, of Governor Dongan, he
persuaded to relinquish that design and remove to the
Highlands. While here he devoted himself to the
Indian trade, and became master of the Indian language.
The following year, 1686, he was appointed Muster
Master General of the Militia of the Province of New
York, and was next sent in command of a party to trade
at Michilmakinac. but was intercepted on the way by a
party in the French interest, and carried a prisoner t>
Montreal. The next year lie was liberated by orders
from France, and returned to New York. The next
year, 1688, he was employed by Sir Edmund Andros.
and commanded a company that operated against the
Indians east of Pemaquid. When the troubles broke
out between the Government and the Leisler party, he
was sent to New York city: where he was killed, during
the attempt to reduce a fort held by the Leisler party.
March. 1691. He was buried with public honors, and
this appears to have been the most he ever received
for his great public services, for we find the lands he
laid claim to, along the Hudson, were subsequently
granted to Capt. John Evans, who married his daughter
Katherine. The patent was afterward vacated, and his
heirs experienced a long scries of difficulties in getting
their claim adjusted. Their patent was finally settled
in the town of Cornwall. Orange County. He had three
sons, Hugh, John and Patrick, and two daughters.
Katherine and Jane.

What was known of Orange County, at that time.
embraced the present County of Rocklarid. and was
bounded on the North by Ulster County, which extended
along the western slope of the Shawangunk mountains
to the Delaware, and included the present town of Deer-
park, then a part of the town of Mamakating. Accord-

20 HISTOfcY OF T&E MINiSINK REGION.

ing to Eager's History, Orange County was organized
by act of General Assembly in 1683. In a list of officers,
dated April 20th, 1693, it is stated that the County con-
tained not over twenty families, and was under the pro-
tection of New York city (p. 28, vol. iv. Doc. relating
to the Colonial History of New- York). -It was naim>d
after William, Prince of Orange, who was crowned King
of England, in 1689. Like all the unoccupied territory
in those days, it was parceled out in immense tracts to
favorites of the different Governors of the Province;
and, as this was done by authority of Letters Patent
from the Crown, so these tracts were called Patents.
Thus it was we came to hear of the Wawayanda Patent.
which included 150.000 acres, and was conveyed March
5th, 1703, during the reign of Queen Anne, to John
Bridges, and twelve others, by the twelve Indian chiefs
Rapingonick, Wawastawaw, Moghopuck, Comelawaw,
Nanawitt, Ariwhnack, Kumbout, Claus, Chouckhass,
Chingapaw, Oshasquemonus, and Quiliapaw, and the
Minisink Patent made by the same Indian chiefs. The
Governor's approval was doubtless first secured, and
then the Indians were induced to place their marks to
the documents, perhaps, by means of a little rum and
tobacco; at all events, for a mere trifle, and thus a
favored few became owners of thousands of acres of the
most fertile land in the world to-day worth millions
upon millions of dollars. In this connection it is well
enough to revert to the fact that, two hundred and forty
years ago, the whole of the territory now occupied by
the city of New York, was purchased of the Indians by
the Dutch for twenty-four dollars; as is stated in the
following letter, dated Nov. 5th, 1626 (vol. i. Doc. rela-
ting to the Colonial History of New York. p. 37):

FIRST SETTLEMENT. 21

Hifjk and Mighty Lord:

Yesterday arrived here the Ship of Arms, of Amster-
dam, which sailed from New Netherland out of the River
Mauritius (Hudson), on the 23d September. They
report that our people are in good heart and live in peace
there; the women have also borne some children there.
They have purchased the Island Mauhattes from the
Indians for the value of 60 guilders ($24); 'tis 11,000
morgens in size. They had all their grain sowed by the
middle of May, and reaped by the middle of August.
They send thence samples of summer grain: such as
wheat, rye. barley, oats, buckwheat, canary seed, beans
arid flax. The cargo of the aforesaid ship is: 7246
Beaver skins, 178^ Otter skins, 675 Otter skins. 48 Mink
skins, 36 wild cat skins, 33 Minks, 34 Rat skins and a
considerable Oak timber and Hickory. Herewith High
and Mighty Lords, be commended to the mercy of the
Almighty.
" To the High and Mighty Lords, my Lords the States

General at the Hague.
" Signed Your High Mightiness' obedient,

" P. SCHAGAN.
Amsterdam. Nov. 5, 1626."

Imagine, if possible, the present value of that same
Island of Manhattan, with its population of hundreds of
thousands and its untold movable wealth.

In 1698, by order of Governor Bellomont, a census of
the several counties of New York wsfs taken by the
Sheriffs and Justices of the Peace, (p. 420, vol. iv., Doc.
relating to the Colonial History of New York,) and
Orange County was found to contain 29 men, 31 women,
140 children, and 19 negroes or slaves. The present

22 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION.

site of the village of Newburgh was included in a patent
of 2190 acres, granted to nine Palatines, or Germans, in
1719. viz.: George Lockstead, Michael Weigand, Her-
man Shoreman, Christian Hennicke, the widow Cockertal .
Burgher Myjadere, Jacob Webber, Johannes Fisher, and
Andries Valch. A settlement had been commenced
some time before, (about 1712,) by a young lady named
Sarah Wells, on the Wawayanda Patent, near the banks
of the Otterkill. She was an orphan adopted by Chris-
topher Demi, one of the patentees, who lived at that
time in New Jersey, opposite Staten Island. It became
necessary, in order to fix the title to the patent, that
some settlement should be made upon it ; and thus it
was, by aiding to secure the interest of Denn in the tract.
that she has been chronicled in history as the first white
person who commenced a settlement on the tract. At
the request of her benefactor, she traveled in a boat
from New York to the neighborhood of New Windsor,
arid from thence on foot to the Otterkill, to superintend
the erection of a wigwam, or house, with no companions
but a few friendly Indian guides. To more enhance our
admiration of her fearless intrepidity, it is but proper to
state that she was but sixteen years of age at the time.
Think of that journey, ye timid votaries of luxury, who.
even in the midst of friends and neighbors, tremble at
the bare thought of venturing alone out of doors after
nightfall ! Think of the repose she sought at night
upon the ground, the glimmering stars sparkling through
the foliage of tke great forest, the dismal howl of the
wolf echoing fearfully through the glades, and the hoot
of the lonely owl varying the concord of heart-chilling
sounds; and this, too, forty or fifty miles from the pres-
ence of a Avhite person, with no protectors but her savage
friends. She afterwards married William Bull, settled

FIRST SETTLEMENT. 23

on a tract of about one hundred acres, which was set
off to her by Demi as a recompense for her services
in making the settlement; and, after a long life of useful-
ness, died aged 102 years 15 days. Her descendants a
short time since, started the project of erecting a suita-
ble monument over her remains, which lie buried in the
family yard in Hampton burgh. (Eager's History of
Orange County % p. 454.).

The Ordinance for holding Courts of Sessions and
Pleas in Orange County, was granted March 8th, 1702.
at Fort Anne, by Edward Viscount Combury, William
Smith, Peter Schuyler and Sa. Th. Boughton, Esqs.. of
Council, and ratified and signed by Queen Anne, April
5th, 1703. The first courts were held at Orangetown.
in what is now Rocklaud county. The first Session in
Goshen was held in 1727, (Ib. p. 17.)

But while the population of Orange county was thus
rapidly increasing, and new villages springing up almost
weekly within its limits, the history of the Minisink
region appears to have been shrouded in darkness. The
Shawangunk mountains formed a barrier which for a long
time, kept from the outside world a view of the tide of
civilization and improvement that was going on. and
shut from the page of history much knowledge of the
early settlers of that locality. Its mountain ranges
afforded a shelter to the Indians long after the cultivated
fields and happy homes of the white man had usurped
the wilds of Eastern Orange. Among its glades and
gorges, the smoke of their wigwams and the glimmer of
their council fires,, continued to rise in security agd
friendly intercouse with the early Minisink pioneers,
years after the sun of their supremacy had set from
Maine to the Carolinas. It was in this region, too, that
some of their most barbarous atrocities were committed.

24 HISTORY OP THE MINISINK REGION.

before yielding up the possession of their mountain
fastnesses.

In 1756, we are informed, that in the winter and spring
large and small parties of western Indians made frequent
incursions into its territory, destroying a vast amount of
property, and taking many lives. At the commence-
ment of this war (the old French and Indian war in 1755)
it was reported to possess a population of about thirty
families, and included a tract of about forty miles up and
down the Delaware and Neversink rivers. Indeed, there
are good reasons for dating the settlement of this region
previous to the year 1664. In 1697 a Patent wag granted
to Arent Schuyler for lands described as follows:

" A certain tract of land in the Minisink country, in
the province of New York, called by the native Indians
Warensaghskennick, otherwise called Maghawaemus;
also a certain parcel of meadow, or vly. called by the
Indians Warensaghskennick, situate, lying and being
upon a certain run, called by the Indians, and known by
the name of Minisink, before a certain Island called
Menayack, which is adjacent to or near to a certain tract
of land called by the Indians Maghakeneck, containing
the quantity of one thousand acres and no more."

This, as will be seen, gave the holder authority to
locate on any unappropriated land in the valley, for it
describes in such general terms as to puzzle almost any
one to fix its limits. Another of these floating patents
was granted the same year to Jacob Codebeck. Thomas
Swartout, Anthony Swartout, Bernardus Swartout. Jan
Tys, Peter Germar and David Jamison. This was loca-
ted in what was called Peenpack. Many of the descend-
ants of these patents are still living in that locality,
Codebeck now being known as Cuddeback, and Gerraar
us Guruaer, Some of the settlers on these patents were

FIRST SETTLEMENT, 25

Huguenots, or Frenchmen, who had voluntarily exiled
themselves from France on account of their religious
opinions being in conflict with the ruling powers. This
is the origin of that name as applied to a small village a
short distance north of Port Jervis at the present day.
The following letter chronicles the second recorded
visit of a white man to this territory; and as it is valu-
able on account of the knowledge it imparts in regard
to this history, I have copied it entire from page 49 of
Eager's History of Orange County:

(Copy of letters from Samuel Preston, Esq., dated Stockport, June 6th
and Uth, 1828.)

MINISINK, MINEHOLE8, AC.

" In 1787 the writer went on his first surveying tour
into Northampton County; he was deputed under John
Lukens, Surveyor General, and received from him, by
way of instructions, the following narrative respecting
the settlement of Minisink on the Delaware, above the
Kittany and Blue Mountain: That the settlement was
formed for a long time before it was known to the Gov-
ernment at Philadelphia. That when the Government
was informed of the settlement, they passed a law in
1729, that any such purchases of the Indians should be
null and void; and the purchasers indicted for forcible
entry and detainer, according to the law of England.
That in 1730 they appointed an agent to go and inves-
tigate the facts; that the agent so appointed was the
famous surveyor, Nicholas Scull; that he, James Lukens,
was Nicholas Scull's apprentice to carry chain and learn
surveying. That as they both understood and could
talk Indian they hired Indian guides, and had a fatiguing
journey, there being then no white inhabitants in the
upper part of Bucks or Northampton Counties, That

26 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION.

they had very great difficulty to lead their horses
through the water gap to Hinisink flats, which were
all settled with Hollanders; with several they could
only be understood in Indian. At the venerable
Depuis' they found great hospitality and plenty of the
necessaries of life. J. Lukens said that the first tiling
that struck his attention was a grove of apple trees of
size far beyond any near Philadelphia. That as Nicholas
Scull and himself examined the banks, they Avere fully of
opinion that all those flats had at some former age been
a deep lake before the river broke through the moun-
tain, and that the best interpretation they could make
of Minisink, was, the ivater is gone. That S. Depuis told
them when the rivers were frozen he had a good road
to Esopus, near Kingston, from the Mineholes, on the
Mine road, some hundred miles. That he took his wheat
and cider there for salt and necessaries, and did not ap-
pear to have any knowledge or idea where the river
ran (Philadelphia market) or of being in the government
of Pennsylvania.

"They were of opinion that the first settlements of
Hollanders in Minisink were many years older than
William Penn's charter, and that S. Depuis had treated
them so well, they concluded to make a survey of his
claim, in order to befriend him if necessary. When
they began to survey, the Indians gathered around; an
old Indian laid his hand on Nicholas Scull's shoulder
and said: ' Put up iron string, go home.' They then quit
and returned.

" I had it in charge from John Lukens to learn more
particulars respecting the Mine road to Esopus, <fec. I
found Nicholas Depuis, Esq., son of Samuel, living in a
spacious stone, house in great plenty and affluence.
The old Mineholes were a few miles above, on the Jersey

FIRST SETTLEMENT. 27

side of the river by the lower point of Paaquarry Flat;
that the Minisink settlement extended forty miles or
more on both sides of the river. That he had well
known the Mine road to Esopus, and used, before he
opened the boat channel through Foul Rift, to drive on
it several times every winter with loads of wheat and
cider, as also did his neighbors, to purchase his salt and
necessaries, in Esopus, having then no other market or
knowledge where the river ran to. That after a navi-
gable channel was opened through Foul Rift they gen-
erally took to boating, and most of the settlement turned
their trade down stream, the Mine road became less and
Ic.-s traveled.

" This interview with the amiable Nicholas Depuis.
was in June, 1787. He then appeared about sixty years
of age. I interrogated as to the particulars of what he
knew, as to when and by whom the Mine road was
made, what was the ore they dug and hauled on it, what
was the date, and from whence or how, came the first
settlers of Minisink in such great numbers as to take up
all the flats on both sides of the river for forty miles.
He could only give traditionary accounts of what he had
heard from older people, without date, in substance as
follows:

' That in some former age there came a company of
miners from Holland; supposed-, from the great labor
expended in making that road, about one hundred miles,
that they were very rich or great people, in working
the two mines one on the Delaware, where the moun-
tain nearly approaches the lower point of Paaquarry
Flat the other at the north foot of the same mountain,
near half way from the Delaware and Esopus. He ever
understood that abundance of ore had been hauled on
that road, but never could learn whether lead or silver,

28 HISTORY OP THE MINISINK REGION.

That the first settlers came from Holland to seek a place
of quiet, being persecuted for their religion. I believe
they were Armenians. They followed the Mine road to
the large flats on the Delaware. That smooth, cleared
land suited their views. That they bona fide bought
the improvements of the native Indians, most of whom
then moved to the Susquehanna ; that with such as
remained, there was peace till 1755. I then went to
view the Paaquarry Mineholes. There appeared to have
been a great abundance of labor done there at some
former time, but the mouths of these holes were caved
full, and overgrown with bushes. I concluded to myself
if there ever was a rich mine under that mountain, it
must be there yet, in close confinement. The other old
men I conversed with, gave their traditions similar to
Nicholas Depuis, and they all appeared to be grandsons
of the first settlers, and very ignorant as to the dates,
and things relating to chronology. In the summer of
1789 I began to build on this place; then came two ven-
erable gentlemen on a surveying expedition. They
were the late Gen. James Clinton, the father of the late
DeWitt Clinton, and Christopher Tappau, Esq., Clerk
and Recorder of Ulster County. For many years before
they had both been surveyors under Gen. Clinton's
father, when he was Surveyor-General. In order to
learn some history from gentlemen of their general
knowledge, I accompanied them in the woods. They
both well knew the Mineholes, Mine road, <fec., and as
there were no kind of documents or records thereof,
united in the opinion that it was a work transacted
while the State of New York belonged to the govern-
ment of Holland; that it fell to the English in 1664;
and that the change of government stopped the mining-
business, and that the road must have been made many

SETTLEMENT. 29

vears before such digging could have been done. That
it undoubtedly must have been the first good road of
that extent made in any part of the United States."

The settlement principally spoken of by the above
writer, was on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware
river, and visited from Philadelphia; but applies to the
whole Minisink region. It discloses to our view a per-
fect miniature world peopled by a happy, contented
race of Europeans ; who for generations had lived in
harmony among themselves, and in peace with their
savage neighbors. Here generations lived the fleeting
span of life in blissful ignorance of any outer or happier
world beside, and were, alike unknown outside the boun-
daries of their own domain, until some wanderer chanced
to come across their settlement, and went on his way,
thereafter to remember, with gratitude and envy, the
affluence and comfort that marked their rough but
happy homes. No fashions from abroad intruded upon
their attire, or simple hospitality their customs were
their own their visits made among familiar friends
their parties and soirees given in true Minisink state,
and no doubt better enjoyed by the homespun-clad
young folks of that time, than many a skim-milk gather-
ing of the present day. Here they were born and
reared, from infancy to mature years; married the part-
ners of their choice:

" Lived whore their fathers lived,
And died where they died:
Lived happy died happy,"

and perhaps have gone to a happy home above.

Plenty of mineral resources were within their reach,
but they seem to have wisely left such pursuits to later
and more speculative times. Whether those early
mines produced lend or silver, is not known; but we are

BO HISTORY OF THE MlJftSlNK I

of opinion- that it may have been silver, for the following
reasons: First, the great length of road (one hundred
miles) would have rendered next to impossible the cart-
ing of such a bulky substance as lead, in any great quan-
tity, or at least in sufficient quantities to have paid
expenses let alone liquidating the cost of constructing
such a road as this was represented to be, and in places
still is, through a wilderness. Second, all the old tradi-
tions of those times confirm the belief that silver ore
exists in- Shawangunk Mountain, and that at early
periods, mines of it were known and worked by the
Indians and first settlers, that have since been concealed
and forgotten. We once heard an.old gentleman describe
one of these mines that must have been located near
one of those spoken of by the writer of the preceding
letter. It was made known to his father, and a neigh-
bor, by one of the friendly Indians previous to their
removal west in the old Indian war. The two observed
great secrecy in working it, and frequently made long
and mysterious journeys to dispose of their ore at dis-
tant places. At last the Revolutionary war broke out,
and they both determined to serve their country. Be-
fore departing, they solemnly pledged themselves not
to reveal the secret until the war was ended; and the
better to carry out their plans, they went, one cold, dark
night, and drew a large flat stone over the mouth of the
mine, carefully obliterated all traces of their work, and
ended by strewing leaves over the whole, until they
themselves could hardly detect its whereabouts. About
thirty paces directly east, they marked three trees that
stood close together, in order to guide them, should
either live to again desire to find it. One of them never
returned; the other again sought his home after an
absence of near nine vears. Meanwhile the tide of

81

war had visited his old neighborhood in the .shape of
predatory bands of Indians, and he found his family in
a distant village where they had fled for protection
his house, and that of his neighbors, having been
destroyed by their foes. A year or so was occupied in
again getting around them the comforts of a home, and
when he again sought the mine, the timber had been
so destroyed by the lire and ruthless vandalism, that no
trace of the marked trees could be found. Days and
weeks were spent in the search, but in vain. He then
gave the information to others, but no one has ever yet
removed the flat stone from the mouth of the silver
mine.

Another old gentleman, while we were staying in
Wurtsboro' one evening, gave us a somew r hat flowery
account of a silver mine, which we will- notice. The
settlers in that vicinity had long noticed that the Indians
had plenty of silver in a crude state, but could get no
Trace of the mine. Just before they left the country,
our narrator's father, then a youth of twelve or thirteen
years of age, persuaded an old Indian chief, with whom
lie was a great favorite, to take him to it. He was
blindfolded, and led a long way through the woods r with
many twists and turns, till at last they commenced going
down into the heart of the mountain, and he could dis-
tinctly hear water trickling overhead. When his eyes
were uncovered he stood before a solid vein of silver.
Picking up a number of large pieces, his conductor
forced him to return in the same manner as he entered;
and though afterwards he searched for it, over every
foot of ground near its supposed vicinity, he could never
Hud it. '' Every .seven years," quoth our friend, " a
bright light, like a candle, rises at twelve o'clock at
night, above tho mine, and disappears in the clouds.

32 HISTORY OP THE M1NI8INK

But no one that has seen it, has ever been able, in day-
light, to find from whence it rose."

CHAPTER III.

CHURCH AFFAIRS.

Like all the rest of the human family, the inhabitants
of Minisink naturally felt a little anxious as to where
their final lot would be cast in the world of spirits; for
tradition had handed down to them the lessons of their
forefathers in their own fatherland, and many an old
bible and hymn book that had, perhaps, spoken sharply
to the consciences of their ancestors on the banks of the
Zuyder Zee, in Holland, or by the side of the Seine, in
sunny France done duty through long nights of fearful
peril on the bosom of the stormy Atlantic, and consoled
the minds of sinners miserably sea-sick during the first
weeks of the months that then were required to place
them from the old continent on the new even yet
spoke in trumpet-tones to the evil-doers by the banks of
the Delaware and Neversink. Though the leaves were
perhaps worn and soiled, and it may be somewhat torn,
the old bible still spoke to them in a voice that was as
stern and as strong as when of yore it reproved the sins
of their grandfathers and grandmothers. It pointed
just as unerringly to the lake prepared of fire and brim-
stone for those that turned aside from the path of recti-
tude. Its warnings were not to be disregarded for

34 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION.

though apparently a community outside the pale of the
civilized world, they knew that the eye of Divine Prov-
idence was just as watchful of the affairs of the few
settlers on the Minisink flats, as of those of Amsterdam
or Paris. At first neighbors talked of it when they met.
and their good dames discussed it of evenings while
enjoying a sociable visit. Then it became talked of
generally; and finally a m'eeting of the veteran settlers
was called, and it was determined to have preaching
and psalm-singing, such as their fathers and mothers told
them they had often listened to of a Sabbath, 'neath the
roof of a church in their own native land. Every one
contributed to the good work, the old men and women
because they felt it their duty, the young men and
women because they liked some place to repair to on
the Sabbath, where they could unite their voices in
hymns of praise, and perchance find opportunities of
speaking a word or two with each other on the sly; for
the young people of that day probably possessed the
same feelings as those of to-day, though far less burdened
with fashionable hypocrisy. It was agreed that the
community was large enough for four congregations, and
accordingly it was so divided. The means was collected
and the construction of the four churches was probably
commenced in 1736. A young man among them, John
Casparus Fryenmuth, who had been studying with the
intention of becoming a minister, was furnished with
funds to go to Holland, where he completed his studies
and w r as ordained. He returned and became pastor of
the four congregations in the year 1742. The first
church was called the Mackhackemeck Church; and was
located about a half mile south of where Port Jervis
now stands, and about half a mile from the junction of
the Nevergink and Delaware, in a north-easterly direc-

'HURCII AFFAIRS. 35

tion, and near the residence of Mr. Eli Van Inwegen, by
the old bury ing-ground. The second stood about eight
miles south-west from the Mackhackemeck. in the present
township of Montague, or Sandiston, N. J., at the cross-
ing of the turnpike and highway, near the site of a store
kept for some years by one Judge Stull, and was called
the Minisink Church. It was torn down many years
ago, and a new one erected about one mile from its first
location, due north. The third stood sixteen miles
farther on in New Jersey, and was called the Walpeck
Church. It has long been torn down. The fourth was
fight or ten miles distant from the Walpeck, and Avas
called the Smithfield Church. Before having a regular
minister, at their meetings the best reader was selected.
and a chapter or two read from the Bible, a prayer or so
\v;is made by different members, and some psalm-singing
commonly completed the services. The hour of worship
.innouncod by the blowing of a large tin horn, kept
for the purpose, which practice was adhered to Tintil
bells came in n<;-.

Mackhackemeck Church was the only one of the four
that stood within the present limits of Orange county;
and as such, its history is important, being probably
the oldest. It is of the Dutch Reformed persuasion,
that being the almost universal belief at the time of its
i-rectiori. This event was brought to a completion in
IToT judging from the fact that it was formally recog-
nized, and had regular ecclesiastical officers in that year,
a< -liown by the records of baptisms, &c., that are still
in good preservation. These records were kept in the
L:>\\- Dutch language until recently, and are continuous
from that year to the present. The building of the
church took place near a century from the date of the
supposed tirst settlement of the Minisink region. John

36 HISTORY OP THE MINISINK REGION.

Casparus Fryemnuth, the first minister, officiated for tlu.>
four churches mentioned (as his successors did also for
many years,) from 1742, the date of his return from Hol-
land, till 1755; when the French and Indian war com-
menced, and predatory bands began to plunder and
devastate the settlement, which rendered it unsafe to
continue the services. He was a good scholar, and
a beautiful penman ; the records kept by him being
splendid specimens of writing, and his name, as signed
to them by himself, one hundred and twenty-four years
ago, can still be seen, in a bold round hand that few
persons can equal at the present day, with all the im-
provement of knowledge and science. The first capital
letter of his signature was always made in the form of
a monogram (a figure combining in one the initials of
the name). He Avas very much respected and popular,
if we may believe the traditions of the times. Of the
esteem felt for him by his parishioners, one incident has
been handed down to us, and we believe it is the only
one preserved of his ministry. He had been in t'.ie
habit of dividing the time of his vacation, a short period
of a few Sabbaths allowed the minister yearly for rest,
(as we understand from Rev. S. W. Mills, the present
pastor, to whom our thanks are due for many of these
particulars,) among the churches in the vicinity of
Rochester, Ulster county. They became desirous of
securing his services for themselves, and accordingly set
themselves about raising a salary for him by subscrip-
tion, previous to giving him a call. This the Minisink
people heard of, and the way they talked to the Rochester
people, is best shown in the following letter preserved
among the church records in the original Dutch, of which
this is a translated copy:

CHURCH AFFAIRS. 37

" MINISINK, Dec. 6th, 1741.
" To the Rev. Consistory of Rochester, greeting:

*' We, your servants, having- learned that yon have
had correspondence with our pastor, and have seduced
him, so far as to send him a call, thinking- that the large
amount of salary promised him will induce him to leave
us the Lord who thus far has caused your acts of sup-
planting to fail will further direct them to a good end.
We find ourselves bound to obey the command of the
Saviour ' Do good to them that hate you ;' we therefore
will deal with you hereafter, as we have before, ; doing
you good.' It is true you give us no thanks for his
services among you. You are bold enough to say that
he has eight free Sundays during the year, which is as
true as the assertion of the Devil to Eve, 'You will not
surely die.'

" If you desire, then, to have our minister four or six
times during the year, we will grant your wish cheer-
fully, and leave it with our pastor to settle with you as
to the amount of his compensation. If this cannot pre-
vent the execution of your unjust intention, and the
Lord wishes to use you as a rod to chasten us, we shall
console ourselves with his gracious words, Heb. 12,
' Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and he rebukes
every son whom he adopts.' If it please the Lord to
permit you to deprive us of our pastor, then we hope
that your consciences will not be seared so much as to
take away our livelihood amounting to 125 12s. 0(7.
(over paid salary).

" Should this however be the case, then we will not
hesitate to give the matter into the hands of a worldly
judge. We expect your answer, and conclude our dis-
course with the wish that the grace of our Lord and

38 HISTORY OP THE MINISINK REGION.

the love of God the Father, and the communion of tin;
Holy Ghost, may remain with you until a hlossni
eternity. Amen. We remain your servants,

" JOHN CORTRKIHT.
" JOHN VAN VLIET,
" ABM. VAN RAMPEX.
" WILLIAM COLE.''

Whether this unique letter settled the matter or not.
is not known : but Mr. Fryenmuth remained with the
Minisinkers. After leaving Minisink, his whereabouts is
involved in mystery; though he probably visited that
section afterward, as his handwriting appears- in the
records at later dates. Lastly, August 26th. 175'.). when
he probably made his last visit.

After the Indian troubles had partially subsided ami
a state of comparative quiet had been restored, Rev.
Thomas Romeyn \vas selected to minister to the spiritual
wants of the people of Minisink. He accepted the call
September 6th, 1760, (as we learn from a letter of one ot
his descendants,) and was officiating minister until 177
a period of twelve years, when he removed to Cahnawaga.
Montgomery County, N. Y. The five years intervening
between Mr. Fryenmutlr's departure and Mr. Romeyn's
arrival, appears to have been almost a blank in church
alFairs.

During Mr. Romeyn's charge, these aft'airs, that till
then had glided along so smoothly and uninterruptedly,
partook of the spirit from abroad, and followed the
course generally ascribed to the carnal world, and in
\veak imitation of poor sinful human nature, became
embroiled in a quarel of surprising bitterness.

The Dutch Reformed Church in this country had
hitherto been subordinate to the classes of Amsterdam.
in Holland; and all ministers desirous of being ordained,

CHURCH AFFAIRS. 39

had to proceed there for that purpose. A large portion
of the members were in favor of continuing that practice,
and were called the Conferentie party. The others
were in favor of ordaining their ministers by classes in
this country, thus saving the expense and formality of a
trip to Europe. These went under the cognomen of
the Coetus party. The first meeting of ministers to
settle the question was held in the City of New York
in the year 1737. Another was held the following year
which decided in favor of the Coetus party, and sent their
decision to the classes of Amsterdam for approval. The
latter "was finally confirmed in 1746, and thus the wing
of the church in this country became independent of
that of Holland.

The first Coetus. or classes, for the ordination of min-
isters and other business, was held in September, 1747.
Under this new order all ministers were to be re-ordained,
and a general overhauling of church affairs took place.
The Conferentie party in Minisink were determined to
hold the ascendency, .and the Coetus party as fully
determined they should not. The Coetus party insisted
that in obedience to the new order all children should
be rebaptized, and this developed a new feature in the
ferment and added to its bitterness. The ladies of the
Conferentie party declared they would not submit to
this it was bad enough to insult their ministers by
forcing them to be re-ordained but to cause the very
babes to be re-baptized was an unheard of barbarity.
Nobly did they maintain their ground.

A young man, of the Coetus party, was waiting upon
a young lady of good family, who, with her parents, was
strongly attached to the opposite party. The match
progressed favorably. The young lady returned his
affection, and gave her consent to an early marriage.

40 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION*.

Her parents did not object, and everything bid fair for u
prosperous voyage upon the sea of life. But, alas ! how
easy it is for disappointment to intervene. One Sunday
evening, as usual, the young man was wending his way
to the residence of his betrothed. But about two weeks
more were between him and the consummation of his
cherished hopes. He determined on this evening to
settle all little preliminaries, so that no misunderstand-
ing might occur on some more important occasion. His
intended met him at the door with her brightest smile
of welcome, and ere long both found themselves alone
in the best room before the sparkling fire.

'' And so, dearest Jane," said he, putting an arm around
her neck, and snatching a kiss from her tempting lips,
' so two weeks must pass by before I can call you my
bonny wife. How long the time will seem."

" No, John," said she, " it will pass quick enough, for
it may be, after we arc married, you will not always
think the same of me that you do now."

" Ah, you little rogue, how can I ever think less of
you ? But, by the way, my darling, I thought I would
speak to you about the dominie we are to have to marry

us. I think we had better get Mr. " (naming a

minister of the Coctus party.)

" And I have been thinking that Mr. Romeyn was the
one we ought to get. He's a neighbor of ours, and
preaches here in Maghackameck Church."

" But I don't like him," said John.

" We think he is a good man," said Jane.

" But he is a Conference," persisted John.

" And so am I a Conference," returned Jane indig-
nantly, as she drew herself from his embrace.

But I won't have him," remarked John, rashly, a.-
he began to feel his ireful nature rise.

AFFAIRS. 41

'' Then you won't have me," was Jane's rejoinder.

" I can get along without you, I'll let you understand,"
said John, independently, as he began to look for his
hat, and to move toward the door.

" You're a good for nothing scamp, so you are," sobbed
Jane, snappishly.

" I am glad I have found you out before it was too
late," quoth John, as he made his exit from the door.
" I am glad of it

" And so am I glad of it," said Jane, determinedly; and
she shut the door behind him and cut in twain his half
finished sentence.

This true incident of the ill feeling engendered by the
controversy, did not terminate as all lover's quarrels
generally do in reconciliation for tradition has it that
they held good the grudge to the day of their death.
Nor was the ill feeling among the members, productive
of such notable results in this vicinity alone. It is
recorded that an equally amusing incident took place at
Hackensack, New Jersey, though of a different nature.

Mr. Goetschius, the minister at that place, took sides
with the Conferenties, and announced himself an advo-
cate of their measures. Hereat a great commotion arose,
and the " pillars " of the church in the interest of the
Coetus party, headed by the clerk, immediately assumed
a pugilistic position. The preaching they had listened
to, for hours at a time, with respectful attention and
composure, they now declared to have been a decided
bore. The opinions they had endorsed, and the sayings
they had so often quoted as the productions of a genius
possessed alone by their beloved dominie, they now dis-
covered to have been sheer nonsense, and the author a
nuinbscull. The common reply to a question often
asked at gatherings, as to how the dominie was liked.

42 UtS'fOUY Ot' Tltfi MlNtSiKK

had been : " 0, he is a Very smart man: I don't see how
any one can help liking him;" now assumed the form of
an every-day remark, " How dull the minister is, lately:
I can ; t bear to listen to his preaching.''

In short, the minister who had before been classed
among the race of humans known as "smart men/' wit.-
now stoutly asserted to " know no more than he ought
to," by the very ones who, a short time before, had been
his warmest supporters. So much does a difference of
opinion change the hearts of men. To counterbalance
this tide of criticism, the dominie launched from the
pulpit his sharpest thrusts at the doctrines of his antag-
onists. His opponents retaliated by staying at 'home
and ridiculing the smallness of his congregation. The
dominie waxed warm in the cause as his hearers grew
small in numbers, and hurled logic in chunks of the
largest dimensions in the teeth of his foes. They found
themselves necessitated to do something to prevent
being outwinded by his reverence, and had recourse to
a strategy often effectual when milder means fail
namely, they resolved to choke him off. The clerk held
the ke} r s of the church nothing was easier so the next
time the minister came to fulfill an appointment, he
found the doors loockcd. On one or two occasions after
this he succeeded in gaining admittance, and held forth
triumphantly to the few persons comprising Jiis audi-
ence. To remedy this his opponents provided them-
selves with a novel expedient. ' The next time he-
succeeded in gaining admittance they were on hand in
full force, and the imperturbable clerk rose, as usual, to
give out the opening hymn. This he did by giving to
the singers the 119th psalm, which, in the mode of sing-
ing then in vogue, would have consumed the entire day.
This was something the dominie had not counted upon:

and. as a natural consequence, for some time it operated
much as a knock-down blow is supposed to do in pugi-
listic parlance; but at length thinking enough singing
had been done for one day, he rose persisted in his
efforts to be heard overpowered the voices of the
singers succeeded in restoring silence, and again came
off victorious. But, after all, his triumphs were produc-
tive of such barren results that he was at last forced to
succumb, and in the end the clerk and his friends carried
the day.

Other instances were known where opposing parti-
sans met with their teams in the road and refused to
turn out, till one or the other became tired of waiting
and had to yield the right of way. vowing all sorts of
future revenge.

Nor did the disturbance fail to reach the position of
Mr. Romcyn. Being a member of the Conference
party, his opponents assailed him much in the manner
of the Hackensack dominie, but not in such violent
terms. They listened to his preaching and respected
his talents, but succeeded in getting him removed in the
year 1771.

By this time the excitement had run its length, and
in the following year almost wholly subsided, after
having been a potent spirit of dissension for more than
thirty years.

Mr. Thomas Romeyn was born at Pumpton, N. J..
March 20, 1729. He commenced his studies for the
ministry April, 1747. He sailed from New York to
Europe April 11th, 1752; and was ordained by the
Classis at Amsterdam, Sept. 3, of the same year. He
must have immediately sailed for America, for he accept-
ed a call Nov. 10, of the same year, at Flatbush, Long
Island. June 29, 1756. he was married to Margaret

44 UiSfORY OF THE MItflSttfK REGION.

Frelinghuyson, daughter of the Rev. Theodore Freling-
huyson. His eldest son, Theodore, was born Nov. 28,
1757; and his mother died the 25th day of the following
month.

Mr. Romeyn came to Minisink Sept. 6th, 1760, and
married his second wife, Susannah Van Compton, daugh-
ter of Col. Abm. Van Compton, of Paquary, Oct. 30, of
the same year. By his last wife he had six sons Abra-
ham, born Aug. 9, 1761, about three miles below the
brick house, New Jersey, Nicholas, James V. C., John,
Benjamin and Thomas. He went to Cahnawaga, N. Y.,
in 1772, where he officiated as minister for one year ;
when he was disabled by the palsy, we believe, and died
October 22, 1794.

Three of his sons entered the ministry. Theodore
settled at Somerville, New Jersey, where he died at the
age of 29. James was pastor of the church at Hacken-
sack, New ' Jersey, thirty-three years, and died June,
1840. The sixth son studied for the ministry, but died
at the age of twenty-two. The seventh son was pastor
of the church at Niskawgna, a little north of Albany, and
was living June 9, 1855, aged seventy-eight years. For
thirteen or fourteen years after his leaving Minisink, ;i
blank occurs.

Rev. Elias Van Benschoten was installed as pastor of
Mackhackemeck church August 28, 1785. The church
had been burned by Brandt's Indians in 1779, and the
second church was built during the first two years of
Van Benschoten's pastorate, near the site of the first.
In 1793 an inventory of the church property was made,
as follows:

" March 29, 1793.

" An inventory of all the estate, both real and per-
sonal, with the annual revenue arising thereon, belonging

CHURCH AFFAIRS. 45

to the Dutch Reformed Church of Mackhackemeck, in
the County of Orange:

i; One acre of ground, with the church on it. without
any annual revenue from the seats.

" Third part of 23 acres and some parts of an acre of
ground, with a house and barn on it, which the minister
possesses for the time being as part of his salary.

>; Between 44 and <45 subscribed yearly to pay to
the elders and deacons of said church, and by them to
be paid unto our present minister while he resides
among us.

" One Bible, one Psalm book, one book of records.

" Sabbath day collection in bank 2 15-s. 9d.

" One little trunk.

(Here follows a certificate stating the inventory to
have been exhibited to William Wickham, one of the
judges of the Courtof Common Pleas for Orange county.)

" BENJAMIN DEPUY,
Sworn to March ) " HARMANUS VAN INWEGEX.

29th, 1793. j " JOHANNES DECKER,

' WILLIAM WICKHAM." " WILHELMUS COLE,

" MARTINUS DECKER.''

The little trunk mentioned is in good preservation,
and its countenance as unruffled as though but two years,
instead of seventy-three, had passed over it.

Mr. Van Benschoten's pastoral relations were dis-
solved, we believe, in 1795; though he probably remained
in the vicinity till after 1800. He died near Decker-
town, N. J., where he owned a farm.

Rev. John Demarest was his successor in 1803-4, and
remained till about 1808.

Rev. Cornelius C. Elting, the fifth in order, came to
Mackhackemeck January 25, 1817, aged twenty -four
yeara, and continued the services till he died. October

40 HISTORY OP THE MINISINK REGION.

24th, 1843. During his stay, in 1834, the present
edifice was built the land being donated by the Dela-
ware and Hudson Canal Company. In 1838 the name
was changed by act of the legislature to the " Dutch
Reformed Church of Deerpark."

Rev. George P. Van Wyck became his successor
February 29, 1844. He remained till 1852. Rev.
Hiram Slawson succeeded him February 22, 1853. Rev.
S. W. Mills is the present incumbent, a notice of whose
family will be found in chapter xi. of this work.

The inhabitants of the Minisink region have become
sadly diverse in religious matters since the building of
the old church one hundred and twenty-nine years ago;
and instead of four churches, numbers of them now
abound of different denominations. But though they
now have more modern appliances for worship, costlier
buildings of more fashionable exterior huge bells of
sounding brass seats cushioned and" pulpits trimmed
with softest velvet, and organs tuned to greatest har-
mony, how much more sincere seems the rude piety of
our Minisink ancestry, whose four churches were built
for convenience without regard to fashion the seats in
them being undoubtedly of rough boards ; whose only
music was the voices of fathers, mothers, sisters and
brothers, sending anthems of praise in Nature's melody
up to Nature's God; and the hour of worship announced
on a Sabbath morning by the far echoing notes of
simple tin horn !

" No sculptured marble marked the place

Where God's high altar stood;
It rose with unassuming grace
Of plain unpainted wood."

CHAPTER IV.

THE WAR WITH THE JERSEYMEN.

The heroic people of this region did not "suffer their
minor difficulties to hinder them from defending their
rights against all foes, whether native or foreign ; and
for a period of sixty-seven years, fought a Avar second to
none in the brilliancy of the strategical operations, and
daring achievements though the number of the slain
may not have equaled the number of the one battle of
the Wilderness., or their generals the fame of a Sherman
or a Grant. The war partook of the general character
of a border fray, and arose from a dispute in regard to
the boundary line between New York and New Jersey.

Charles II., King of England, gave his brother,, the
Duke of York, afterward King James II.. a patent of all
the lands " from the West side of the Connecticut River
to the East side of Delaware Bay/' dated March 12th.
1663. On June 24th of the following year, the Duke
granted by lease and release all the tract of country now
known as New Jersey then called Nova Ccesarea (so
described in the patent) to John, Lord Berkley, and
Sir George Cartaret, bounded as follows: " Southward
to the main ocean as far as Cape May at the mouth of
the Delaware, then along said River or Bay to the
Northward as far as the Northwardmost branch of the

48 THE WAR WITH THE JERSEYMEN.

said Buy or River, which is in latitude 41 deg. 40 min.,
and crosseth over thence in a straight line to the latitude
41 cleg., on Hudson's River."

Cartaret took the east half of the province and
Berkley the west, and thus it became called East
and West New Jersey. The Dutch re-conquered New
York in 1673, and this territory again came into
their possession; but a treaty of peace being concluded
February 9, 1674, between England and Holland, it was
restored to the English. Sir George Cartaret immedi-
ately took the precaution of having a new patent made
out the 29th of July following the treaty of peace, and
the boundaries were again defined in about the same
general terms as before.

A discussion soon arose as to which should be consid-
ered the " Northwardmost branch " of the Delaware
river. All agreed on a point on the Hudson river, in
latitude 41 deg.; but the New York men insisted that
the line should reach the Delaware at the southern
extremity of what is calfed Big Minisink Island, and the
Jerseymen as stoutly contended that it should touch the
Delaware a little south of where Cochecton now stands
tlnirt leaving a territory in dispute several miles wide
at the west end, and tapering to a point at the east.
This included a good part of the Minisink region. The
proprietors, under the New Jersey government, parceled
out the land in tracts to different persons, and these
came on to assume possession. The Minisink people
having enjoyed possession for a long time refused to
agree to this, and determined to maintain their claims.
Recrimination and retaliation followed, and a general
border warfare took place. Numbers of the Minisink
people were taken prisoners and lodged in the prisons
of New Jersey, and a state of alarm and danger prevailed,

THE WAR WITH THE JERSEYMEN. 49

The men went constantly armed, prepared to defend
themselves to the last extremity, and keeping a con-
stant lookout for the appearance of their meddlesome
foes.

The first regular series of engagements of much
notoriety that is recorded, resulted from the efforts
made to obtain possession of the lands of one Major
Swartout, between the years 1730 and 1740. The
Major was a true gentleman of the old school, a hale,
bluff old pioneer. He was major of the militia of Orange
county, and when parade days came around, none pre-
sented a more military appearance. The people of
Goshen, where the military parades then took place, as
fully considered the major a part of the occasion as they
were certain that the day came round. It was then he
was in his element. Mounted on his powerful horse, at
the head of his men, his doughty limbs and portly frame
encased in military toggery resplendent in brass but-
tons, a sword of monstrous length dangling from his
waist and flapping against his horse's side with every
jolt, his head encased in a huge cocked hat, over which
a feather flaunted proudly, and from under which his
eyes twinkled with the importance of his position, the
Major justly carried the palm of superiority in his pro-
fession, and presented a model which but few officers,
with all modern inventions, have been able to copy
successfully even at the present day. His lands were
in the disputed territory, and threats were made time
and again by the Jerseymen that they meant to drive
the Major off. He however took the matter coolly, slept
soundly through the wars and rumors of wars that
reached his ears, and assured his friends at Goshen that
he was not afraid, in reply to a prophesy that he -would
come into Goshen some morning homeless, His neigh-
3

50 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION.

bors stood ready to lend their help whenever called on.
and the knowing ones shook their heads and hinted
that the " Jersey Blues " would have a lively time
in getting hold of the Major's land. But the enemy
were crafty, and one day when the neighbors were
absent on some public occasion, made a charge on the
Major's fortress, and before he could form his family in
line of battle, much less draw his " trusty blade," he
found himself, his family and household goods, resident?
of an exceeding large residence the timbers thereof
not made with hands, the roof the blue heavens, and the
rooms large and airy to a fault in fact found himself
out of doors. A pretty predicament this, for the major
of the Orange county militia. Besides, the Major had
made quite extensive preparations for this very attack;
having kept a number of loaded muskets ready for use,
and several extra hired men on the farm to defend it;
and to be thus outgeneraled reflected somewhat on his
military prowess. But he was not the man to despond;
so removing his family to a neighbor's house he set oft'
for help, and one fine morning the people of Gosheii
were surprised to see the redoubtable Major come riding-
down the street looking greatly chopfallen, and altogether
devoid of that erect, martial air, so much the admiration
of his men.

The intelligence of his disaster sped with lightning
rapidity, and in a short time a formidable company had
volunteered to reinstate him in his own house. Arriv-
ing in the vicinity it was judged best to employ a little
strategy, and the whole company crept as close as pos-
sible to the house without being discovered. They
then sent Peter Gumaer to the house as a sort of recon-
noitering party, to see if everything was favorable. If
so, he was to come out of the house, and while going

THE WAR WITH THE JERSEYMEN. 51

through the orchard throw up an apple, as a signal for
the attack. Mr. Gumaer was gone some time, every
moment of which was passed in anxious expectation by
the heroes of the ambush. At last they saw him come
out of the house, and as he passed through the orchard,
give the required signal. Simultaneously they made a
rush, with a yell of defiance that would have done credit
to a band of Minisink Indians. The occupants of the
house were totally unprepared; even had it been other-
wise it would have availed them nothing. Right on
came the Major, puffing and blowing with the extraor-
dinary exercise of a double-quick, and the effort needed
to keep an upright position, owing to the scabbard of
his big sword so frequently getting entangled with his
legs while behind him came his company, in an irreg-
ular line, but with a determination visible to do or to
die. Right on they came with an impetuosity that
stopped at no impediment ! On they came over the
beet and onion beds in the garden; over the door-yard
fence, and the flower beds in the door yard ! on ! on
they charged right up to the very door. The fastenings
gave way before the pressure, and in less time than it
takes to tell it, the inmates were taken by the napes of their
necks and walked out-doors the Major claiming the
privilege of bestowing three or four hearty kicks upon
the ringleader's rear, as a parting admonition when he
stepped from the door. Their goods were quickly
thrown out after them, and thus was this decisive vic-
tory gained without the loss of a single man.

Knowing that this would be followed by a more ex-
tensive raid, the people of Minisink procured the ser-
vices of a spy, who lived among the Jersey claimants,
some twenty miles distant, and thus got information of
their intended movements in time to frustrate them.

52 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION.

The Major's son-in-law, one Harinanus Van Inwegen,
also acquired considerable fame during this struggle.
He is recorded to have been a very bold, intrepid man,
and to have possessed great strength. As an instance of
this it is stated that on one occasion, while at work in
the field, word was brought to him that some Indians
were at his house abusing his family. He at once re-
paired to the house, and entering it abruptly, grappled
with the Indians, and after a sharp hand-to-hand strug-
gle, succeeded in overpowering and driving them from
the house by main strength alone. This was the more
courageous from the fact that the Indians were armed
with guns and attempted to shoot him frequently during
the contest.

About 1740, word was conveyed to the Minisink peo-
ple that the " Jersey Blues " contemplated a grand
raid on the disputed territory during the fall of that
year, and preparations were made to give them a warm
reception. On the day of the expected attack, the
owners of the territory, with their sons and relatives,
collected at the house of Harmanus Van Inwegen. They
were well armed and equipped, and met seriously with
the determination of maintaining their rights. Major
Swartout was unanimously chosen commander, and pro-
ceeded to organize the forces. They were deployed in
double column fronting the direction of the expected at-
tack, the right and left wings under command of Jacob
Cuddeback and old Mr. Van Inwegen, respectively.
They were both as resolute as the Major, and when
their positions were assigned them, took their places in
front of the line; remarking, that as they were old men
their lives were not so valuable as those of the young,
and they desired to occupy the most exposed situations.
The Major then took bis station in front, to lead and give

THE WAR WITH THE JEBSEYMEN. 53

the word of command. Never had he felt so proudly as
when on that eventful day he cast his eye along the well-
formed lines of his little army. Even the feather in his
cocked hat seemed to be aware of the important posi-
tion it occupied, and danced lightly in the breeze as if
eager for the conflict. Especially did his eye rest with
delight on his wing commanders they were his depend-
ence; for full well he understood, that the quickest way
to make an army fly is to break its wings; and these he
had reason to know would be the weakest parts of the
enemy's lines. Not long had they to wait. The enemy
soon made his appearance in strong force on the road.
His lines were well filled and the men looked stout and
well armed. Their commander too was a constable
from the land of Jersey a man powerful in his own
estimation, and more especially so when armed as he
now was with the terrible majesty of authority conferred
by reason of the law. The Major, who had before felt
confident of an easy victory, now began to feel some
misgivings as to the result. The pommel of his sword,
upon which his hand rested, felt only about half as large
as before, and the feather in his cocked hat began to
smooth itself down behind the crown. On came the
constable and the Jerseymen in fearful array, though
somewhat dismayed at the unexpected force opposed to
them. The constable's nether lip began to lengthen
dubiously, and his knees to tremble in spite of himself ;
but there was no backing out now. The distance began to
shorten visibly between the contending forces. Timid
ones began to cast anxious glances behind them and to
wish themselves anywhere but at that particular place.
Visions of past misdeeds floated through their minds,
coupled with the thought that a repentance would avail
nothing when brought about by fear alone. The dis-

54 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION.

tance lessened. A few moments more and the battle
would begin. The forces are within gunshot. But see.
the courage of the constable's men begins to waver
their steps grow shorter, and he commands a halt ! It
was a moment of dread suspense. One word and death
would most probably have visited the ranks of both
parties. Gerardus Swartout, a son of the Major, not
knowing whether it would be best to kill any of the foe,
at this juncture called to his father to know how he
should fire. The Major remembered their raid upon
his house, and the death of his wife, who was sick at the
time and who died afterwards from the effect of their
hasty removal, and replied determinedly, " Kill them !"
This was the finishing stroke; the Jerseymen had sup-
posed their formidable display would strike terror to
the opposing ranks, but when they heard the Major's
reply and saw his men ready to execute it, it filled them
with consternation, and they struck an air-line for the
nearest woods. The Major's men took a circuitous
route and intercepted them while passing a ravine
about two miles from the scene of battle. They at once
fired upon the marauders, and their rout became gen-
eral. The only life lost was that of the constable's
horse, which fell at the first fire, giving its owner a lift
in the world he had not calculated on, and landing him
in a bunch of brambles. Out of this he crawled, minus
hat and gun, and struck the very fastest gait he could
on a bee-line for New Jersey, each particular hair stand-
ing so straight behind that it was said a pick-axe could
have been hung upon it and not have fallen off. The
victory was complete; and thus in the second regular
engagement did the Jerseymen return home worsted.

The next raid of the Jerseymen took place in 1753,
and was made to obtain possession of the lands and per-

THE WAR WITH THE JERSEYMEN, 55

son of Thomas De Key (or Dekay), who was at that time
Colonel of the Orange county militia, and also justice of
the peace. De Key, wishing to get along without any
disturbance, went to James Alexander, one of the pro-
prietors of East New Jersey, and asked to remain
unmolested till the boundary should be determined.
This Alexander would not agree to, stating that the land
belonged to New Jersey, and that he must submit to
the laws of that State. This the Colonel in turn refused
to do, and so the question remained. Shortly after, a
party of armed men from New Jersey appeared before
the Colonel's door. He had perceived them approach-
ing, and had prepared for defense by arming himself and
stoutly barricading all the entrances to the house.
He then appeared at a window and warned them that
death awaited the first man who should undertake to
force an entrance to the house. This rather checkma-
ted their plans. Some of them cocked their guns and
threatened to shoot the Colonel through the heart as he
stood at the window others swearing they would set
fire to the house and shoot every man, woman and child,
that should undertake to flee from it; and some declaring
in favor of starving him out. But Colonel De Key was
not so easily intimidated. He stuck to his position, and
the enemy again were forced to retire, vowing that next
time they would bring a force with them large enough
to take the whole of Goshen, and assuring the Colonel
that they would have him yet.

The matter was frequently brought before the Colo-
nial Assemblies of both New York and New Jersey, by
the proprietors of the Minisink and Wawayariada patents,
and in 1754 Lieut. Gov. James De Lancey noticed it in
the following message to that body in New York:

" Gentlemen The .division line between this govern-

56 HISTORY OP THE MINISINK REGION.

ment and the province of New Jersey not being settled,
has given rise to great tumults and disorders among the
people of Orange County and the adjacent inhabitant*
of New Jersey, and may produce worse evils unless pre-
vented by a timely care. Nothing can answer the pur-
pose so effectually, I think, as the fixing of a temporary
line of peace between us, until his Majesty's pleasure
shall be known in the matter. Governor Belcher assures
me of his sincere desire that amicable and conciliatory
measures may be fallen upon by the governments to
make the borders easy: and I have proposed to him the
running such line conformable to the opinion of his
Majesty's council, signified in their report to me, which
I shall order to be laid before you, and if it receives
your approbation I shall forthwith appoint commissioners
for running such line of peace, and apply to that govern-
ment to do the like on their part."

But notwithstanding the above message promised to
so speedily provide for the welfare of the people of Min-
isink by a settlement of this vexatious question, it was
not heard of again for years, and the quarrel continued.
About 1765 the last raid of the Jerseymen took place,
for the capture of Major and Johannes Westbrook two
persons who lived within the limits of the disputed ter-
ritory, and were leading men in the ranks of the Mini-
sink claimants. The invaders chose Sunday for the
accomplishment of their design, and resolved to falsify
the old proverb that " Evil men love darkness rather
than light," by making the venture in broad daylight.
The appointed day came. The Major and Captain
Westbrook as usual attended the Maghackemeck Church,
to listen to the expounding of divine writ by Mr. Thomas
Romeyn, the pastor. The psalms were sung, the prayers
made, and the minister went on .with his discourse.

THE WAB WITH THE JERSEYMEN. 57

Little thought his hearers as they waxed drowsy with
the length of the good man's sermon and the warmth of
the day, that a far more exciting topic than his every-
day struggle in wordy combat with the powers of dark-
ness, awaited their consideration; that even while they
suffered their thoughts to stray from the text to the satisfy-
ing consolation of a good Sunday dinner, a circle of dark
forms was drawing closer and closer around the edifice.
The services closed. It was a direful moment. The
Major and Captain Westbrook appeared, and the be-
siegers rushed toward them with a shout. But quick as
were their movements, those of the attacked were
quicker. Hats and coats were doffed shouts of defi-
ance arose positions of defence assumed on the instant,
and the attackers met with stubborn resistance.

Neither party violated the sanctity of the Sabbath by
the use of arms other than those given by nature. The
women screamed, cried and scolded the men shouted,
fought, and no doubt .thought of some very profane
words, if they did not speak them. The place which a
few moments before was a perfect pattern of Sabbath
quietness, was changed as if by the enchanter's wand into
a complete pandemonium. Frightful sounds of discord,
kicks, cuffs, blows and maddened yells of victory or pain,
mingled with the tones of entreaty, sobs and screams,
filled the air. The green was covered with the crowd
of terrified women and maddened, struggling men.
" Long time in even scale the battle hung."

Down and up, and over and under they went as the tide
of battle turned. The faces so contented and serene
while the minister was fighting evil doers with the
Scriptures, now began to present a motley array of
bloody noses, blackened eyes, and lips cut and swollen,
since they had grappled with the powers of New Jersey.
3*

58 HISTORY OP THE MINISIKK REGION.

But why prolong the description of this unequal contest ?
The Jerseymen in this instance proved too numerous
for the Minisinkers, and marched off the Major and
Captain in triumph. The prisoners, however, without
doubt, consoled themselves somewhat with the thought
that they had at least made their capture a " lively
time " for their assailants. They were confined some
time in what was called the Jersey Colony prison, but
finally released.

Thus this hard-fought battle of the fist was at last
productive of barren results. This was the last signal
engagement of the war. The governments of the two
Colonies in 1767 appointed Commissioners to run a
boundary line, but such was the bitterness of feeling
among the inhabitants that they dared not do it, and as
a reason for not performing their duty, stated in their
report that the Indians were so hostile they deemed it
unsafe. The line was shortly after surveyed however,
the disputed territory about equally divided between
the claimants and so the war was peaceably settled at
last, just as it might have been at first, if the ruling
powers had been composed of men desirous of doing so.

CHAPTER V.

INCIDENTS OP THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR.

The two governments, France and England, could not
fail of being jealous of each other, rivals as they were
for the mastery of the western continent ; and this feel-
ing found vent in a continued series of predatory excur-
sions into each other's colonial possessions, and divers
strategical efforts to gain the ascendancy in a favora-
ble alliance with the warlike tribes of Indians. Espe-
cially was this the case along the borders of the Canadas
and the province of New York and those of New Eng-
land. It was this spirit of hatred and jealousy among
the Indians, fostered and encouraged on the one side by
the English against the French, and on the other by the
French against the English, that caused such a long
record of horrible atrocities to be connected with the
Indian name in the early history of the Colonies. But
though for many years the tide of war had vacillated
between the opposing parties with undecisive, results to
either side, its bloody front had not as yet shown itself
in a serious form among the settlers of the Minisink
region ; and it was not till 1754 that they began to
perceive signs of an approaching tempest. During that
year England directed the Colonies to oppose the
encroachments of the French by force of arms, though
the mother countries were at peace with each other.
The war gradually increased, and the following year

60 HISTORY OP THE MINISINK REGION.

became a general contest between the two nations, and
has been ever since known in history as the " old French
and Indian war of 1755."

The struggle was entered upon with the determina-
tion to throw all possible force into the scale. In Feb-
ruary of that year, the legislature of New York voted
45,000 pounds sterling to defray expenses, and in May
ordered a levy of 800 men to be made to co-operate with
the troops of the other Colonies. The most stringent
measures were adopted to secure the public safety; and
among others equally severe, was a law passed the same
year by the legislature, to the effect that in cases of
imminent danger, slaves were liable to military duty,
and that if any colored person over the age of fourteen
was found a mile or more from his or her master's plan-
tation, without a certificate from the master stating
their business, they were to be judged guilty of felony,
without benefit of clergy. The same law also declared
that any person so finding a slave or slaves had the
right to shoot or destroy him or them without being
liable to impeachment or prosecution for the same.

The first intimation the Mjnisink settlers had of
approaching danger, was the disappearance of the
Indians from their neighborhood. Squads of them that
had been on the most friendly terms with the whites
were suddenly missed, and the few Indians that remained
told them that they had gone to join the hostile tribes
near Cochecton and farther west. The settlers knew
enough of Indian character to foresee the ordeal to
which they were to be subjected, and began to prepare
for the worst. The women and children were first sent
to a place of safety to Old Paltz, Rochester, and
Wawarsing in Ulster county, and to Goshen in Orange,
at all of which places the majority of them had relative?

THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR, 61

by marriage or otherwise ; for they knew the fury of
the Indian would be vented alike on the strong and the
helpless. Though their vicinity had hitherto been
spared, the terrible details of Indian vengeance as seen
in the murder at Schaghticoke were fresh in their
memory.

Capt. Johannis Bratt and David Ketlin were two
pioneers in the wilderness, at a place called by the
Indians Schaghticoke, near Albany. For companionship
they built their houses a short distance apart, and
many a long day in this lonely place the only sound
heard by either to enliven his toil, was the echo of the
other's axe amid the mighty timber. Time enabled
them to surround themselves with many comforts, and
Indian depredations so frequent in the surrounding
country had been a thing unknown to them, except by
rumor, which never failed to tell them of horrible crimes
committed, whenever they went to Albany for neces-
saries. But they had done nothing to incur the resent-
ment of the red man, and so they trusted in Providence
and toiled on. On the 20th of October, 1711, they
started from their homes to visit a settlement distant
some two miles Ketlin on foot and Bratt on horseback.
They had proceeded but a short distance, when they
met an Indian sauntering along with his gun upon his
shoulder. Ketlin spoke to him in the Indian language,
and asked where he was going. He replied that he
was going a hunting. " But," said Ketlin, " where are
your comrades?" He answered, "They have gone
ahead into the woods." Ketlin turned to Capt. Bratt.
remarking in Dutch that there was something suspicious
about his actions, and that he was a strange Indian.
The instant Ketlin turned to speak to the Captain, the
Indian slung his rifle to his shoulder and fired, killing

62 HISTORY OP THE MINISINK REGION.

the Captain dead upon his horse. The suddenness of
the terrific act, for a moment paralyzed Ketlin's
thoughts, but it was for a moment only. He knew that
his own life depended on the quickness of his move-
ments, and sprang at once to grapple with his foe, as
he had no weapons of any kind. The Indian had drawn
his tomahawk, or rather axe, and as Ketlin approached
struck a murderous blow at his head ; but he dodged
it, and scarcely too, for the helve hit his shoulder.
Then came the struggle for life. Ketlin was a powerful
man, and desperation lent him new strength. It was
an anxious moment, that comprehended the period of
that trial of strength on foot ; but Ketlin was the
superior and succeeded in throwing his antagonist. In
the fall he was also fortunate enough to secure the axe
in his left hand. The Indian saw that he was gaining
the advantage, but like his tribe, it only seemed to
increase his courage.

" You shall die," he hissed between his set teeth.
" There are twenty French Indians on both sides the
river."

" That may be," said Ketlin, " but you will die first.''
To carry out the threat, he undertook to change the
axe from his left hand to his right. At that instant the
Indian, concentrating all his energies, gave him a tre-
mendous heave. It displaced him somewhat, and ere
he could recover his advantage the Indian gained his
feet, broke from his grasp, and with a yell of triumph dis-
appeared in the forest. He started to pursue him, but
a vine caught his foot and threw him violently to the
ground. Ketlin brought the Indian's gun and axe home
and then went to the settlement and notified the inhab-
itants of the struggle. Capt. Bratt's body was brought
to Albany the same day. Knowing the habits of Indian

THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 63

warfare, it was reasonable to suppose that they would
seek revenge that night. Ketlin therefore procured the
services of three soldiers and proceeded to prepare his
house for defense. The little garrison consisted of
Ketlin's famil} 7 , his brother's wife and two children, the
three soldiers, and an Indian boy.

The evening wore away in silence. Hours passed
slowly to the fearful minds of the watchful ones in that
lonely house, and still no signs of the enemy. About
midnight a timid knock was heard upon the door.
Ketlin asked in the Indian tongue who was there. An
Indian voice answered, " It is I."

" Where do you come from ?" asked Ketlin.

" From the other side of the river. I am a friend and
wish to help you against the French Indians. Open the
door."

" I am afraid you will cheat me," said Ketlin.

" No," replied the Indian, " I'm a friend ; open the
door."

A hurried consultation was held by the inmates, and
almost all opposed it. But Ketlin declared that if a
friend they needed his help, and if an enemy they could
very easily keep him out. Suiting his action to his
opinion, he fearlessly stepped to the door and swung it
partly open, Dearly did he pay for his temerity. In-
stantly there was a blinding flash of light, a deafening
report, and he fell dead, pierced by six musket balls.
A moment's silence, and then the whole forest seemed
alive with the whooping demons. The soldiers fired a
volley at the dusky forms of the advancing savages; it
checked them, and Ketlin's son, a boy of sixteen, sprang
up and closed the door. The women loaded the rifles,
and handed the ammunition to the heroic defenders of
that ill-starred house. Long they kept the enemy at

64 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION.

bay by firing from the port-holes and windows, but it
Avas doomed to be all in vain. A low spluttering sound
kept rising higher and higher, till at last it made itself
heard above the crack of the rifles and the yells of the
savage foe. A kind of yellow twilight began to light up
the forest. The beseiged gathered around the dead
body of their friend, husband and father, and debated
as to the last chance they had of saving themselves.
The savages were silent now their success was certain.
The house was on fire. Nothing now disturbed the
stillness of the night, save the increasing roar of the
crackling flames. The coals began to fall through the
floor overhead, and the inmates knew the} 7 could stay
in the house no longer. A brief prayer was breathed;
they grasped each other's hand in a mute farewell, for
well they knew they would never all meet together again
until they gained the shores of the unknown world of
eternity. Then one of the soldiers opened the door and
cried " Now !" and they all sprang for their lives. The
soldiers were ahead. The first one was shot dead; the
next was pursued and taken prisoner, and the third one
shot. The next was the Indian boy, who was shot
through the arm and breast, but succeeded in getting to
the woods and escaped. Ketlin's'son kept firing till he
was at last shot through the shoulder and taken pris-
oner. The women and children were made prisoners.
Fire was applied to the barns, and the whole party then
started away. About a quarter of a mile from the
house, Ketlin's wife being in a very delicate situation,
was so overcome by fright that she sank down by the
path. Seeing she could proceed no farther, one of the
savages bared her throat across a small log. She made
no complaint, but folding her hands over her breast,
closed her eyes, and met her doom without a sigh. A

THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 65

moment the tomahawk was poised in the air, and as the
light from her burning home lighted up her bare throat,
it descended swiftly and her head was almost severed
from her body. Then grasping the hair of her head in
one hand, he dexterously drew the scalping-knife in the
other, and running a gash around the scalp tore it off
with a sudden wrench, swung aloft his bloody trophy
with a whoop, and rejoined his comrades.

The other woman had a young child she carried in
her arms. Shortly after the murder of Ketlin's wife it
began to cry, and all its mother's efforts to keep it quiet
were unavailing. Angry at its noise, one of the savages
seized it by the heels, tore it from its mother's arms,
swung it out at arms' length and dashed its brains out
against an oak tree. At the fate of her infant, the
mother uttered a heart-piercing cry. It was her last.
In an instant the murderous tomahawk had sank into
her brain, and the next moment her form lay upon the
ground, a scalplesa, quivering corpse.

All that returned to tell the tale was the Indian boy
who escaped from the burning house. The other par-
ticulars were learned from an old lame Indian who hap-
pened in the vicinity and followed the retreating party.
(Vol. v. p. 281 Doc. relating to N. Y.)

This incident is given, not because it was remembered
more by the people of Minisink than others of the kind,
but because it more fully illustrates the leading traits of
Indian character duplicity, cunning and revenge. No
wonder was it that the inhabitants of the Minisink
Region betook themselves to measures of defense at
the first alarm. Some of their bravest men had volun-
teered to fight against the French, and the people of
the Peenpack neighborhood had furnished the great
northern expedition with a team, wagon, apd teamster.

66 HISTORY OP THE MINISINK REGION.

Three forts were built in what was known as the upper
neighborhood (or Peenpack), and three in the lower
neighborhood next the Delaware river. Those in Peen-
pack were located, one on the Neversink at the north-
west end of the settlement, not far from where Cudde-
backville now stands; one at the house of Peter Gumaer,
in the central part of the neighborhood; and one in the
southwest of the settlement, at the house of Mr. West-
fall, near the farm lately occupied by Peter Swartout,
Esq. These three forts gave protection to about twelve
families. The location of the three forts in the lower
neighborhood is not precisely known, no record of them
being preserved. They are said to have afforded pro-
tection to about eighteen families.

The first incident that showed the people of this
region how well-timed were their precautions, occurred
about the time of harvest in the year 1756. Three men
in the lower neighborhood went out one morning to
commence cutting a field of grain . As usual they took
their guns along, not thinking however* of seeing any
Indians, as nothing had been heard of any in the vicinity.
Arriving at the field they set down their guns and com-
menced work. While working along busily they got
some distance from their arms, and were suddenly start-
led by the dread warwhoop. A glance showed them
their peril. A party of Indians had been lying in
ambush and had seized their guns. They ran for their
lives, but the Indians' aim was unerring. They were all
three killed, and their scalpless bodies found soon after.
Pursuit was given, but in vain; the spoilers were too
wary to be overtaken.

At another time a band of Indians made an effort to
capture the fort at WestfalPs, and came near being
successful. They sent out a couple of scouts, who die-

THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAE. 67

covered the fort to be occupied by two women only.
As soon as this intelligence reached the main body they
made instant preparations for its capture. But luckily,
in the interval a party of soldiers going from New
Jersey to Esopus came along, and stopped at the fort
for refreshments. Not knowing this, the Indians sud-
denly burst in the doors before the soldiers were fairly
seated. They were somewhat surprised at the unex-
pected presence of the soldiers, but nothing daunted,
they fired a volley at them and then throwing aside
their guns fell upon them with the tomahawk. The
soldiers retreated to the chamber of the building, and
recovering from the first panic, they opened such a
deadly fire upon the intruders that they were soon
forced to vacate the premises. This was a closely con-
tested battle and cost the lives of several of the soldiers
as well as a goodly number of the Indians.

But the settlers were not always successful in these
contests. A large party of Indians during one of their
forays into the settlement, attacked the upper fort on
the Neversink. It was well garrisoned, and its defend-
ers made a brave resistance. One savage after another
fell before the aim of the beseiged, and they would soon
have had to give up the attack had not the fort taken
fire from the burning of the barn near by. The heat
soon became so intense that the inmates were forced to
the alternative of risking their chances by flight or
perishing in the flames. There was not much difference
in the modes of death, and both were certain. As the
flames enveloped the building, one after another stole
from the death by fire, only to meet a more speedy one
by the bullet or tomahawk. Not a single man of the
garrison escaped. The only women in the fort, the
Captain's wife and a colored woman, secreted them-

68 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION.

selves in the cellar. Here they remained till the coals
began to fall through the floor, when the white woman
ran out and endeavored to elude pursuit by running
round the house. The Indians followed her in a body,
and soon overtook and killed her. When the shout of
victory that announced the death of the Captain's wife,
reached the ears of the black Avoman, she rightly judged
it a proper time to make a trial for life ; and accordingly
ran under the shadow of the smoke for the nearest
woods. The savages being on the other side of the
fort did not perceive her, and she gained the covert of
the timber in safety. She then concealed herself on
the banks of the Neversink till morning, when she took
a circuitous route through the woods to Gumaer's fort,
the sole survivor of the massacre. The Captain came
home a day or two afterwards, and then learned for the
first time the tidings of the sad catastrophe. The
friends, the comfortable home, the loving wife all he
had but a short time before left so happy and cheerful
were gone ! Nothing remained to tell of their existence
but the smoldering ashes of the fort and the disfigured
corpses of its occupants. By the grave of his wife he
took an oath of vengeance ; and during the remaining
years of his life, many a red-skin was sent to the world
of spirits by his hand, in redemption of the pledge.

There was an incident connected with the capture of
this fort, that for a long time was held by the super-
stitious people of the neighborhood as a singular fatality.
Two women from Gumaer's fort had been there visiting
on the day of the attack. During their visit the soldiers
had been telling stories and jokes, and getting the " rig"
on different ones as usual. Among other things they
told the colored woman they were going to be attacked
by the Indians soon, and that she need not expect to

THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 69

escape for she was too fat to run fast. The result was
altogether different from their prophecy. The attack
came sooner than they dreamt of, and she was the only
one that did escape.

Whenever one of the settlers wished to visit his
relatives at Goshen, or in Napanoch, it was always
necessary to take along an escort of soldiers, or to travel
in companies, so beset were the roads with lurking
savages. Abraham Low and William Cuddeback, on
one occasion undertook a journey to Rochester, Ulster
county, alone in a wagon. On the return route, near
home, they were shot at by Indians concealed near the
roadside. Low was wounded in the shoulder, but by
applying the whip vigorously, the horse soon carried
them out of danger.

A man named Owens, was soon after killed while at
work in the meadow of Asa Dolsen, by a strolling band
of Indians. Dolsen immediately removed his family to
Goshen for safety. The scene of this incident was in
what is known as Dolsentown, in the north-eastern part
of the present town of Wawayauda.

Near the same place, three Indians, on another occa-
sion, chased a man for a long distance. At last he crept
under some weeds and brush at the foot of a tree which
had blown down. The Indians came and stood upon
the body of the tree, and after looking around for some
time gave two or three yells and departed, without dis-
covering the object of their search who was so near
them.

Two brothers, Daniel and David Cooley, had located
on farms near Mr. Dolsen's. In those days it was cus-
tomary to build ovens separate from the houses, David
Cooley 7 s wife one day was going from the oven to the
house, just as a party of Indians were passing. With-

70 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION.

out a word one of them leveled his rifle and shot her
dead. This cold-blooded deed was perpetrated on the
farm now owned by the heirs of Capt. John Cummings.

East of this the Indians seldom ventured; though one
Sunday morning a man by the name of Webb was killed
by them, just over the outlet in the town of Goshen.
This they boasted of a great deal, but their operations
were mostly confined to petty thefts in that quarter,
owing to the thickness of the settlements.

During this war an incident occurred in the Minisink
settlement that forms a striking illustration of the force
of attachment to the savage mode of life. A straggling
band of Indians captured a little son of Mr. Westfall's,
near the fort at the north-west end of the Peenpack
settlement, in the commencement of the war. Nothing-
more was heard of him for years. The French and
Indian war with its train of horrors and barbarities be-
came a thing of the past. Still no tidings came to the
parents of the absent one, whom they had long mourned
as dead. The Revolutionary war with its red waves of
savage desolation swept over the land, and still nought
came to tell the parents of a different fate for the loved
and lost. Finally the father died. By some means the
son, who was still living in a far off Indian home, obtained
intelligence of his death, and came back to the settle-
ment with an interpreter to get possession of his inheri-
tance. He was taken to the farm where his father had
lived and where he had been taken prisoner, but had
no recollection of the premises, except a small pond of
water near the house where he was playing when cap-
tured. His mother recognized him in spite of his Indian
garb and broad Indian tongue. She endeavored by
maternal feelings, pecuniary considerations, and personal
appeals, to induce him to remain and live with her

THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 71

during the few remaining years of her life. But so
attached was he to his life in the wilderness that he
refused to listen to any project of the kind. He ob-
tained his share of his father's estate, bade his mother
good bye, turned his back on everything that could con-
duce to the enjoyment of civilized life, and was soon
trudging away in the forest to his Indian home and
bride.

The contest between England and France that gave
rise to such horrible atrocities as those recorded in this
chapter, and which may be considered a fair sample of
similar occurrences everywhere along the border of the
American provinces, was finally ended by the triumph
of the British Colonial armies; and the fall of Montreal
and Quebec reduced the French Canadian possessions
to complete submission to the authority of the British
crown.

CHAPTER VI.

THE PLEDGE OP 1775 AND ITS SIGNERS.

The conclusion of the old " French and Indian war "
as it was termed, gave to the settlers a number of years
of peace, excepting an occasional petty theft or outrage
by a wandering party of Indians. The work of reclaim-
ing the fertile land to a state of cultivation again went
forward. The wives and children of the inhabitants
ventured to return again to their old homes, from the
distant villages whither they had fled to escape the
Indian's hate.. New comers began to flock to the fertile
hills and vales of the Minisink Region and of western
Orange, and prosperity again smiled upon the efforts of
the hardy pioneer.

But just at this time, when everything bid fair for a
long season of quietness, the arbitrary acts of England.
under whose banner they had faced death a thousand
times in sanguinary struggles with the savage foe, or in
fighting the French beneath the walls of Montreal and
Quebec, began to arouse within their breasts a desire to
be free. Instead of trying to allay this feeling of dis-
content by measures calculated to satisfy the public
mind, England each succeeding year appeared to be
seeking new methods of taxation, and as a consequence
the desire for a release from her power became a neces-
sity. This necessity was not long in manifesting its

THE PLEDGE OP 1775 AND ITS SIGNERS. 78

resistance to odious acts of the Crown by force. Or-
ganized measures for defense were adopted by the prov-
inces, and thus began the great Revolutionary struggle.
The Continental Congress took possession of the affairs
of the colonies, and began to direct the resisting forces.
But it was soon found that many persons throughout the
provinces were determined to sustain the British gov-
ernment. Meetings were held in different places to
give the new Congress proof of the people's approval
of their acts. The principal of these was held in the city
of New York on the 29th of April, 1775.

In order to form a distinction between the friends of
liberty and its foes, and to prevent anarchy as far as
possible, it was resolved to form an association in each
county throughout the thirteen Colonies. This was
done by transmitting to each county a pledge which
every friend of the new movement was expected to
sign. This at once drew the dividing line between the
Whigs and Tories. It embittered the feeling greatly
between them, for those that refused to affix their names
to it were marked men. All honor to the signers of
that document ! Each name, if possible, should be ren-
dered imperishable. Every one realizing the benefits of
the glorious Temple of Liberty, of the mild and benefi-
cent laws, and enduring principles of government reared
by their efforts, should ever think of them with grati-
tude. Their names are more worthy of immortality
than those of Alexander or Caesar. Many of their de-
scendants still reside in Orange county, and Avell may
they point with pride to the glorious record their ances-
tors have left behind them. The following is a copy of
the pledge, taken from Eager's History:

PLEDGE OF 1775.

(< Persuaded that the Balvation of the rights and liber-
4

74 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION.

ties of America depend, under God, on the firm union of
its inhabitants in a rigorous prosecution of the measures
necessary for its safety; and convinced of the necessity
of preventing anarchy and confusion, which attend the
dissolution of the powers of government, we, the free-
men, freeholders, and inhabitants of Orange County.
New York, being greatly alarmed at the avowed design
of the Ministry to raise a revenue in America, and
shocked by the bloody scene now acting in Massachusetts
Bay, do, in the most solemn manner, resolve never to
become slaves ; and do associate, under all the ties of
religion, honor and love to our country, to adopt and
endeavor to carry into execution whatever measures
may be recommended by the Continental Congress or
resolved upon by our Provincial Convention for the
purpose of preserving our constitution and opposing the
"execution of the several arbitraiy Acts of the British
Parliament, until a reconciliation between Great Brit-
tain and America on constitutional principles (which
we most ardently desire,) can be obtained; and that wo
will in all things follow the advice of our general com-
mittee respecting the purposes aforesaid, the preserva-
tion of peace and good order, and the safety of individ-
uals and property."

NAMES OF THE SIGNERS OF THE ABOVE, FROM THE PRESENT TOWN' OF DEEP-

PARK (THEN A PART OF THE TOWN OF MAMAKATINO,

ULSTER CO.,) JUNE 26, 1775.

John Young, John Stufflebane.

Philip Swartout, Esq., John Stufflebane, Jr.,

Benjamin Depue, James Blizard,

Capt. John Crage, Thomas Combs,

William Haxton, James Me Givers.

John McKinstry, Joseph Hubbard,

Benj. Cuddeback, Jr., John Thompson,

Robert Cook, Ebenezer Halcomb,

THE PLEDGE OF 1775 AND ITS SIGNERS.

75

Harmanus Van Inwegen,
T. K. Westbrook,
William Rose,
Samuel Depue,
William Johnston.
James Williams.
Charles Gillets,
Eli Strickland,
David Gillaspy,
Stephen Larney,
Capt, J. R. Dewitt,
Abr. Cuddeback, Jr..
Samuel King,
Abna Skinner,
Fred. Benaer,
Valentine Wheeler,
Thomas Kytte,
Jonathan Brooks.
John Wallis,
Joseph Drake.
Ebenezer Parks,
Jacobus Swartout.
Gerardus Swartout,
Phil. Swartout, Jr.,
Isaac Van Twill,
Joseph Westfork.
Petrus Gumaer,
J. DeWitt Gumaer,
Daniel Van Fleet, Jr.,
Ezekiel Gumore,
Jacob Van Inaway,
Moses Depue, Jr.,
Jacobus Cuddeback.
Rufus Stanton,

G. Van Inwegeu,
Wm. Cuddeback,
Abr. Cuddeback,
Eliphalet Stevens,
Elisha Travis,
Albert Rosa,
Adam Rivenburg,
Mathew Neely,
Samuel Dealy,
William Smith,
John Harding.
Nathan Cook,
Jep. Fuller,
Eph. Thomas,
Henry Elsworth.
Joseph Thomas.
Abr. M'Quin,
John Seybolt,
Joseph Skinner,
Joseph Arthur,
David Wheeler,
John Travis,
John Travis, Jr.,
Daniel Decker,
Petrus Cuddeback.
Elias Gumore,
John Brooks,
Elisha Barber,
Jonathan Davis,
Robert Comfort,
David Daly,
Gershom Simpson,
Eph. Forgisson,
Jacob Comfort,

76

HISTORY OF THE MIJCISINK REGION.

Reuben Babbett.
Jonathan Wheeler.
Asa Kimball,
Robert Milliken,
Thomas Lake,
Zeh. Holcomb,
John Williams.
John Stry,
Joel Adams,
Joseph Shaw,
George Gillaspy.
James Cumen,
Abraham Rosa,
Jacob Rosa,
Henry Newkirk.
Peter Simpson,
Stephen Holcomb.
Johannes Miller,
Daniel Wood worth,
Moses Roberts,
Daniel Roberts,
John Douglass,
Joseph Randall,

Jacob Stanton.
Moses Miller,
Jonah Parks,
John Gillaspy,
Jno. Barber,
Samuel Patterson.
Abraham Smedes.
Nathaniel Travis,
Ezekiel Travis.
Joseph Travis,
Thos. Gillaspy.
Jeremiah Shaver.
Joseph Ogden,
Daniel Walling,
Daniel Walling, Jr..
Elias Miller,
Isaac Roosa,
Abr. Smith..
George G. Denniston.
Mathew Terwilleger,
Leonard Hefinessy,
Jonathan Strickland,
Johannes Wash.

NAMES OF THE SIGNERS FROM THE OLD TOWN OF MINISINK, (NOW DIVIDED
INTO MINISINK, MOUNT HOPE, WAWAYANDA AND GREENVILLE.)

J. Westbrook, Jr.,
Wilhelmus Westfall,
Johannes Decker, Jr.,
Benjamin Cox,
Moses Cortright.
Jacob Quick,
John Prys,
Jacobus Harraken,
Timothy Wood ,

Nicholas Slyter,
James Carpenter.
Reuben Jones,
Daniel St. John.
Esee Bronson,
Petrus Cole,
Aldert Osterhoudt.
Isaac Uptegrove,
A. Van Etten,

THE PLEDGE OP 1775 AND ITS SIGNERS.

77

Benjamin Wood,
Levi Decker,
G. Braddock,
Samuel Davis,
Martinas Decker,
Petrus Cuykendal,
Isaac Davis,
Benjamin Boorman,
Sylvester Cortright,
George Quick,
Nehemiah Patterson,
Jacobus Schoonhoven,
Jacobus Davis,
Asa Astley,
Benjamin Corsan,
Martinas Decker, Jr.,
Ephraim Middaugh,

Johannes Westbrook,
Solomon Cuykendal.
John Bennet,
Simon Westfall,
Arthur Van Tile,
Jacobus Vanfliet, Jr..
Jacobus Yanfliet,
Wilhelmus Cole,
Thomas Hart,
Levi Van Etten,
Petrus Decker,
John Van Tuyle,
DanielCole,
S. Cuykendal, Jr.,
Daniel Kortright,
Joel Westbrook,

A. C. Van Akin.
The names of those who did not sign the pledge are
not recorded, and it is as well that they should be suf-
fered to rest in oblivion; for mankind at the present day
can form but very imperfect decisions on the motives
which may have influenced the actions of men a hun-
dred years ago. The number of non-signers, or Tories,
as they were called, was far greater in the eastern than
in the western part of Orange county. The present
town of Deerpark (then a part of Mamakating, Ulster
county,) was unanimous in support of the measure; John
Young, chairman of the committee, reporting it to have
been signed by every householder within the limits of
the town.

CHAPTER VII.

INDIAN DEPREDATIONS.

The commencement of the Revolutionary struggle at
once opened to the view of the colonists the magnitude
of the great undertaking upon which they had entered.
They saw that in addition to the armies and munitions
of war it would be necessary to oppose to the power and
discipline of Great Britain, that an enemy lurked upon
their own soil that required full as much energy and
watchfulness to circumvent as the troopers of old King
George. They saw many of their neighbors openly
espouse the cause of royalty, some of whom departed at
once and sought a place in the ranks of the king's myr-
midons as open foes, while others, less honorable,
remained behind to furnish information to the invaders
of their country, and to stimulate the scattering Indians
to deeds of atrocity against their former friends that
have sullied the otherwise fair page of American his-
tory, and associated the names of the Indian and Tory
with the blackest scenes of horror and cruelty that the
world has ever seen. The eastern part of Orange
county was more infected with Tory principles than the
western; and it was fortunate that it was so, for the
mountain ravines and straggling Indian parties that in-
fested them in the Minisink Region, furnished the mate-

J? t)fiPBfiDAWO8. 70

rial which, with a little more loyalist help, would have
turned the settlement into barren ruins, and which as it
\vas, made it the theatre of the bloodiest acts of the war.
The Indians, during- the struggles that had taken place
previously, had imbibed a hatred of the whites that
required but a few presents and assurances of help to
at once enlist on the Royalist's side against the rebels.
This they did in violation of a treaty which General
Schuyler on the part of Congress had concluded with
the Six Nations of western New York, in July, 1775, by
which they were to observe strict neutrality between
the Americans and British. This, however, was opposed
to Indian philosophy; and it was not long before the
British induced them to break their pledges. At first
the Indians singled out persons as the objects of attack
against whom they had some particular animosity or
whom they feared; but during the progress of the war
they collected together in large bodies, and in conjunc-
tion with the Tories carried on a more wholesale scheme
of murder. The father of the famous Tom Quick fell a
victim to Indian ferocity in the south of the Minisink
Region, during the old French war, and the circumstan-
ces .of his death aroused such a feeling of animosity
against the Indians in the breast of Tom Quick, that
he determined to devote his whole life to purposes of
revenge. He led a sort of wandering life, intent on one
single object the killing of every Indian that came in
his way, and so well did he fulfill his pledge, that to
this day the name of u Tom Quick, the Indian slayer."
is a household word in the vicinity of the Minisink Re-
gion, lie w;is never married. The history of his ex-
ploits now form* the -ubjert of a volume, greatly inter-
esting to those who delight to review the light and
dark scenes 6? pioneer life a hundred years ago. His.

80 HISTORY OP THE MINISIKK REGION.

greatest exploits took place during and after the Revolu-
tion.

The grandfather of Mr. Nathaniel R. Quick, at pres-
ent a resident of the town of Greenville, was also much
feared by the Indians. On one occasion they laid an
ambush for him in a desolate part of the path leading
to his house. He had been out hunting, and when he
was returning he was suddenly surprised as he came
near this place by se'eing an Indian spring into the path
ahead of him. The Indian at the same instant brought
his rifle to his shoulder and fired at him; but being in too
great a hurry fortunately missed him, though the bullet
passed alarmingly close to his head. Seeing but one
Indian he immediately shot him. At the same moment
another bullet whistled by his shoulders, and finding it
to be getting dangerous he at once darted off on a race
for life. The Indians pursued him some distance and
fired at him several times. One bullet struck him in
the side, inflicting a severe flesh wound, but otherwise
he escaped unhurt.

In 1777 they attacked the family of a Mr. Sprague, a
resident of the northern part of the settlement, and took
some of them prisoners.

The family of a Mr. Brooks was next attacked, and
several killed. The rest were taken prisoners.

These deeds awoke the Minisink people to a sense of
their situation. Many of their bravest men were absent
doing duty in distant parts of the State as soldiers.
Capt. Cuddeback, Gerardus Swartout, Cornelius Swart-
out and Gerardus Van Inwegen, on whose exertions
they had formerly chiefly relied for protection, had
been on service at Fort Montgomery, and were there
when it was captured by the British, Oct. 6, 1777. At
the time of the attack, Capt. Cuddeback was sent across

INDIAN DEPREDATIONS. 81

the Hudson with a party of men to prevent the British
from cutting the chain which was stretched across the
river opposite the fort. Thus he escaped being in the
battle. Van Inwegen and the Swartouts remained in
the fort. The Swartouts escaped during the surrender
of the fort, but Van 1 Inwegen was killed in the assault.
The absence of these men was severely felt by the peo-
ple of Minisink, but they bravely determined to prove
themselves possessed of the same spirit. In 1778 a
committee of safety was appointed for the settlement.
The first committee was Benjamin DuPuy, Philip Swart-
out and Thomas Kytte. Harmanus Van Inwegen was
admitted as a member afterwards. They at once ordered
the erection or repairing of the forts at the houses of
Jacob Rutson DeWitt, Benjamin DuPuy and Ezekiel
Gumaer, in the Peenpack neighborhood; one at the
house of Maj. John Decker, and one at the house of Dan-
iel Van Auken in the lower neighborhood. They also
sent many women and children to the older settlements,
as the forts could not accommodate the whole fifty fam-
ilies which at that time inhabited what is now the town
of Deerpark. Scouting parties were also instituted
under command of Capt. Bezaliel Tyler, who scouted
the woods as far west as Cochecton. where a few fami-
lies resided. Persons suspected of aiding the Indians
were hnprisonerd or banished from the region. Through
their intercession small parties of nine months militia
were obtained to garrison the forts. These prepara-
tions were hardly fairly begun before their wisdom and
propriety became apparent by the

MASSACRE OF WYOMING.

Wyoming was the name of a pleasant settlement, on
both sides of the Susquehanna river in the northern

82 HISTORY OP THB MINISINK REGIOH.

part of Pennsylvania. The fertility of its soil and its
beautiful location in the midst of a smiling valley, invi-
ted hundreds from different parts of Orange and Ulster
counties and the Minisink Region, to take up a residence
within its limits. No where else had they found so de-
sirable a spot for a ho'me as on the banks of the noble
Susquehanna in that quiet valley. No settlement had
been so prosperous, and in 1778 it numbered a popula-
tion of eleven hundred families. They were partriotic,
too, those settlers of Wyoming, for at roll-call in the
morning ten hundred of their sons, and brothers, and
husbands, answered to their names in the Continental
army. No wonder was it that this feeling should induce
them to treat rather harshly the few Tories in their
midst whom they saw plotting with the Indians against
their friends in the army. The Tories had long sought
for an opportunity of open rupture, and they now allied
themselves with the Indians and swore revenge. Their
time was favorable, for the flower of the Wyoming-
youth were in the American army. The settlers,
aware of their insecurity, erected four forts upon dif-
ferent points of the settlement, among which they dis-
tributed about five hundred men; the whole under
command of Colonel Zebulon Butler, a cousin of John,
the celebrated Tory. (Zebulon was afterward accused
of treachery, but capacity was undoutftedly what he
most stood in need of.) This done, the settlers wrote
to Washington praying for immediate assistance, for a
presentiment of their approaching fate seemed to per-
vade their minds in spite of the assurances of friendship
which the Indians were continually pouring into their
ears. Their messages were intercepted by the Penn-
sylvania loyalists, but at all events they would have
been too late. .The savages had already appeared upon

IXIHAX DEPREDATIONS. 83

the frontiers of the settlement, and the cruelties they
were perpetrating were frightful; the mournful prelude
to those more terrible scenes which were shortly to
follow.

About the commencement of the month of July, the
Indians suddenly appeared in strong force upon the
banks of the Susquehanna. They numbered about 1,600
men, from four to six hundred of them pure Indians, and
the rest Tories disguised and painted to resemble them.
They were commanded by Col. Brandt, a half-breed,
and John Butler ; both renowned for their ferocity in
previous expeditions. One of the forts, nearest the
border, surrendered at the first approach of the enemy,
owing to treachery in the garrison. The next fort was
defended successfully for a time, but the enemy assaulted
it so vigorously that the garrison was finally forced to
surrender at discretion. The victors spared the women
and children, but the rest were butchered without
mercy. Zebulon then withdrew with his forces into
the principal fort, called Kingston. Upon this fortifica-
tion the settlers had placed their main reliance, being the
largest and strongest of the four. All who were unable to
bear arms the sick, women and children, and old men
repaired thither in throngs, weeping and uttering des-
pairing cries, as the last place of refuge which could be
defended with any hope of .success. On came the long
irregular line of the enemy, shouting and yelling like so
many demons. Zebulon disposed of the troops in the
srarrison to the best advantage possible and awaited the
coming foe. It was evident the settlers had it in their
' power if attacked to make the assaulting party pay
dearly for their temerity. Brandt saw this, and com-
manded his forces to halt before coming within gunshot.
The cunning half-breed then sent John Butler to hold a

84 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION.

parley with his cousin Zebulon, hoping that the ties of
relationship might lead Zebulon to place confidence in
the artful story of the Tory. Nor was he mistaken.
John was lavish of promises, and succeeded in making
Zebulon believe that if he would consent to a parley in
the open field the matter could easily be settled and the
siege raised. The next morning, in accordance with
his pledge, John Butler had retired with his forces, and
the settlers looked from the walls of the fort over the
valley without seeing an Indian. This was a gladsome
relief, and they at once proceeded to fulfill their part of
the agreement. The place appointed for the conference
was some distance from the fort, and thither Zebulon
proceeded, taking with him, as a precaution, 400 men
well armed, comprising the main strength of the garri-
son. Not a living creature was found on the spot agreed
on, and Zebulon, anxious for an interview, advanced
farther from the fort toward the foot of the mountain.
As he proceeded onward the solitude grew more dismal
and the absence of human beings more remarkable.
But as if urged onward by an irresistible destiny, he
still continued his forward march. The country began
to be overshaded by the dense forests, and the tall oaks
to twine, their branches high in air across the path ;
but fate still impelled him to go on. Just then a flag
was discovered in the path some distance ahead that
seemed to wave him on. The individual who bore it
appeared as if afraid of treachery from his side, and
retired as he advanced, still making the same signals.
He pressed forward still faster in order to assure the
traitors that he would not betray them. But the'
unfortunate. Americans had been already betrayed
instead. Taking advantage of the dense thickets,
Brandt's forces had completely surrounded them, and

INDIAN DEPREDATIONS. 85

their fancied dream of security was suddenly broken in
upon by the terrible war-whoop as hundreds of savages
sprang from their ambush, and with hideous yells
attacked the devoted band from every side. In the
midst of the confusion that ensued, Zebulon displayed
more courage than would have been