^5-
PUBLIC I.
— J-—T-—X'
PRECIOUS MK\H)KY
REVERED KINDRED.
Which I have her] humbly endeavored ro preserve vnd
TRANSMIT FOR THE INSTRUCTION, GUIDANC1 VND I M 1 I l-
I I'in OF I HEIR DESCENDAN1 S,
THESE ANNALS ARE OFFERED AS V LOVING TRIBl li.
New York, 18S8,
CONTENTS.
Chap. r. — Early Family History, and the Settlement of
the Colonie.
Chap. 2. — Jeremias, son of KLiliaen, succeeds his brother
Jan Baptiste as Directeur of Rensselaerwyck.
— His marriage with Maria Van Cortlandt. —
Their children.
Chat. 3. — The Manor granted to Kiliaen Van Rensselaer
by Queen Anne.
Chap. 4. — Hendrick Van Rensselaer and the Eastern
Manor.
Chap. 5. — Col. Kiliaen Van Rensselaer. — Birth and earlj
years of his son Killian. — College Corres
pondence.
Chap. 6. — Marriage and Professional life.
Chap. 7. — Congressional career.
Chap. 8. — Margaretta Sanders. — Her domestic life. — Her
letters.
Chap. 9. — John S. Van Rensselaer takes his degree at
Union College. — Tetters from the Army. —
Marriage.
Chap. to. — Tife at "99 State street," Albany.
Chap. ii. — The End.
Reminiscences of Boyhood. — "Scotia." — "Cherry Hill."
— "The Mount." — A Summer Ramble. —
Visit of La Fayette. — Veterans of the Revo-
lution.
NOTllI \.
ANNALS.
CHAPTER FIRST.
EARLY FAMILY HISTORY AND THE SETTLEMENT OF
THE COLONIE.
Their patronymic proves that our ancestors were
landowners in the province of Guelderland, in the
Netherlands, where it is found to-day attached to
three places. (Notitia B.) It signifies "Deer's lair."
We are apt to complain at the almost universal igno-
rance of the orthography of the name even among
the best educated ; and it is strange, considering the
large place it occupies in the history of the nation,
and its conspicuous position on every map of New
York and even of the coast of Greenland. But it is
reassuring to know that one of the marks that has
distinguished it from common patronymics from the
first, has been the great variety of spelling, of which
we find the following specimens in ancient docu-
ments: Ranslaer ; Renzelaer; Rentzelaer ; Rense-
laer ; Renselare ; Rinselart ; Renslaer; Rinzelar ;
Renzluer ; Rensalaer ; usually without the "Van,"
except in signatures, under their own hands.
Kiliaen, first patroon of Rensselaerswyck, was born
in Nykerk, in the province of Guelderland, and
settled in Amsterdam, where he was engaged in the
diamond and pearl trade carried on by the East
India Company. He was fourth in descent from
Hendrick Wolter Van Rensselaer. He had five sons
and four daughters, all of them under age when he
died in 1645, m the flower of his age. His sons were
Johannes, son of Hillegonda Van Bylant ; Jan Baptist,
Jeremias, Nicolas and Rickert or Richard, by Anna
Van Weely. We are descended from Jeremias. who
married Maria Van Cortlandt, April 27, 1662.
They had two sons and two daughters. Kiliaen
and Hendrick were the sons. We are descended
from Hendrick, who married Catharine Van Bruggen,
granddaughter of Anneke Janse Bogardus. They
had three sons and six daughters.* The sons were
Johannes, Henry and Kiliaen. We are descended
from their youngest son Kiliaen, who married Ari-
antje, daughter of Nicholas Schuyler, son of Philip
and grandson of Philip Pietersen Schuyler and Mar-
garetta Van Schlectenhorst.
The}- had four sons and three daughters. The
sons were Hendrick, Philip. Nicholas and Kiliaen.
We are descended from Kiliaen, who married Mar-
garetta Sanders.
They had four sons, John Sanders, William, Rich-
ard and Barent or Bernard Sanders, and one daughter,
Deborah, who died in infancy. John Sanders was
ray father. (Notitia A.)
• From Catharine, the second daughter, who married Johannes Ten Broeck, came
Major John C. Ten Broeck, their grandson ; and from Maria, the eldest, who
married Samuel Ten Broeck. came his wife. Anna Van Schaick Ten Broeck, their
granddaughter; the grandparents of General Thomas Hillhouse.
Thus, my children are seventh in descent from
Kiliaen, the Patroon, and eleventh from the founder,
Hendrick Wolter. Four hundred years embraces
twelve generations. My father was descended on
both his father's and his mother's side, without an
exception, from the families who had been in the
New Netherlands from its first settlement — Schuylers,
Van Cortlandts, Van Schlectenhorsts, Jansens,
Bogardus, Van Bruggens, Wendells, De Meyers,
Glens, Sanders — a striking proof of the care taken
in making family alliances among our forefathers.
The Patroonship of Rensselaerswyck was acquired,
as all were, at command of the States General of
Holland, by purchase from the Indians. It ran
twenty-four miles along the Hudson river and twenty-
four miles from it on either side. Subsequently it was
increased by a purchase of land at Claverack, now in
Columbia county. This immense tract of land was
the home of savages, who lived and roamed un-
checked through its boundless forests, and of whose
ignorance mingled with cunning, and filthiness mixed
with ferocity, the early records give vivid descrip-
tions. Yet there is no evidence of any serious
breach of the peace between them and the people of
Rensselaerswyck, a marvelous contrast to the terrible
experience of the lower Dutch settlements and the
New England colonies. On the contrary, the Indians
proved themselves many times most reliable allies to
the settlers at Albany when threatened with attack by
the French and Indians from Canada.
" A Popular History of the United States," to
which the honored name of Bryant is attached, gives
the following version of the transactions of the
Patroons : "The same principle which the company
was carrying out against the rest of the world, its
richer and shrewder members enforced against their
less fortunate fellow-shareholders. Before the charter
was published some of the directors in the Amster-
dam council had their preparations fully made to seize
upon the benefits they knew to be in prospect.''
" When the action of these enterprising capitalists
was revealed to their fellow-members in the Nether-
lands, they were indignantly denounced as having
used ' the cunning tricks of merchants.' So strong
was the feeling against Van Rensselaer and the rest,
that thev were required bv the College of Nineteen
to take several partners into the different proprietor-
ships. But they easily evaded the purpose of that
order, for Van Rensselaer took Godyn and Blom-
maert into his partnership, with John de Laet,
Bissels and Moussart, other Amsterdam directors, and
kept for himself two of the fifths into which he
divided the estate. Godyn and Blommaert in turn
took Van Rensselaer and de Laet into association
with them, with Captain de Yries and several others,
also directors. By this convenient arrangement the
new partners gained little, and the first holders merely
exchanged one property for another."
" The cunning tricks of merchants" strikes one as
very excellent, coming, as it must have done, from a
company of " Merchants and Traders." As the
statement stands, it shows either that the Patroons
had so much power in the company that the)- could
practically set at nought its decrees ; or, which is
more likely, that only they and their partners had
money and courage enough to embark in an enter-
prise so hazardous and requiring such an aim unit of
ready money. We have no concern with the other
Patroonships, which did not last, but facts connected
with the acquisition and establishment of Rensselacrs-
wyck are directly in the teeth of these assertions, as
I shall proceed to show.
It is clear from the evidence of the Holland Docu-
ments, that the attempts of the Dutch West India
Company to settle and govern the New Netherlands
had not been successful — " the want of success was
beyond expectation." After frequent reviews of their
outlays and returns, " it was finally decreed and en-
acted," "on the ioth March, 1628," " for the be-
hoof of all the stockholders in the said company, by
virtue of the charter, to draw up Freedoms and
Exemptions, for the benefit of the General West
India Company, and advantage of the Patroons,
masters and private persons." These having been
prepared and reported were carefully discussed and
revised at several subsequent meetings ; " the pro-
posals of certain respectable principal stockholders "
were received and considered, and finally the
" Freedoms and Exemptions" were enacted June 7,
1629, nearly a year and three months after the first
formal step was taken. To suppose that this could
have been clone in ignorance of the plans of their
co-directors, involves a belief in the dullness of
Dutch merchants which their history does not sustain,
or of a culpable negligence which the facts do not
warrant. We are fairly entitled to assume from the
statements of the records that the company acted
with a full understanding that there were men among
them who were prepared to make the venture neces-
5
sary to carry out their plans. No one seems to have
denied the statement of the Patroons themselves,
made to the States General in their remonstrance of
June, 1634, that they, "animated with new zeal to
carry out their High Mightiness' intention, and hop-
ing, in consequence, for God's blessing, preceded all
the other stockholders by way of a good example,
saving the aforesaid company from expenses, troubles
and heavy charges, and further involved themselves
by undertaking divers Patroonships, the expenses
whereof, incurred and laid out to this day, amount to
not far from one ton of gold, cash down ; and are
yearly taxed, in addition, with at least 45,000 guilders
for the support of three of their Patroonships."
Sebastiaen Jansen Crol, an officer of the company
in command of Fort Orange for some years, was
employed by Kiliaen Van Rensselaer to make the
purchases of land from the Indians. There was no
" cunning trick" in employing an agent of the Com-
pany to do this business. He " bought and paid for
not only the grounds belonging to the chiefs and
natives of the lands in New Netherland, but also
their rights of sovereignty {jura Majestatis) and
such others as they exercised within the limits of the
Patroon's purchased territories. So that on the 28th
November, 1630, were read at the Assembly of the
Directors, the deeds of conveyance of the lands and
jurisdictions purchased from the Saccimaes, the Lords
of the Country, executed for the behoof of the
Patroons, their successors ; and the new proprietors
were accordingly thereupon congratulated. On the
2d December, in the year aforesaid, the patents sent
to the Patroons from New Netherland were in like
manner also again read, recorded in the Company's
Register, ordered by the Assembly to be ensealed
with the seal of New Netherland ; the Patroons were
again congratulated and handed their patents. 1 6th
ditto. The Patroons, on resolution of the Assembly,
delivered to the Company's counsel, a perfect list of
their undertaken patroonships. 8th January, 163 1 .
The Patroons* Colonies were ex supra abundanti con-
firmed, on submitting the question to the Assembly
of the XIX., holden in Zealand." (New York Colonial
Documents, Vol. i, pp. 84-5.) Thus after the lapse
of a year and a half the West India Company, through
its governing body, had failed to detect any " cunning
tricks."
Weise says in his History of Albany just pub-
lished that, " in order to advance more rapidly the
growth of the colony, Kiliaen Van Rensselaer formed
a limited partnership with Samuel Godyn, Johannes
de Laet, and Samuel Blommaert, three influential
members of the Amsterdam chamber of the West
India Company ; ' they holding their respective
Patroonships, while he retained his exclusive title of
Patroon of Rensselaerswyck. Their respective claims
on the Manor were purchased and extinguished by
1685.
" Kiliaen Van Rensselaer," says Weise " was pecu-
liarly qualified for the duties of his Patroonship. He
was self-reliant and practical, wealth)' and ambitious.
His plans for the settlement of his colon}' and his
measures for the welfare of his people evince the
sound judgment and the executive ability which gave
his acts no little prominence in the history of New
Netherland. He built comfortable houses and ample
barns for his tenants ; provided them with agricul-
tural implements and live-stock; erected saw and
grist-mills at convenient places on the larger water-
courses of the manor ; and supplied his store with
suitable goods to meet the common wants of the
colonists."
" The governing body of the Dutch West India
Company," says Mrs. Lamb, " was the College of the
XIX., consisting of nineteen delegates from five
chambers of managers, located in five principal
Dutch cities. The Amsterdam chamber furnished
eight of the nineteen delegates, and thus its relative
consequence may be seen at a glance. Care was
exercised in the selection of the directors for each
chamber, and men only of wealth and the highest
known integrity were eligible for the trust. The
eight chosen men who were placed over the affairs of
the Amsterdam chamber commanded, at the time,
the entire confidence of the nation. One of these
was Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, the founder of the Van
Rensselaer manor, whose name has been handed
along through every generation of men who have
since had their day in New York and contributed to
its progress, and is interwoven with all that is histor-
ical in city and state,"
Some idea of the dangers and sufferings involved
in emigrating to the New World may be formed from
the account given by Dominie Jonas Michaelius in
his letter of August II, 1628, on his arrival at the
Manhatas. " The voyage continued long, viz., from
the 24th of January till the 7th of April, when we
first set our foot upon this land. Of storm and tem-
pest we have had no lack, particularly about the
8
Bermudas and the rough coasts of this country, the
which fell hard upon the good wife and children, not
eating with us in the cabin, on account of the little
room in it ; but they bore it better as regards s<
sickness and fear, than I had expected. Our fan-
was very poor and scant} - in the ship, so that my
blessed wife and children, not eating with us, had a
worse lot than the sailors themselves, and that by
reason of a wicked cook who annoyed them in every
way; but especially by reason of the captain himself,
who, although I frequently complained of it in the
most courteous manner, did not concern himself in the
least about correcting the rascal ; nor did he when
the}- were all sick give them anything which could do
them an}- good, although there was enough in the
ship ; though he himself knew very well where to
find it, in order out of meal times to fill his own bell}'.
All the relief which he gave us consisted merely in
liberal promises, with a drunken head, which promises
nothing followed, when he was sober, but a sour face;
and thus has he played the brute against the officers,
and kept himself constantly to the wine, both at sea
and especially here in the river; so that he has navi-
gated the ship daily with a wet sail and an empty
head, coming ashore seldom to the Council, and never
to the public Divine Service. We bore all with
silence on board the ship ; but it grieves me when 1
think of it on account of my wife; the more because
the time was so short which she had yet to live."
Nor were the hardships ended after they had
escaped the perils and privations of the voyage :
"There are no horses, cows nor laborers to be ob-
tained here for money. Every one is short in these
particulars and wants more. There is here no refresh-
ment of butter, milk, &c, to be obtained, although
a very high price be offered for them ; for the people
who bring them and bespeak them are suspicious of
each other. So I will be compelled to pass through
the winter without butter and other necessaries which
the ships did not bring with them to be sold here.
The rations which are given out and charged for high
enough, are all stale food, as they are used to on
board ship, and frequently this is not very good, and
there cannot be obtained as much of it as may be
desired. I began to get some strength through the
grace of the Lord, but in consequence of this hard
fare of beans and grey peas, which are hard enough,
barley, stock fish, &c, without much change, I can-
not become well as I otherwise would. The summer
yields something, but what of that for any one who
has no strength ? We want ten or twelve
farmers with horses, cows and laborers in proportion,
to furnish us with bread and fresh butter, milk and
cheese."
To supply these wants by establishing colonies of
permanent settlers, was the great aim of the Patroons.
To accomplish such a design it was necessary to
transport families as well as separate individuals to
their manors. Having incurred the expenditure and
risks involved in this, and after their colonies were
begun, they suddenly found their enterprises endan-
gered and secretly undermined on the 30th October,
163 1, when new articles were proposed, "whereby
the previous Freedoms and Exemptions were no
longer attainable ; the Patroons particularly com-
manded to perform things which experience taught
10
them were impracticable: Yea, all the Exemptions
were drawn into dispute." To this attempt the
Patroons replied by an earnest and dignified r< mon-
strance addressed to the St • reneral, together with
a " Pretension and Claim," June [6, [634, in which
they assert "that the Freedoms and Exemptions
promised and granted to the Patroons and their peo-
ple" "are to be holden as a mutual contract, binding
on both sides, whereby the Patroons were invited to
send their people and goods thither; in consequence
whereof the}- claim to enjoy inviolate the privileges
contained therein." So disturbed were they by these
attacks that they stated in a reply to the West India
Company that " they shall have conjointly to deter-
mine upon the continuation or abandonment of their
Colonies."
February 5, 1641. " Kiliaen Van Rensselaer,
Patroon of his Colonie called kensselaerswyck,"
petitioned their High Mightinesses the States General
for a Veniam Testandi, •' in order to enable him to
dispose by last will, according to his pleasure, of the
aforesaid manor or feudal estate." This was granted
the same day, and it shows that the partnership did
not affect the fee of the Manor, and that there was
no law of entail originally attached to it.
There is no authentic proof that the first Patroon
ever visited Rensselaerswyck, although my grand-
father used to tell of a report that he had inhabited a
house near Fort Orange, which probably referred to
his son Jan Baptist, sometime Director of the Manor.
Another tradition placed his house at the north end
of Castle Island opposite Cherry Hill. But his
affairs were so extensive, and his family so young,
1 1
that, although he might have visited his Colonie, it is
hardly probable that he remained in it for a long
time, especially as he could serve it to greater
advantage in Amsterdam. His death in 1645 was
undoubtedly a great set-back to its prosperity, as
well as an irreparable loss to his family and the
nation. He was an ardent patriot and a sincere and
generous promoter of religion. Xone of his sons
were old enough to succeed him, the eldest, Johan,
being under age and having as guardians his kinsmen,
Johan Van Weely and Wouter Van Twiller. These
petitioned the States General, October 21, 1648, for
"Letters of Investiture" to their ward "of High,
Middle and Low Jurisdiction over the Colonie situate
in Xew Xetherland and called Rensselaerswyck."
There was a delay in granting this, pending the
settlement of a claim made by Samuel Blommaert
and Johannes de Laet. co-directors, against the
guardians ; but from a resolution of the Assembly of
the States General. 13th November, 1649, it would
seem to have been passed soon afterwards.* In
confirming the judgment in favor of Blommaert and
de Laet, June 14, 1650, the States General voted
that " when the fief shall be taken up in the name of
Kiliaen Van Rensselaer's son and his successors, it be
well and faithfully expressed in the patent, that to
the aforesaid Kiliaen Van Rensselaer's son and his
successors, belongs no greater superiority and
authority than to the aforesaid plaintiffs, his equals
and partners in the aforesaid Colonie, except simply
the title of Patroon " ; with two votes out of four in
the management. All these partners were bought
* It was granted April 7, 1650. Holland Document. I, 3S3.
12
out by 1685, under the grandson of Kiliaen Van
Rensselaer.
At first the Colonie was managed by Commissaries,
the m<>st famous of whom, Arendl Van Curler, gained
such influence over the Mohawks by his kind and just
treatment that ever afterwards they expressed their
highest respect for the Governors of New York by giv-
ing them the name of "Corlaer." lie was succeeded in
1647 by Brandt Arent Van Slechtenhorst, famous for
his dispute with Governor Stuyvesant about the land
around Fort Orange, which lie claimed for the
Patroon, and Stuyvesant for the West India Comp-
any; and also about the manorial jurisdiction.
Stuyvesant resorted to force to carry his designs into
effect, and caused Van Slechtenhorst to be arrested
and imprisoned, 1651, at New Amsterdam. Hut the
Governor was entirely wrong, as usual with him, as
the commission appointed by the Duke of York to
decide on the Van Rensselaer title, of which John
Churchill, afterwards the famous Duke of Marlbor-
ough, was one, decided in 167S, restoring to the Manor
the fee of all the land taken by Stuyvesant around the
fort. By the marriage of his daughter Margaretta
with Philip Pietersen Schuyler, Christmastide, 1650,
Van Slechtenhorst became the great-grandfather of
my grandfather's maternal grandfather, Nicholas
Schuyler, and the ancestor of General Philip Schuyler
and the Schuylers of Watervliet.
In 165 1 Jan Baptiste, the third son of Kiliaen
Van Rensselaer, arrived at Fort Orange, being the
first of the family who came to this continent, as far
as we can ascertain. lie brought with him his
youngest brother, Richard, then a child, lie arrived
is:
in the midst of the dispute with Governor Stuyvesant
and seems to have taken a lively interest in it. A
witticism of his during one of the outbreaks arising
from it, reported by Weise, (page 96), has a family
flavor about it, and may be taken as authentic. He
became Director of Rensselaerswick May 8, 1652. A
memorial of him is preserved in a pane of glass be-
longing to the old Dutch church once standing at
the foot of State street, built 1656, containing the
family coat of arms, but wanting the three star fish in
the right-hand quartering, as we have it, and inscribed,
" Jan Baptist Van Rensselaer, Directeur Der Colony,
Rensselaerswyck, 1656.'' A ferry had been established
previously to his arrival to maintain connection be-
tween the two shores of the river. After an adminis-
tration of about six years, Jan Baptist returned to
Holland and became a leading merchant in Amster-
dam, where we find his name attached to public
documents during the years 1667, 1674 and 1677.
14
CHA1TKK SKCOND.
JEREMIAS, SON OF KILIAEN VAN RENSSELAER, SUC-
CEEDS His BROTHER JAN BAPTISTE AS DIRECT!
OF RENSSELAERSWYCK — HIS MARRIAGE WITH
MARIA VAN CORTLANDT — THEIR CHILDREN.
fan Baptiste was succeeded by his brother Jeremias,
who was the first of the family to take up his residence
permanently in America. He married, April 27,
1662, Maria Van Cortlandt, daughter ofOloff Stevanus
Van Cortlandt, and from this pair all the Van Rens-
selaers now living under the name are descended.
The first erection at Albany was, as we have seen,
Fort ( >range. The site of it was called from the first
"The Fuyck," or net, from its peculiar adaptedness
to "catch " the Indian trade from the west and north.
It kept its reputation as such for many generations,
and in fact till there was nothing left for the Indians
to fetch, and few Indians left to come for anything
but subsidies. In that exposed frontier the traders
and settlers naturally congregated around the fort for
security, and the village, or " dorp," that arose there
was called " Beverswyck." Here was established the
first church, of which " Church street" is the memo-
rial. It was built 1646, four years after the arrival of
Dominie Megapolensis. The land of Beverswyck
was claimed by the Manor, but Governor Stuyvesant
enforced the removal of all the buildings as far as
the present Hudson avenue. This proceeding in
1655 required the erection of a new church, which
was built at the foot of State street in 1656. North
of Foxen creek was the " Colonic," as it was called
15
even in my day. extending to the Manor House,
which was originally a modest building of brick
brought from Holland, by the side of the present
Troy road (which was not in existence then) oppo-
site the present Manor House, built in 1765. On the
capture of New Netherlands by the British in 1664
the name Albany was given to it after the Duke of
York and Albany, the graceless brother of the grace-
less Charles II., who had given it away to him before
he owned it. So matters remained for nine years
until, in 1673, Commodores Evertsen and Binckes
suddenly appeared in the harbor of New York, and
reconquered the province for the Prince of Orange
and the Dutch. Albany became Willemstadt and
the fort Fort Nassau, the Colonie having always kept
its title. New York was changed to " New Orange,"
in honor of the Prince. Again there came a change,
and this time a final one, when the States General
restored the province to the English, and the dis-
carded names were restored.
The Directorship of Jeremias Van Rensselaer was
a busy one, involving Indian depredations and the
English subjugation in 1664. Stuyvesant, having
succeeded in having the houses around Fort Orange
cleared away, had become quiet, and the most amica-
ble relations seem to have been established between
him and the Rensselaerswyck authorities. Jeremias
Van Rensselaer presided over a council convened in
New Amsterdam in the early part of 1664 to deliber-
ate on the unprotected state of the Province. Prom-
ises of help from Rensselaerswyck and Beverswyck
had been made to the Director General at this Landts-
dagJi, and when rumors came of the sailing of the
16
English fleet the Governor addressed an urgent letter
July 8, 1664, to his "Honorable and most Dear" La
Montague and Van Rensselaer, asking for the fulfil-
ment of it. But in the meantime the Mahikander
had been on the war-path and had slain nine head of
cattle on the Director's bouwerie at Greenbush, and
burnt Abraham Staets' bouwerie with the farmer,
carrying off his wife and one negro ; and so tluy felt
compelled to decline to send the guns and powder
requested by the " Right Honorable General," and
the " Loan of 5,000 or 6,ooo guilders in Wampum for
the Honorable Company" was entirely beyond their
means. Accordingly, Petrus Stuyvesant made what
seems from the published records to have been his
first and only peaceful visit to Fort Orange in August,
1664. But this visit brought great trouble upon him
afterwards. It was made at an unfortunate time, and
he tarried too long enjoying the hospitalities of the
Manor. The British fleet was approaching Sand}'
Hook, and no steps had been taken for the defence
of New Amsterdam. Within a week after his return
they were summoning him to surrender, and the
burghers declared themselves '■ obliged, before God
and the world, to protest against and call down on
your Honors (the Governor and Council) the
vengeance of Heaven for all the innocent blood
which shall be shed in consequence of your Hon-
ors' obstinacy" in delaying to surrender to the
British commander. They enforced it with a
homily, which shows the moulding hand of Domine
Megapolensis : " We trust your Honors will not ques-
tion that to God who seeks not the death of a sinner,
belongs obedience, rather than to man. We feel
17
certain, therefore, that your Honors will exhibit your-
selves, in this pressing exigency and sorrowful season,
as men and Christians, and conclude, with God's help,
an honorable and reasonable capitulation, which may
the Lord our God, in His great mercy, be pleased to
errant us ! Amen." All fight seemed to have been
eradicated from the fiery old warrior. He had been
fooled into believing that the enemy were four times
as many as they actually were, and he stood looking
on from the fort while two of the British vessels
defiantly sailed up the North river under his guns.
Van Sletchtenhorst was avenged when his old foe
surrendered the New Netherlands without firing a
shot, and the West India Company, when they pre-
sented their reply to the Governor's report to their
High Mightinesses the States General, concluded by
saying: " That the sole cause and reason for the loss
of the aforesaid place, were these : The Authorities
(Regenten) and the chief officer, being very deeply
interested in lands, bouweries and buildings, were
unwilling to offer any opposition, first, at the time of
the English encroachments, in order thereby not to
afford any pretext for firing and destroying their
properties ; and, having always paid more attention
to their particular affairs than to the Company's inter-
ests, New Amsterdam was found, on the arrival of the
English frigates, as if an enemy was never to be
expected. And, finally, that the Director, first fol-
lowing the example of heedless interested parties,
gave himself no other concern than about the pros-
perity of his bouweries, and, when the pinch came,
allowed himself to be rode over by clergymen, women
and cowards, in order to surrender to the English
18
what he could defend with reputation, for the sake of
thus saving their private properties." In this event
Diederick Knickerbocker's veracious History of New
York found its appropriate inspiration.
Jeremias Van Rensselaer took the inevitable oath
of allegiance to the authority of the Duke of York.
He was left undisturbed in the government of the
Colonie, but an English officer was put in command
of Fort Albany, as Orange was now called. Colonel
Nicolls, the English commander, declined to admit
"the Towne of Albany to be part of Renzelaerwick,"*
or " a succession to his brother Baptista as of right
belonging to " Jeremias Van Rensselaer, without the
express decision of the Duke, " making answer in a
Latine verse which in some sort you (Jeremias) may
apply," it being probably all the " Ratine " that the
Colonel had at hand : " Filius ante diem Pattios iu-
quirit in annos" Whether our ancestor's love of
letters made him relish the rebuff the better because
it was conveyed in " Latine " is not recorded, but
perforce he was obliged to remain content with this
reply of his " affte freind " till he could get a bet-
ter one from his superior. This occurred in 1666.
When Evertsen and Binckes recaptured New York in
1673, he petitioned for a "confirmation of the
previous privileges granted by their " High Mighti-
nesses to the Colonie Rensselaerswyck," which they
would only grant for one year, " within which time
the aforenamed Rensselaer shall be bound to obtain
new privileges from their High Mightinesses, &c. ; or,
failing the same, he shall be occluded from said
privileges." " This day Mr. Rensselaer took the
oath of allegiance before the Council." But the next
■9]
year, under the terms of the Treaty of Westminster,
the Province was given finally to the English, and
after a delay of three years and a half, " Governor
Andros was ordered to issue a patent to the heirs of
Killiacn Van Rensselaer, by which they were granted
the possession of the manor of Rensselaerswyck
with such privileges and immunities as they formerly
enjoyed.'"
Richard remained in the Colonie after the return
of Jan Baptiste. and became owner of " the Flats,"
which Mrs. Grant has made famous, and which was
bought by Captain Philip Pietersen Schuyler after his
departure for the Fatherland. His name as " Richard
Renzelaer " occurs in the " Catalogue Alphabeticall
of ye Names of such Inhabitants of New Yorke, &c,
as tooke the oath to bee true subjects, to His Majestie,
October the 21st, 22d, 24th and 26th dayes, 1664.''
It is also found in the list of Commissaries confirmed
by Governor Nicolls for Rensselaerswyck; but he
returned to Holland and became the founder of the
branch that remained there.
" Sieur Jeremias Van Rensselaer,'* as he was styled
by Governor Anthony Colve, died in the same year
as the transfer to the English, leaving four children
and the Colonie to the guardianship of his widow and
her brother, Stephanus Van Cortlandt. " He acquired
great influence among the Indians, and won the
sincere respect of the French in Canada. His
portrait represents him as a remarkably handsome
man of courtly presence. His correspondence, which
still exists, shows native talent and enormous industry.
His autograph is remarkable for its beauty, and is
one of the most characteristic that could be found in
20
a century (it is given in Bryant's History of the
United States). He presided over the Landtsdagh,
or Diet, that assembled in New Amsterdam, about
five months before the surrender of the province, it
having been called by Stuyvesant to discuss the
precarious condition of affairs and give advice.
From the records it appears that his conduct of the
meeting in dignity and ceremony could hardly have
been excelled by their High Mightinesses themselves."
(Mrs. Lamb's article in Magazine of American
History, January, 1884.) He left four children:
Kiliaen, born 1663; Anna, born 1665; Hendrick,
born 1667;. and Maria, born 1672. Numerous
descendants of all of them survive. Kiliaen married
his cousin, Maria Van Cortlandt, and became the
founder of the Manor House branch. Hendrick
married Catharine Van Bruggen, and became the
founder of our branch, which is by far the most
numerous. Anna married first her cousin Kiliaen,
son of Johannes, who inherited the estates in Holland,
but died early without children ; then she became the
wife of William Nichol, and the Sills are descended
from them. Maria married Peter Schuyler, first
mayor of Albany and the leading character of his
time in the affairs of the Province. They also have
numerous descendants.
The Reverend Nicholas Van Rensselaer, fourth son
of the first Patroon, was a graduate of the University
of Leyden, in the register of which his name may be
found spelt " Rentzlaer." He received Holy Orders
in England in the reign of Charles II. He set-
tled in Albany in 1674, and married Alida Schuyler,
daughter of Philip Pietersen Schuyler and Margaretta
21
Van Schlectenhorst. He was refused permission to
officiate by the authorities of the Dutch Church in
Albany, in consequence of his ordination, and was
imprisoned in the course of the dispute. His house
was on the north side of State street between North
Pearl and Chapel streets, probably at the west end of
he Tweddle building. He was believed to have the
gift of " second sight," which brought him trouble at
his end, according to the following incident: "His
(Robert Livingston's) first interview with his future
wife, as told by Mrs. Montgomery in her unpublished
memoirs, is too good a story to be omitted. The
Domine (Rev. Nicholas Van Rensselaer) was absent
from home when increasing infirmities convinced him
that his end was approaching. Accompanied by his
young wife, he attempted to reach the manor, where
he wished to end his days. As he approached Albany
he informed his friends that he would arrive in sight
of his own house, but that he would not live to enter
it. At Albany he took to his bed, and requested
that a lawyer should be sent to make his will. Robert
Livingston was the person selected for the office.
The young man arranged his paper and waited for
instructions. The Domine looked at him earnestly,
and then said, ' Send that young man away.' His
brother-in-law Schuyler remonstrated in vain. Liv-
ingston was dismissed. The wife, although much
distressed, could not help telling her husband that he
had been rude to a young man who had done nothing
to deserve it. He replied, 'That young man shall
not make my will, for he will be your second husband.'
The incredulous will say that the prophecy occasioned
its own fulfilment."
The untimely loss of their father was a most serious
injury to the children of Jeremias, and the cause of
great troubles to Rensselaerswyck. Kiliaen was only
eleven years old, and the brothers in Holland were
fully occupied with their own affairs. The claims of
heirs and co-directors remained unsettled, and dis-
putes arose on all sides. The education of her
children and the care of their estate devolved on his
widow (our great-great-great-grandmother), and she
seems to have shown herself fully qualified for the
difficult task. She was aided in it by her brother
Stephen Van Cortlandt, one of the ablest and most
influential men in the Province. The followin"
account gives the impression which she made on two
missionaries from Friesland in 1680: "We went to
call upon a certain Madam Rentselaer, widow of 1 [eer
Rentselaer, son of the founder of the colony of Rent-
selaerswyck, comprising twelve miles square from
Fort Orange, that is, twenty-four miles square in all.
She is in possession of the place, and administers it
as patronesse, until one Richard Van Rentselaer, resid-
ing at Amsterdam, shall arrive in the country, whom
she expected in the summer, when he would assume
the management of it himself. This lady was polite,
quite well-informed, and of good life and disposi-
tion. * * * She treated us kindly.
We went to look at several of her mills at work,
which she had there on an everrunning stream, grist-
mills, saw-mills and others. Returning
to the house, we politely took our leave. Her
residence is about a quarter of an hour from Albany
up the river." (Weise's History of Albany, pages
173, 174)
23
The marriage of her daughter Anna with her cousin
Kiliaen, son of Johannes, united her family with the
oldest branch ; but he did not live long after it, and
his death, in 1687, left no male descendant of the elder
branch surviving. The marriage of Maria, her second
daughter, with Peter Schuyler, united them to the
ablest man and most influential family next to their
own in the Colonic Her younger son, Hendrick,
married in 1689 Catharine Van Bruggen, of New
York, granddaughter of Anneke Janse Bogardus. As
his elder brother did not marry till twelve years after,
it was supposed that Hendrick would be his heir ; but
the Patroon Kiliaen disappointed them by marrying,
in 1 701, Maria, daughter of Stephen Van Cortlandt,
and by her became the father of seven children.
Kiliaen was a soldier, and saw service against the
French and Indians at the head of his company of
horse under his brother-in-law, Major, afterwards
Colonel, Peter Schuyler. He was the first deputy
from the Manor to the Provincial Assembly, from
1 69 1 to 1703 ; after which he was called to one Pro-
vincial Council. He was also, with his brother,
Commissioner for Indian Affairs under the different
royal governors of the Province till his death in 1 719 ;
from which time the two streams of the family have
remained separate, with but two partial intermixtures,
to their unquestionable purity and more vigorous
development.
In May, 1686, the heirs of Jeremias Van Rens-
selaer granted to Governor Dongan for the territory
of the city of Albany, which he wished to incorpo-
rate, sixteen square miles of the manor lands towards
Schenectady.
24
CHAPTER THIRD.
THE MANOR GRANTED TO K1LIAEN VAN RENSSELAER
BY QUEEN ANNE.
Anna, daughter of Johannes Van Weely, widow of
Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, survived her husband a
quarter of a century, and died June 12, 1670, in
Amsterdam, as appears from an affecting account
written by the Rev. Nicholas Van Rensselaer, her
son, given in Holgate's " American Genealogy," con-
cluding with this aspiration : " May the good God
grant her, and us with her, a joyous resurrection at
the last day." The estate of her husband had never
been settled, and remained unsettled for half a century,
until, in 1695, Kiliaen, son of Jan Baptiste, came over
for the purpose of satisfying all the surviving heirs.
Kiliaen, elder son of Jeremias, represented the
American claimants, and there being five classes of
heirs to the whole estate, he received the Colonie as
one-fifth upon his paying .£700, at which it was valued
beyond the other five. In this settlement he received
for himself, his brother and sisters between 700,000
and 800,000 acres of land. In 1704, during the
governorship of the notorious Lord Cornbury, he
secured from Queen Anne (who was cousin to Lord
Cornbury) a patent for the whole estate, erecting it
into a Manor. Of this vast territory, thus acquired,
he gave to his brother Hendrick a mile square at
25
Greenbush, including the old mansion, and the Claver-
ack Manor — about one-tenth of what he had received
for all the heirs ; to the son of his sister, Mrs. Peter
Schuyler, 400 acres south of the " Flats ; " and to his
nephew, Rensselaer Nicol, " Cedar Hill," the home
of the Sills.' {Vide Notitia B. and D.)
The coming of the race destined to supplant in our
time both the Dutch and the English in the control
of New York, was prefigured, so to speak, by the
arrival in New York, April 2, 1698, of Richard Coote,
" Earl of Bellomont and Baron of Coloony, in the
county of Sligo," Ireland. His lordship came as a
"Reformer;" but, although there were doubtless
many things to be reformed, he soon showed that the
way of his impulsive, pragmatic and dogmatic
countrymen was by no means the best one, to say the
least. " Privateers " had been encouraged and pro-
tected, who were afflicted, when they got to sea, with
a peculiar color-blindness which made them unable
to distinguish between the red cross of England and
the white lilies of France or the crescent of the Turk.
It was the time of the famous Captain Kidd, whose
name and fame continue to haunt the shores of the
Hudson, Long Island Sound and Narragansett Bay.
He tried to beguile the earl by sending costly jewels
to the countess ; but his lordship, to his credit, would
have none of him, caused him to be arrested and
> My venerable and esteemed friend, Mrs. Jeremiah Van Rensselaer, has told me a
tradition preserved in their branch of the family which throws light on this transaction,
although it does not entirely clear it up, as it leaves the treatment of the sisters
unaccounted for The story is that Hendrick, having been married fifteen years and
having no son, had given up all hopes of an heir, and agreed to the arrangement by
which the patent from Queen Anne was granted to his brother. As the elder brother
at that time had no son, and there was no male heir in America, there was a strong
probability of the Manor's passing out of the family; but Kiliaen had married twelve
years after his brother, and there was a probability of his having a successor. In fact
one was born to him the next year (1705), followed bv other sons. As if to show the
vanity of all human calculations, Hendrick had three sons born between 1711 and 1717,
of whom my great-grandfather was the youngest.
26
gave up the jewels. There had been extravagant
land-grants under his predecessor, Colonel Fletcher,
which had left him nothing to divide or share ; and
he seriously proposed a general confiscation of the
great landed estates, including " Colonel Courtlandt's,
Colonel Beckman's grant ; Colonel Peter Schuyler's,
Mr. Livingston's and Mr. Ranslaer's." To make mat-
ters worse he joined himself to the adherents of
Leislerand Milbourne, and turned their opponents out
of the Council, by which he rekindled the slumbering
embers of strife, which might have caused a serious
conflagration but for his death, March 5, 1701. The
state of feeling which he left behind him was shown
by a " Petition and Address" to the King, William III.,
signed by the leading men of the Province. (Colonial
Documents of New York, IV., 933-942.)
Kiliaen was succeeded in 17 19 by his eldest son,
Jeremiah, born in 1705. He never married, and died
at the age of forty, leaving the manor to his brother
Stephen, who married Elizabeth Groesbeeck, and from
whom it has descended to the present owners.
Jeremiah represented Rensselaerswyck in the Pro-
vincial Assembly from 1726 to 1743. In 1734 he
made a visit to Montreal in company with another
gentleman whose name is not given, but who may be
conjectured to have been a Schuyler from the account
given of it in a despatch from the Marquis de Beau-
harnois, Governor-General, to Count de Maurepas,
October 10, 1734. "As respects Orange, you will
be informed that the Patroon or Lord of that city
visited Montreal this summer, in company with an-
other influential gentleman of that country, on pre-
tense of traveling and making a tour, and nevertheless
27
provided with a passport from the English Governor,
from whom they handed me a letter on the subject
of the fort which that Governor had imagined I was
having built among the Senecas. These two English-
men, who are Dutch (Flamands), have privately in-
formed me, and I was aware of it, that the late M.
de Vaudreuil, in the last war, had always spared their
country, and had recommended the Indians not to
make any incursions into it ; that the father of one
of these two Englishmen had kept up a secret cor-
respondence with M. de Vaudreuil, and that they
would do the same with me ; that as for themselves,
being in more intimate relation with the Indians than
the English are, they would viake no movement
against us; adding that he had thus acted with
fidelity during twenty years. I answered that there
was no appearance of any rupture, and as for me, I
should be much inclined to adopt M. de Vaudreuil's
policy, and. in fine, that I would have the honor to
write to you on the subject. I entertained them well,
and paid them every sort of attention, and they
seemed to me to return home content.''
The Count de Maurepas replied as follows, under
date of "Versailles, ioth May, 1 735 : " "As for the
visit of the Patroon, or Lord of Orange, and another
gentleman of the country paid last summer to Mon-
treal, to propose to you to act towards him as the late
Marquis de Vaudreuil had done with his predecessor ;
that is, to spare the country and to recommend the
Indians not to make an}' incursions there, I was in
fact aware that such a course had been adopted in
the last war, but that the Lord of Orange had not
responded, as he ought, to the regard which was had
28
for him, there having been several English parties at
Orange and in its vicinity, of which he gave no notice.
As for the rest, as you do not propose anything touch-
ing the proceedings of these two men, and as you
are in a position to know whether it will be proper or
not to accept the proposition, His Majesty will refer
the matter to you, observing to you, however, that
this kind of strict neutrality may be more injurious
than profitable, and that, should it occur, 'twill be
necessary to adopt precise measures to prevent it
causing any prejudice to the Colony." (Colonial
History of New York, IX., pages 1039, 1040, 1048.)
Jeremiah Van Rensselaer was nominated for mem-
ber of the Provincial Council by Governor George
Clinton, November 18, 1743, and his appointment
urged on the Board of Trade as " the gentleman of
the most considerable fortune and influence in the
county of Albany, and a very loyal subject, and able
at all times to promote His Majesty's Service." He
was confirmed April 5, 1745, but before his com-
mission arrived he had died. How the recommenda-
tion of Governor Clinton is to be reconciled with the
report of Governor de Beauharnois does not appear,
although the "Lord of Orange" might have pleaded
that so long as the King's government left them, as
it did, to take care of themselves against the enemies
which his wars in Europe made for them, they were
justified in making the best terms for their own
security.
29
CHAPTER FOURTH.
HENDRICK VAN RENSSELAER AND THE EASTERN
MANOR.
Hendrick, from whom we are sprung, received
from his brother Kiliaen, together with the 1,500
acres of land and the island opposite Albany, the
family mansion now standing on the bank of the
Hudson at Greenbush. It was built in 1642, and
marks the date of the arrival of the first Dutch min-
ister. It was provided with portholes for musketry,
which remain still in its solid walls ; as were all isolated
colonial mansions in that early day, for defence
against the Indians. The old Manor house of the
Van Cortlandts at Croton is another surviving speci-
men of the style, as was the old mansion of historic
fame at Scotia. Even the old church at the foot of
State street was built in the form of a block-house
and mounted with three cannon furnished by the
Patroon. But no occasion for using them ever occur-
red, the only hostile cannon-shot fired at Albany
being by Dutchmen against Dutchmen. Once even,
when a body of French and Algonquins appeared in
their neighborhood in winter, suffering from cold and
hunger, the Rensselaerswyckians and Beverwyckians
united in sending a supply of food to them, and offer-
ing to take them into their houses.
30
Hendrick Van Rensselaer was a man of mark, and
held many important positions at Albany and in the
Provincial administration. He was an Alderman of
Albany, and a Commissioner for Indian Affairs for
many years, and took part in the leading conferences
with the Five Nations under Lords Bellomont, Corn-
bury, Lovelace, and Governors 1 [unter and Burnet, dur-
ing a period of thirty years. He secured a tract of land
at Schaghticoke to which the city of Albany was found
to have a prior right of purchase, and which he
accordingly transferred to the corporation. His sons
were Johannes, Henry and Kiliaen ; his daughters,
Maria, married to Samuel Ten Broeck; Catharine,
married to Johannes Ten Broeck ; Anna, married to
Peter Douw ; Elizabet, married to John Richard;
and Helena, married to Jacob Wendell. One son,
Jeremias, died young. A pleasing reminiscence of
the intimate and friendly relations existing at this
time between the branch which was descended from
Richard and remained in Holland, and those in
America, is preserved in the following letter written
to his fourth daughter, Mrs. Elizabet Richard, in
1753, by a grandson of Richard's; it was written in
Dutch, which they all spoke and wrote, and translated,
reads as follows :
" Madame and Highly Respected Cousin:
" It would be a crime (as correspondence is like the fire that keeps
love between friends at a distance burning and blazing) to let tin- best
opportunity go by without showing you my esteem, as the most tender
and obliging expressions (mentioned in your esteemed of January 15)
bind me to do so. My heart was most tenderly affected on receiving
the same, by the utmost desire to learn from them your welfare and
that of your husband, which I perceived to my utmost pleasure on
opening it; even so that every letter was as the most plea-dug tlower
in a garden ; and not only charmed the eye, but gave a heart-strength-
ening odor of friendship; and justly awakened my affection towards
you, to whom (however personally unknown) I am related by the tie
of blood. Let this alliance never be lost sight of through failure of
31
correspondence, but remain steadfast in order to reap the pleasant fruit
of an upright and steady friendship.
" Your present (being the skin of a beaver), for which I am very
much obliged to you, was very agreeable (although of little use here),
and was considered as an act of a very affectionate and friendly heart.
The accompanying case with a colored china tea-set, which we have
the honor to offer you, and is sent under the care of Captain Tohs.»
Keteltas, — may it be received by you with the same love as it is sent
by me, to give me more pleasure which I take to serve my friends and
to show them the signs of my affection.
•• This present (which is the work of the genius of the Indians, and
was brought here by the ships of the East India Company), we hope
may be agreeable to you, and be used many years with great pleasure.
••With this we finish, after wishing you Heaven's best blessings,
and tender greetings of all friends, and sign with great esteem, Madame
and very esteemed Cousin.
Your obdt. Servt. and Cousin,
Anthony Van Rensselaar, Junr.
Amsterdam, 3 May, 1753."
Albany has been favored bevond most modern
towns in having its " Idyll," in the form of the charm-
ing " Memoirs of an American Lad} - ," written by
Mrs. Grant, of Laggan, whose father was an officer
of the Fifty-fifth regiment, engaged in the old French
war. Chapters iv.— xi., of this interesting book contain
a lively and minute description of the manners and
customs of the Albanians, although her account ap-
plies more to the middle class than to that of her
heroine, Mrs. Philip Schuyler, as my great-aunt, Mrs.
Leonard Gansevoort, who lived at the epoch of the
Idyll, informed me. Albany has also a romance,
" Domine Frevlino-hausen," bv Florence Wilford,
which is a most exquisite idealization of the
" Memoirs." Weise's Historv of Albanv ^ives, in
chapter ix., an interesting account of Dutch habits
and customs in the olden time. Mrs. Bonney also,
in her " Legacy of Historical Gleanings," vol. i.. 4, 5,
describes the annual dinner of the St. Nicholas
Society with a spirit and abandon that must have
been caught from some jovial kinsman, in whom the
32
enthusiasm of the feast was still lingering. It may
not be improper to add a few points to these
authorities.
The Hollanders in the New Netherlands contintu d
the use of their hereditary tongue almost exclusively
to the generation of my grandfather. I have heard
him say how much trouble he had on his first goi;
to school from his imperfect knowledge of English.
His generation always preferred to speak Dutch
among themselves, and it was a sort of Masonic sign
between them when they met by chance. It seems
singular that, while my grandfather and grandmother
and their kindred used it constantly in their family,
my father and uncles could not speak it. It is my
impression that they discouraged the use of it by
their children, because of their early impressions at
school. Mrs. Philip S. Van Rensselaer (Anna
Van Cortlandt) used to tell of her unhappiness as ;i
child when she was taken to Albany, and could not
speak Dutch, and was laughed at by her playma:
and called " English," the highest term of reproach
they could use. I remember, when a boy, sitting in
the old parlor at Scotia, among nineteen venerable
kinsmen and kinswomen, in which not a word of English
was spoken during a whole evening, except to en-
lighten my ignorance, which was always done for us
youngsters with a kind of pity, as if our education
had been sadly neglected.
They were accustomed to have their children
baptized as soon after their birth as possible, and
with God-parents to answer for them. The entries
of marriages, births and baptisms in family Bibles
contained a devout invocation of God's blessing and
33
salvation, as may be seen in the records of my great-
grandfather's family in my possession.
No Hollander who had any regard for his reputation
after his death, neglected to make ample preparation
for his funeral, according to his means, of which the
national beverages made no inconsiderable part. In
this respect they felt that they were only doing their
duty to themselves and their posterity. Had they fore-
seen the judgment of their descendants on that and
kindred subjects they would have grieved over the
coming degeneracy. Funeral rings were distributed
among the relatives of the deceased, one of which, in
my possession, marked " K. V. R., obit September
1 6, i / 19," commemorates Kiliaen the Patroon, my
grandfather's great-uncle.
The subjoined preserved among the papers of the
Rev. Dr. Romeyn of Schenectady, and given to me
by his great-granddaughter, Mrs. Pierre Van Cort-
landt, shows how carefully our fathers guarded the
contract of marriage :
"Rd Sir:
" I take the liberty of requesting you to Publish me, in
your Church, this day as a Candidate for Matrimony with
Miss Cornelia Van Alstine of Kinderhook. This will be
handed to you by my Brother who will wait until you may
be pleased to furnish him with a certified copy thereof.
" I am Sir
" With Sentiments of Esteem your Very h:ble Sert,
"Henry H. Van Rensselaer.
" East District of the Manor of Rensselaer- Wyck, May 27th,
1786.
" To the Rev. Dr. Romine."
This was the oldest son of my great-uncle Hend-
rick. He died in 1795 at the age of thirty. His
34
signature recalls the custom of the Dutch to give
their children only one Christian name. To distin-
guish them from others of the same name they added
their father's name with the suffix sen, i. c, " son."
Thus, my grandfather was known as Kilian Killiansen,
and his brother as Hendrick Killiansen, whose son
became Henry or Hendrick Hendricksen.
Their zeal for religion was shown in setting " first
and foremost " among the " Points proposed " to Com-
manders Evertsen and Benckes "for the maintenance
and preservation of the rights of the town of Bever-
wyck and Fort Orange," " most seriously to request
that the Officers and Justices of Fort Orange and
Beverwyck aforesaid may be upright protectors of
the true Reformed Religion, according to the Ordin-
ances of beloved Fatherland. 2dly. That conscience
shall not be subjected to any constraint," " but that
every one shall be at liberty to go where he pleases
to hear the Word of God ;" which were both granted.
The Dutch colonists brought with them also then-
national Church, which was Presbyterian in its minis-
try and Calvinistic in its doctrines, as declared in the
Dordrecht Confession. " Vaderlandt " supplied them
with ministers, among whom were many godly,
devoted and learned men, an honor to their calling
and excellent examples to a people who greatly
needed them in their exile from the influences and
restraints of their old home, and thrown among wild
savages and reckless adventurers. The heathenism
and barbarism of " the Wilden," as they called the
Indians, their degraded ignorance and slavery to lust-
ful and devilish passions, awakened their zeal for their
conversion, so that many were won to the Christian
35
faith and baptized by them. They used a liturgy in
public worship, as did all the reformed churches on
the Continent, and kept Christmas, Easter or Pans,
and Whitsunday or Pingster. In rejecting Popery
they had retained their patron saint, Saint Nicholas,
so dear to children under his familiar name of Santa
Claus. Marriages, baptisms, and funerals were cele-
brated with great care and formality, and no more
serious offence could be given than a neglect to invite
to them any one entitled to come, or a neglect of the
invitation. They were most particular in their pre-
paration for the " Heylige Nachtmael " (Holy supper),
and in their conduct after receiving it. The first
Patroon took early steps to provide religious ministra-
tions for his colonists, and secured in Domine Johan-
nes Megapolensis " a good, honest and pure preacher,"
" a faithful servant of the Gospel of the Lord," as he
was certified by his brethren in Amsterdam; and he
commemorated the year of his arrival by inscribing
his name on the corner-stone of the first Van Rens-
selaer mansion in America, the " New Crailo," at
Greenbush, built in the same year, where it may still
be seen. " He must have been a man of zeal and
devotion of more than ordinary character, to have
been willing to leave a sphere of usefulness and honor
in his native land for the perils of the sea, and the
toils and privations of a small colony in an unknown
land, in the midst of savages." Soon after his arrival
he found an occasion for a most brave and disinter-
ested deed of charity in concealing Father Jogues, a
Jesuit missionary, who had been captured, tortured
and brought to Albany by the Mohawks to be put to
death, and in eventually securing his ransom. He
36
served seven years at Beverwyck and the " Colonic,"
and then was settled twenty years in New Amsterdam,
where he closed his labors and " in den Heere gerust "
(rested in the Lord), as our forefathers beautifully
recorded a Christian's departure. Rest in peace.
37
CHAPTER FIFTH.
COLONEL KILIAEN VAN RENSSELAER — BIRTH AND
EARLY YEARS OF HIS SON KILLIAN — COLLEGE
CORRESPONDENCE.
My great-grandfather, Colonel Kiliaen (or as it
was generally spelled, Killian) Van Rensselaer,
was the youngest son and the youngest child
of Hendrick and Catharine Van Bruggen Van Rens-
selaer, and was born in 171 7. He married January
7, 1742, Harriet (Ariantje), daughter of Nicholas
Schuyler, the record of which is in his own hand:
" 1742, January 7, Ben Ich Getrout met Ariantie
Schuyler, Van Dom. Van Santvort. De Here hoop
Ich sal ons segenen."
" 1742, January 7, I was married to Harriet Schuy-
ler by Dominie Van Santfort. The Lord I hope will
bless us."
Their children were Hendrick, Philip, Nicholas,
Kiliaen; Catharine, married to William Ludlow:
Elsie, married to Abraham A. Lansing; and Maria,
married to Leonard Gansevoort, Junior.
" October 19, 1763, Is myne Vrow in Den Heren .
gerust. Godt hoop Ich heft haere Siele aengenomen !
Mart 6, 1720, Zonden Steyle, was myne Vrow ge-
boren." " October 19, 1763, my wife slept in the
Lord. May God, I pray, accept her soul ! March
6, 1720, Old Style, was my wife born." Thus my
38
grandfather lost his mother before he was five months
old.
A curious reminiscence of this period of my great-
grandfather's life is the following account rendered
by his physician, which for conciseness, reasonable-
ness and patient waiting was surely never surpassed :
" Killian Van Renselier To
Jacob Roseboom, Dr.
for Servise as Doctor from the Year 1 742 to
the Year 1764 is Twenty two years a I2sh per annum.
£13.4.0."
He married a second time, September 18, 1769,
taking as his wife Maria Low. They had no children,
and she survived him.
His commission as Second Lieutenant in his
brother's company of foot is dated November 30,
1743, and signed by George Clinton, Royal Governor
of the Province of New York; and his commission
as Colonel is dated April 1, 1778, and signed by
George Clinton, Governor of the State of New York.
Both of these documents arc deposited in the State
Library at Albany.
He left an account-book kept in Dutch, which con-
tains amusing as well as interesting items. We learn
from it that his " Suster Elisabet Richard," to whom
the letter of Anthony was addressed in 1753, was
living in 1778. The name "Jan Baptist" reappears,
1747, in a cousin of his, son of the Patroon. "Aunt
Schuyler" is entered under her true name " Mara-
grita," not " Catalina," as erroneously stated by Mrs.
Grant. A charge for forage furnished in 1777-8, is
entered against " The Continent or United States."
39
Proper names were not always necessary for identi-
fication in those primitive days, as the following en-
tries show :
" 1773, March 27. Housen the Leather-Breeches
Maker, Dr.
To 3 Deer skins for breeches for me & Nicholas,
and one goat skin to dress for Gloves, and Dr. to the
meat of the goat for making the breeches, 10s. — ."
"Anthony the Shoemaker, 1776.'' " Franswa (the
Frenchman Francois) 1778." " the Young Man that
mowed Grass, 1780." "Patterson the Carpenter,
1780."
He " slept in the Lord " December 28, 1781, leav-
ing to his children an unblemished reputation for in-
tegrity, honor and patriotism. He was buried beside
his wife in the family cemetery at Greenbush on the
banks of the Hudson.
My grandfather, Killian K. Van Rensselaer, was
born June 9, 1763, in the old mansion at Greenbush,
the home of his elder uncle, Johannes ; and was bap-
tised on the 1 2th by Dominie Westerlo, his cousin
Volkert P. Douw and his Aunt Gertruij Van Rens-
selaer being his Godparents. His sister Maria (Mrs.
Gansevoort) born September 2. 1760, is recorded by
my great-grandfather Kiliaen as " de Ersten die Dom-
inie Westerlo gedopt" — the first baptised by him
after his coming to Albany. He lost his mother
(Ariantje, daughter of Nicholas Schuyler) a few
months afterwards. Of course he had no recollection
of her, but, although he habitually kept his feelings
under restraint and seldom indulged in emotion or in
the " melting mood," admiring rather Indian stoicism,
he told me when I was asking him about " Old Dinah,"
40
named by Mrs. Grant as one of Aunt Schuyler's puts,
that he had never been more moved than when she
had told him in his boyhood that she had often
scrubbed the floor with his mother a babe on her
back; it being the custom for the " mammies" then
to fasten the children on their backs, as the squaws
did their papooses, while they scrubbed the (loo
with long-handled brushes.
He had just completed his twelfth year when the
battle of Bunker's Hill, following so closely on Lex-
ington and Concord, aroused the nation to the serious
contest that had been forced upon it by the violent
and unconstitutional measures of George III and his
ministers, to compel the Colonies to be taxed for im-
perial purposes, without being represented in Parlia-
ment. It was a contest which concerned not the
United Colonies only, but all the Provinces of the
British Empire equally, and never since the conflict
ended in the independence of the United States has
the government of Great Britain undertaken to tax a
Colony without its consent. The agitation and excite-
ment around him were intense. Philip Schuyler and
Abraham Ten Broeck were the leading spirits at
Albany, and they were ardent patriots. Lieutenant-
Governor Cadwallader Colden informed the L2arl of
Dartmouth, April 4, 1775, that " the present repre-
sentatives of the Manors (Rcnsselaerswyck and Clav-
erack) have distinguished themselves in the opposi-
tion to government, and were the warmest supporters
of the Congress." The Van Rensselaers were all
ardent patriots during the Revolutionary war. In
this they had nothing to gain and every thing to lose,
so far as their personal interests were concerned. But
41
like Washington, Schuyler, the Van Cortlandts, the
Livingstons, the Clintons, they chose the side of their
country, with all its hazards and privations. At that
momentous time there were eighteen males of the
name, of whom four were boys, and two were old
men unable to endure military service. The remain-
in"" twelve bore commissions in all the grades of the
service, of whom four were of my grandfather's im-
mediate kindred. His father was Colonel of the 4th
Albany Regiment; his brother Hendrick was Lieu-
tenant-Colonel ; his brother Philip was military store-
keeper, a most responsible post, at Albany; and his
brother Nicholas became Captain in Van Schaick's
1st New York Regiment (Notitia E.) ; he himself
being at the time a schoolboy. His mind was filled
with he reminiscences of those days, which he was
fond of telling to all who liked to listen. When the
battle of Bemis Heights was fought he was bathing
in the Hudson at Albany, and heard the cannonading
twenty- two miles away.*
The sufferings and privations of officers and men
were inconceivable as the war continued. A Rhode
Island regiment sent to winter at Albany were re-
duced to such straits in clothing that they were forced
to march in close column to conceal their nakedness
from spectators ! He was much displeased when the
"Burgesses' Corps" adopted a scarlet uniform, say-
*As the possibility of the tiring at Saratoga being heard as far as Albany has been
doubted. 1 will state what he repeats me about it. He said that he was bathing
at Greenbush on the day of the battle oi and heard tlie cannonade distinctly.
His brother Nicholas was on the staff ol Schuyler, and with the curiosity of a
bov (he was then fourteen) he went up to the army, and received liom his brother the
same welcome that David got from his (i Sam xvn, 28) But the soldiers took charge
o. him and carr ed him to see the surrender ot . 's army. He had left home in
his haste wearing light shoes, and as they forded the creek on the march he was toted
across by the good-natured fellows to save him from wetting his feet. His memory of
the events of that period seemed to be particularly vivid, and naturally so, as they oc-
curred so near his home, and his lather, three brothers and many relatives were In the
army.
42
ing that they could never have done it if they had
seen, as he had, the misery and terror produced by
the British and Hessians in the Revolution, with whom
that color was indelibly associated in his mind. I lis
father was chairman of the " Committee of Public
Safety" at Albany, which was a sort of " Vigilance
Committee" to protect the people from robbers,
spies, tories, and dangerous characters generally, and
secure tranquility, till the government of the Stai
were organized by their Conventions. A boyhood
passed amid so many perils and such constant excite-
ment and alarms, must have received peculiar and
lasting impressions. Albany was a place greatly
exposed to attack, although never actually reached
by the enemy. It was surrounded by enemies on the
north and west, and required a constant guard. Being
a frontier town, it was the resort of troops and offic
going and coming, and had all the dangers with little
of " the pomp and circumstances of glorious war."
Hence there were developed, with his humor and
vivacity, a habit of close observation of men and
things, a reserve and cautiousness in expressing opin-
ions, a serious and thoughtful demeanor, and a prudent
frugality. The opportunities for schooling must have
been imperfect, and it proves his natural ability and
his application, that he was able under such disad-
vantages to acquire so good an education.
Four years of the war had passed when he was
entered at Yale College, then under the presidency
of Dr. Ezra Stiles, author of " Stiles' Judges," in
which appears a letter of my great-grandmother
Watkins claiming descent from Solicitor Coke, of
which I confess that I am not so proud as she was,
43
dear soul, since he was one of the chief agents in the
death of Charles I, which no plea for freedom could
justify, in my opinion. There my grandfather made
acquaintance with the famous Timothy Dwight, after-
wards President of the college ; boarding at the
house of Mrs. Dwight, whose husband had lost his
life from fever in an attempt to establish himself at
New Orleans. Young Dwight was a chaplain in the
army, and was afterwards settled at Greenfield not
far from Bridgeport. He retained his youthful regard
for him through life, always expressing the great
admiration he felt for him, and buying all his books,
which he presented to me.
The earliest record of this period is the following
letter, which proves the affectionate interest of his
brother Philip for the young collegian :
It is endorsed, " Received this Letter at Northamp-
ton together with 200 New Emission Dollars by Mr.
Barton. January 25th, 1782.
" Killiaen K. Van Rensselaer."
" Dear Brother :
" I received your favours by Mr. Barton. He is much of
a gentleman, and I believe a great friend of you : at Least
he has a great regard for you. I could wish you to take his
advice for one on all occasions when you want any. You
say that you have taken an unexpected journey with your
Cousin Jack, and that you only lost three weeks of your
vacancy, and that you should improve the remainder three
weeks at your studies. I am well persuaded you do not
want to take any advantage of a vacation, as you have no
time to lose. Our father and myself have no objections
that you have taken this journey ; but I must most earnestly
beg you not to do it again, nor Loose any time in your
Studies. Time is moving away very fast, and it is at pres-
ent very expensive to travel. There will be time after you
have been thro' College to see the world ; and in a few
44
Months you may see the greater part of the- Country, and
be acquainted with all the fashions. And by all incur.
think of no other place than New Haven College. Mr.
Maggs you are sensible will be your friend. I [uested
by the old Gentleman to send ioo Dollars, New Emission,
of which I have added ioo more, which makes 200 dollars,
which you will receive by Mr. Barton ; and take his advice
and oppinion of the money, whether it is Like to fall or no.
I shall charge the old gentleman with this money, of which
you will have to pay part in a future day. It is needless for
me to say that you must be very careful of it, for I am well
persuaded that you never had an inclination to dive into
Needless Expenses. Let me recommend you to keep out
of Compy., whilst you are at your studies: in particular
keep no Compy. with any girls or women; for to many
temptations will offer for young Gentlemen, which may
turn out to your Ruin for Ever. I am in the greatest hopes
that you may turn out to be an honour to our family ; and
be assured that you will be supported in your Education ;
and after you come out of College you will have an oppor-
tunity of travelling and seeing fashion and Mankind. 1
now live in town again. Maria was very ill last night, but
something better this morning. She and Hetsy and all our
children join in Compliments to you, and please to present
my best respects to the good family of Mrs. Dwight, and
believe me to be your affectionate Brother and Humble
Servt.,
"P. Van Rensselai k.
" K. K. Van Rensselaer."
Stephen, who by his father's early death had become
Patroon, and John Jeremiah, his cousin Jeremiah's
son, were students at Harvard College; and this led
to his making acquaintances in Cambridge, and acquir-
ing friends in Boston, when visiting them. Among
these was Harrison Gray Otis, then a student in Har-
vard, who afterwards acquired office and fame in the
government of the State and the Nation. He became
a lawyer, was chosen a representative in the 5th and
and 6th Congresses, and a Senator in Congress, and
45
held many offices of trust and honor during his long
and eventful life, having besides been the promoter
and president of the famous Hartford Convention, by
which he unwittingly destroyed the Federalist party,
to which he belonged. A correspondence sprang up
between the two collegians of which some fragments
survive, giving us glimpses of their respective charac-
ters. Some one has said that a better idea of a per-
son's character may be formed from the letters
addressed to him than from his own epistles. I think
I realize the truth of this saying in reading Otis' let-
ters to his " Dear Killion," which are far beyond the
average of a college junior's epistles. They realize
to the full all that my grandfather used to lay down
as essential to a "gentlemanly letter" — written in a
neat, distinct, easy hand; clear and elegant in style
and composition ; humorous and playful, with shrewd
and just observations on men and characters ; cordial
and winning in their sentiments and expressions; full
of good common sense, with plenty of fun and
gayety suitable to their years and pursuits; their
pedantic, student-like " composition " style amuses
more than offends. The impression which they give
of his Yale correspondent is that of a warm-hearted,
good fellow, gay and sprightly, delighting in a joke,
fond of ladies' society, handsome and engaging, and
a general favorite among his companions. In looking
over these worn and tattered relics of more than a
century ago, one is tempted to fall into the Harvard
man's conventional strain and moralize on the value
which Time imparts to even the most trivial things.
How amazed and perhaps amused would Otis of the
Junior class, have been, could he have imagined as he
46
sat at his tabic in Harvard hall composing his off-
hand letters with the aid of the "midnight oil," that
they were to be perused as studies of character by
the grandson of his "dear friend Killion " in this
year of grace 1888! Fancy the extra polish that
would have been put on his phrases, the extra rotun-
dity on his periods, by which they would have been
utterly spoiled, and made useless for our purpose by
their artificiality and unreality. To adopt his own
method and quote Latin, in letter-writing as in all
things else :
" Prudens futuri temporis e itu
Calignosa nocte premit deus
Ridetque, si mortalis ultra
Fas trepidat."
" The issues of the future a wise God
Veils in the dark impenetrable night,
And smiles if mortals stretch
Care beyond bounds to mortal minds assigned."
And so the "affectionate friend" "cast his br
upon the waters" of Father Time, and here are some
of the crumbs :
" Cambridge, April 8, 1 7^2.
" Is it possible, my dear Killion, that my Epistle had not
come to hand when you dated your last ? The Apprehen-
sion of the Miscarriage of that Letter subjects me to Anx-
iety and Solicitude, lest the Presumption of my Disregard
should make an unfavorable Impression upon your Mind
and I by that Mean incur the Loss of your Friendship,
which circumstances have (aught me to Prize, and which I
dare say Experience will teach Me to consider as inestima-
ble. The mere Suggestion of any Impairment of my Es-
teem for you, wounds the feelings of a Heart which beats
warm with Friendship. But I am happy in the Reflection
that your Suspicions must originate from your Fears, and
was you not affectionate you would not be jealous."
47
He had no respect for pretenders, and summons
all the resources of the Johnsonian vocabulary and
style to show them up :
•• There is no Class of Men who deserve the Contempt
of the World more than those who deviate in a very great
Degree from the Sphere which Nature has formed for Them,
and assume Characters which are beyond the extent of their
circumscribed Ability; For while they are conscious of their
Inferiority, they at the same time think the magisterial Im-
portance of an Adept is requisite for the maintenance of
their Dignity. But the Eye of Penetration can pierce with
facility the specious Vizard, and under this Disguise discover
the supercilious Arrogance of the Pedant, which is easily
discriminable from the conscious Dignity of the Man of
real Merit."
Whew! — well, at all events, he did not think that
this elaborate and withering delineation was applica-
ble to " dear Killion ;" but was entirely sure of his
sympathy and concurrence.
" From grave to gay." he goes on, and gives his
correspondent some information which shows that
things were pretty much the same as they are now.
" I perceive by your last that you have formed erroneous
Ideas of the System of Government in our Boarding Schools.
But as to one Point I can inform you, that the circumspec-
tive Caution of the Governesses prohibits the Access of
young Gentlemen to Tea and Chat unless some plausible
Pretence for visiting them occurs. The Relations of the
young Ladies and the Favorites of the Old Ones are always
welcome ; but should the Lads make a general Practice of
frequenting these Houses they would soon find the Lady of
the House would give Them a Hint. Under these Circum-
stances you see that one Principal Avenue to an intimate
Acquaintance with these Misses is entirely obstructed. But
as far as it is in my Power to Remedy the Loss of this Pleas-
ure bv meeting Them in the Public Rooms, so far will I
avail Myself of the Opportunity, & think the Obligation on
my Side."
48
"It was a Maxim with a great Man," he wrote June 20,
1 782, " that Friends should see each other but seldom if they
wished to preserve their Friendship entire. This is a Spec-
ulation too much refin'd for the Comprehension of my C.i-
pacity ; and so little does it comport with my Sentiments
that could I always be with my dear Killion, I would risipie
being cloyed with his Society." " You are peculiarly for-
tunate, as you can secure what Conquests you please. For
my own Part I remain the Same, and God has been kind
enough to grant Me the Enjoyment of ' Otium cum Digni-
tate,' i. e., the Privilege of eating my Bread and Milk in
State. The Ingredients of my Composition are a little
Honesty and a large Share of Awkwardness, two Qualifica-
tions requisite to go thro' the World. I am free from Sen-
sibility, from all Sympathies and Antipathys, except an irre-
concilable Aversion to the Myriads ofPuppyswho ' flaunt in
Silk and flutter in Brocade ; ' but this proceeds only from
Envy, nor is it strange ; for my honest Boorishness makes
no Figure, merely because it is not decorated by a red Coat
and silk Breeches ; — Alas, poor Toby ! But in regard to
the Ladies, although my Capers of Gallantry do not come
in competition with those of Beau Nash, yet without arro-
gance I may pretend to a Share of their Esteem, for I am
a good-natured felloco, and they can do what they've a Mind
to Me, and say what they please before Me; and lest you
should conclude that this Pretension is founded upon Vanity,
I can assure you I never leave their Company but they ap-
pear perfectly well pleased with Me. This they discover by
a thousand little Assiduities and Attentions ; one reaches
my hat; another in kind Compassion asserts it must be past
10, while Rebel Conscience says, ' You lie, Miss' — (He's
not a very polite young Fellow, and therefore most Ladies
have nothing to do with this Conscience) — but, as I was
sayi?t^, a third springs up to hold the Candle, and a fourth
reverentially shuts the Door on my Back with an inexpressi-
ble grace : — O the Creatures ! But I believe you are sa-
tiated with Nonsense;
" Quanquam ridentem dicere Verum
Quid vetat."
(Though what hinders one to be merry and tell the truth ?)
" Now for a little ill nature. 1) continues to flutter
in the Beau Monde, with the Superciliousness ot a Fop
and the sophisticated ( >stentation of a Pedant, while he
49
thinks the Tinsel of a gay Coat and a large Stock of futile
Compliments are a Compensation for the Vacuity of his
Perecranium. But unless his Idea-Box is better stored than
I at present imagine, he will never thunder in the Areopa-
gus of his Country, however he may lighten in a Lady's
drawing Room. You see I'm not a fashionable Painter ;
I only delineate the Features with Exactness, and leave the
Drapery to your Cousin Stephen."
They seem to have made an excursion together to
Middletown, and enjoyed the hospitality of General
Parsons, of which the Bostonian had carried away a
lively recollection, especially of the good cheer which
they had been feasted on. He betrays a strong lean-
ing to the " Sodality of Roast-Piggy-Wiggies," found-
ed, according to Charles Lamb, by the " Heathen
Chinee," of which Alderman Brasher, of the New
York Common Council, was a shining light; who, as
reported by my Uncle Richard, while riding with a
friend through a remote part of Franklin count)',
suddenly exclaimed, as the} - drew near a settler's
house about noon, " Stop ! I smell roast-pig, and I
never can pass by a house where I can get roast-pig ! "
Thus Otis revealed his qualifications for membership
in that ancient Order of Gourmands :
" Have you heard from Genl. Parson's Family ? He's a
worthy Character ; nor do I think the Skill of the Female
Part of it in roasting Pig is any Derogation from their
Dignity. Had I been as indifferent to Port Wine upon a
certain day as I have been ever since, his Honor would
have saved three Bottles at least."
On his way back to the classic shades of his Alma
Mater he met with an adventure which shows that
Athletics were in full vogue there at that day as they
are now.
" Have you received any News of a great blue-stocking
Hero, who threatened to put me out of Window ? I must
have hurt him exceedingly ; but it was not one of my affable
Moments. He swore to prosecute me the next day, and so 1
flogged him till he revoked his Promise. I generally find
myself much embarrassed in Country Towns; for if a per-
son comes from Boston Town they always think him as
proud as Lucifer, whether he is really so, or not. I believe
you and I have not incurred that imputation at Gen.
P V
In "A Legacy of Historical Gleanings," pages 78
and 79, is given a letter from my grandfather to his
brother, Colonel Philip Van Rensselaer, informing
him " that his health had been much impaired of
late;" and that the Doctor had told him that his
" Disorder had arisen from a sedentary life." He
had also written it to his " Fidus Achates," with
divers results; grief tenderly expressed — a diagnosis
skillfully performed — a prescription judiciously given
— and some sage advice to profit withal.
"Boston, July 31-82.
" My Dear Killion :
" With the most tender Solicitude did my Peelings vibrate
in Unison with yours, which were so sensibly expressed in
your last. The pathetic Terms in which you declared your
Illness were Daggers to my Heart ; Friendship took the
Alarm, and the creative Power of Imagination harrassed
your Friend with her Retinue of visionary Evils. Did I
say ' visionary ? ' I did ; but they can only be so while
my Killion's Health continues. ' The Assurance of Ellison
that your sickness had by no means kept Pace with your
Apprehensions has had a great Tendency to dispel the
Clouds of Sorrow which seemed ready to open their Sluices
upon my Head. The Reluctance you experienced at leav-
ing the Boston Road made you Fancy yourself more indis-
posed than you was in Reality ; that is to say, you have the
Vapours, those Hellhounds of Imagination who continually
excite a Demoniac Train of Horrors in your Mind.
51
' ac Bellua Lernae
Horrendum stridens, flammisque armata Chimaera,
Gorgones, Harpiaeque, et Forma tricorporis Umbrae.'
" (Lerna's hydra hissing dreadful, and Chimera armed with
flames ; Gorgons, Harpies, and the form of the three-bodied
ghost), all these are the fruitful Progeny of the Vapours.
Notwithstanding this a great Attention to your Health is
absolutely requisite. I have long been subject to the same
Complaints."
Having made this learned and elaborate diagnosis,
with the aid of an entirely new authority in Thera-
peutics, Dr. Publius Virgilius Maro, some time of the
Roman Faculty, he proceeds to give his patient the
prescription :
" Temperance and Attention to Diet will do more, will
effect more than all the Medicine in the Universe ; and, as
Commodore Trunnion said, when a man's hour is come,
what signifies his hauling off with a Pothecary's Shop in his
Hold ? Don't have much to do with the Faculty ; drink
Milk Morng and Evng; eat your Dinner as usual; and get
on Horseback as often as possible. These Prescriptions
will be of no avail if you do not entirely relinquish the
Flute ; Even a Tune once a Week will be very disservice-
able ; This last injunction is indispensable, as is likewise the
Necessity of furnishing yourself with a high reading Desk
at which you may stand when at your Studies. This advice
is the Result of Experience, and although it is not shrouded
in technical terms, nor patronizd by hardmouthd Polysylla-
bles; although it is not ushered in by Cataplasms, Boluses,
Concatenations and catocathartics ; yet it profiteth much and
is not evilly to be intreated."
There was gayety among the descendants of the
Pilgrims, when he wrote from Cambridge, February
10, 1783, in a moralizing strain:
"The Capital is filled with uninterrupted Scenes of Dis-
sipation, the Round of Balls, Concerts & Assemblies is
continual, and it would seem as if these pleasures must soon
cloy, since, although they are in some degree diversified,
yet the Rotine is so rapid that they may almost be termed
uniform. Experience however evinces the contrary. The
Men of Pleasure pant for Pastime, and if it can be denomi-
nated Diversion the Insipidity of it is no objection. I am
sorry your little Couzin is gone ; she is celebrated in Boston
for that prettiness of Behavior and Sweetness of Disposition,
which is distinct from the flutter of the Coquet and the Affec-
tation of females in general ; my best Compliments await
her — you may mention me to the other Ladies. Why does
not Stephen write me? surely he cannot plead the Want of
Leisure."
But Commencement was at hand, and it is interest-
ing to learn that they were pretty much the same as
they are now.
" Boston, July 10, 1783.
"As I flatter myself you are not disinterested in my occu-
pations, I proceed to inform you of my Situation. Com-
mencement will happen upon the ensuing Week. The
presence of my Friend would give a double Zest to the
pleasures which will attend my Emancipation from the
University. The Government have assigned me the most
distinguished Post in the public performances. Their Motives
for this are inscrutable. I have little to claim upon the Score
of Merit, less upon that of favor ; and can only ascribe this
Manoeuvre to the capricious Spirit which characterizes all
their proceedings. Such is the Nature of my Connections
that I am necessitated to make a nonsensical parade ; I shall
give a ball on the subsequent day, I wish you could be here
to open it.
" After the Bustle of Commencement shall subside, I
propose to myself a vigorous Application to the Study of
the Law. If I mean to be iminent I must remedy Defi-
ciency of Genius by Intensity of Pursuit. I shall go into
Mr. Lowell's Office, and if I can ever attain competence and
honorable fame, it will be easy to define the Boundarys of
my Wishes."
" My sincere regards attend your little angel Neice ; her
amiable Disposition will make those her friends who are less
intimately connected with her cousin Killion. Inform her,
Miss Williams is six feet high, Cushion and all, that she wears
high-heeld shoes, and is (as the Yankees say) grown out of
all Knowledge. I will deliver her commands. Adieu, my
dear Killion ; believe me yours invariably,
Otis."
53
Killian did not return to New Haven after his Junior
year, having lost his father in 1782. General Schuy-
ler, whose wife, •' beautiful Katrina Van Rensselaer/'
was his own cousin, made him his private secretary.
In this position he was brought into an embarrass-
ing situation, involving a conflict between his duty to
his patron and his duty to his patroon. The latter
was in love with Margaret Schuyler, daughter of the
General, and although only nineteen was anxious to
be married. To this the father objected, and the
young couple settled the matter by getting married
without delay.
Harrison Gray Otis predicted with wonderful accu-
racy what would be the results of this event in lan-
guage which showed a very correct knowledge of
human nature in a vouth of eighteen or nineteen.
" Stephen's precipitate Marriage has been to Me a
Source of Surprise and indeed of Regret. He cer-
tainly is too young to enter into a connection of that
kind ; the period of his Life is an important Crisis ;
it is the Time to acquire fame, or at least to prepare
for the acquisition; it is the Time to engage in busy
Life, to arouse the Facultys into action, to awake
from a lethargic Inattention which is generally a con-
sequence of youthful pleasures, and make a figure
upon the active Theatre. Instead of this our Friend has
indulged the momentary Impulse of youihful passion
and yeilded to the dictates of romantic Fancy."
The general's temper was none of the mildest, and
he was greatly enraged at this defiance of his pater-
nal authority, and vented his wrath upon his secretary,
accusing him of having aided the escapade. He
could not well deny having aided the courtship, which
54
was eminently proper in itself, however troublesome
in its results; he had been under great obligations to
his kinsman in his college course, and had a loyal
feeling to him as the chief of the clan, and was
besides a youth himself, and susceptible to the woes
of distressed lovers. If he had arranged an inter-
view or carried a note or two between his cousins he
could not have suspected any harm in that when the
parties were so eminently respectable and of the
same blood ; but he convinced General and Mrs. S.
that he was innocent of all guilty knowledge beyond
that degree. And so he was reinstated in the great
man's favor, and had no reason to regret what had
happened in its influence on his future career. He
was trained up in the principles of the Federalists,
the party of Washington, in which General Schuyler
was a leader. I have seen the modern slang expres-
sion "machine" applied, in a letter written at his
death, to the Federal party as managed by him. His
impatience was so great, as my grandfather has told
me, that in writing, after finishing a page, he would
not wait to turn the sheet or cut it off carefully, but
would tear it off and throw it on the floor for some
one to pick up. But he was one of the greatest
characters that this nation has produced. At that
early day he planned the great system of internal
improvements which the State of New York has car-
ried out in its canals, and formed a company which
laid the foundation for them by improving the navi-
gation of the inland lakes and streams. He planned
the campaign that resulted in the capture of Burgoyne
and his army, although he was not allowed to carry
it out ; giving nevertheless the benefit of his unstinted
55
aid and counsel to General Gates, by whom he was
superseded. In this he showed patriotism and mag-
nanimity of the highest order, for subsequently Gates
proved himself to be vastly his inferior as a com-
mander. My grandfather has told me that General
Schuyler was an unbeliever in the Christian religion
till the latter years of his life, when he frankly avowed
his error and announced his belief in Christianity.
This was a great step for him, and a hard one for
such a leader of men, especially in that day, when
infidelity was more fashionable than it has been since.*
After pursuing the proper studies he was admitted
an attorney in the Supreme Court of the State of
New York, his license being signed by Richard Morris,
Chief Justice, and dated 30th October, 1784. He
entered on the practice of the law in Claverack,
Columbia county, where his brother-in-law, William
Ludlow, who married his sister Catharine, resided.
He became district attorney for the county, and must
have enjoyed a profitable practice. He received his
license as counsellor-at-law the 6th November, 1790,
from Chief Justice Robert Yates. Having a taste for
military duties, he had been commissioned as brigade
inspector by Governor George Clinton, 27th Decem-
ber, 1786. His position and duties brought him into
connection with the most distinguished men of the
time, as well as with many rising men of his own age,
who afterwards filled a large place in the history of
*Tlie Indians pave General Schuyler the name "Ta-ha ne-ye-a-ta-kau-ye," literally
" Ancient his legs " This was a strange title for one of the most impatient, active and
enterprising of men. of whom it never could be said, as of old Laertes, that " weariness
took hold of his limbs as he crept along the fruitful soil " of his Saratoga domain Per-
haps the Mohawk warriors had observed that " Quider's " legs were not as nimble as
their own when it became prudent to retire before the enemy and get behind trees, of
which they were never slow to avail themselves. To General Washington they gave
the more dignified and appropriate title, " An-na ta-kau-les," " laker of towns."
(" -Memoir, etc ," by Egbert Denson.)
56
the nation, and laid the foundation of man)' lasting
friendships. One day I was standing looking at
books in Putnam's store in New York, when a vener-
able gentleman of distinguished air came up to me
and said, "Are not you a grandson of Killian K .
Van Rensselaer?" On my replying " Yes," he said,
" I am Chancellor Kent, and an old friend of your
grandfather's." I was so taken aback by being thus
accosted by so eminent a man that I lost my balam
and could only say, " I have often heard my grand-
father speak of you, Chancellor Kent." To which
he answered, in his quick, jerky way, " 1 have no
doubt you have heard him speak of Chancellor
Kent," and thereupon left me, leaving me in great
doubt whether my stupid awkwardness had not marred
his estimation of my lineage.
57
CHAPTER SIXTH.
MARRIAGE AND PROFESSIONAL LIFE.
Killian K. Van Rensselaer was married January 27,
J 79 1, to Margaretta Sanders, daughter of John San-
ders, of Scotia, and cousin of his brother Philip's wife.
Just previous to this he had been called to Albany,
having received from the Patroon the following notice
of the death of the estimable Dominie by whom he
and his sister Maria had been baptized, and who had
married the Patroon's mother.
"Albany, December 27, 1790.
" Dear Sir — It pleased God to take to Himself our
father Doctor Westerlo, on Sunday afternoon at half-past
one o'clock. The family intend to Inter him on V\"ednesday
next, at two o'clock, and request your attendance.
"Your Humble Servant,
"STEPHEN V. RENSSELAER,
•• In behalf of the family.
" Killian K Van Rensselaer, Esq.,
Claverack."
On his marriage my grandfather settled in Albany,
and received his license to practice in the Mayor's
Court of the city of Albany, 28th of March, 1791 ,
signed by Abm. Yates, Jr., Mayor. The follow-
ing ten years, I think, were the happiest for himself
and his family in all their experience. Five children
were born to them, one of whom, however, Deborah,
named after my grandmother's mother, was taken
*8
away in infancy. Their residence was at first in State
street near the " Old Elm Tree " on the corner of
Pearl street. The homestead, 112 State street was
begun in 1801, at the same time that Philip S. Van
Rensselaer, the Mayor, built his house on the corner
of Chapel street, now belonging to Erastus Corning.
While it was building they lived for a time on the cor-
ner of Lodge street. In this mansion the front room
on the first floor was " the office,"' in which, as I re-
collect it, my grandfather might generally be found
seated in quiet dignity, reading or conversing with a
visitor, who had come in familiary to see him and
have a friendly chat. In the rear was the living room,
where my grandmother could always be found, her
delicate health confining her much to the house The
little room beside this, now a butler's pantry, was the
dining-room, and there I remember first seeing a
" Nott stove," the original " base-burner," which first
brought anthracite coal into use for domestic pur-
poses. Between the front office and the back room
was the bedroom, in which stood the family " kas,"
on which always stood a basket of the reddest, juiciest
and richest-flavored Spitzenberg apples from the Scotia
orchard, for the children whenever they might come
in. The climb for those apples on the " kas" helped
to show how much we grew ever)- year. The back
room was the scene of the annual family dinner, at
which all, old and young, were assembled. A mys-
tery hung over the upper stories of the house, on
which were the parlor and drawing-room, kept care-
fully closed according to the Dutch tradition, and
never opened except on state occasions, for family
gatherings and the most distinguished guests. On
59
the second floor was " Uncle Sanders' room," so-called
because he always occupied when in town this partic-
ular apartment, now the bath-room. On the third
story the large back room was " the boys' room," and
when the four were together there was life in it. The
windows of this room give a magnificent view down
the Hudson. My uncle Richard told me of a good
thrashing which he brought on himself from the pater-
nal hand for opening a Fourth of July by firing a gun
from the window. The front room on this floor was
the spare bedroom, devoted generally to the Dominies
who came from a distance to attend Classis or Synod ;
while the hall-room was designated as " the girls'
room," being devoted to the use of my grandmother's
nieCes, "Cousin Betsy " (Mrs. Anderson) and
" Cousin Katy " ( Mrs. Heekman), when they came to
town for shopping or amusement. It is a curious
fact about the old house that no marriage ever took
place in it, no bride ever went from it, and no child
has been born in it.
One of the most pleasing traits which this period
of my grandfather's life developed was his interest in
the prosperity of his nephews, and the reciprocal re-
gard and confidence with which they repaid it. Bar-
ent Sanders, oldest nephew of my grandmother, was
much in their family, and a great favorite of both his
uncle and aunt for his integrityand fidelity. He went
to New York and became a clerk in the importing
house of Leroy, Bayard, Ogden & Co. He related
that while there he was present at a dinner at which
Sir John Temple rose and said (he was British Con-
sul-General) : " Gentlemen, I propose the health of
one of our guests whose modesty is only equalled by
60
his bravery — Major-General Maunsell ;" which was
drunk with all the honors. Solomon, eldest son of
his brother Hendrick, was in the army under General
Wayne engaged against the Indians in the west; but
kept up a constant and voluminous correspondence
with his uncle, which reveals how much he relied
upon him for services which no one else could have
rendered. Robert S., son of his brother Philip, who
went to Europe in 1795, kept up a regular and affec-
tionate correspondence with li is uncle during his so-
journ abroad. Advantage was taken of Robert's voy-
age to revive the intercourse with the Van Rensselaers
in Holland, which had been suspended for a long
period embracing the Revolution. It had been first
renewed by Captain Killian II. Van Rensselaer, a
nephew of my grandfather's, who had visited Holland
in his ship, the Minerva, in 1794. He had been re-
ceived with great kindness by his kinsmen across the
sea, and had brought back friendly messages from
them to the Van Rensselaers here, with the likenesses
of some of them. To take advantage of this favor-
able beginning, my grandfather gave his nephew Rob-
ert a letter of introduction, which was to serve also
as a formal family greeting to the kinsmen in the
Fatherland, and to open the way to a renewal of in-
tercourse between the two branches. The letter was
as follows :
"America :
"Albany, Novr. 14, 1794.
" Gentlemen :
" I do myself the honor to address you by my nephew
the bearer, Roberts. Van Rensselaer, a young gentleman
of character and respectability. He will present you with
the genealogy of our family in this country, accompanied
61
with a particular sketch of the individual situation of the
male line to the age of twenty. And we must beg leave to
refer you to him for further information respecting us; who
will, we flatter ourselves, answer every expectation we (or
you) may form of him.
'• We were greatly gratified with the information com-
municated to us by our relation and friend, Killian H. Van
Rensselaer, in the ship Minerva; particularly with your
civility and attention towards him.
" We acknowledge the profiles, &c. conveyed by him.
and we sincerely lament that there were not more of them.
One was retained in the hands of the Revd. Dr. Livingston ;
two by Steven Wan Rensselaer ; and one by Philip S. Van
Rensselaer.
" I rejoice at the opportunity that I now embrace of
renewing that antient intercourse between our two families
that has been suspended so long; and as the bearer is our
organ and representative, you will excuse me from dwelling
upon a subject that is personal or relating to any of us, as
he will more forcibly evince to you our ardent desire of
making ourselves known unto you in every respect.
■• We all hope that our fears respecting the invasion of
Holland by the French may soon be dissipated, and that
you may not suffer any longer the calamities of War ; but
that you may enjoy the blessing and sweets of peace equal
to ourselves.
" Should a combination of circumstances render it advis-
able for you to quit Holland, we must entreat you to repair
to this Country, where you will find friends united to you
by the strongest of ties. And even otherwise, should you
escape the pending danger we shall be happy in a visit from
you to this Country.
" 1 should consider it one of the most fortunate circum-
stances of my life if I could accomplish a tour to Holland ;
but as it would be incompatible with my situation and young
family I can only anticipate the pleasure I shall receive from
seeing some of you here very soon on a visit.
'■ You must pardon me from writing in the prevailing
language of our Country, for altho' we retain our Mother
language, the Dutch, in all our families, so as to read and
speak it in negotiating the ordinary routine of business, still
few if any write it with fluency and correctness.
" Greet in our name all the friends and relations in Hol-
62
land, and rest assured that no one wishes more for your
welfare and happiness than your kinsman and humble servt.,
" K. K. V v. I' .1 '. i i. ai R.
" Messrs. J. C. & S. Van Renssela \r.
"Amsterdam."
This friendly overture brought in due time a con
ponding reply, as follows, in the "mother Ian-
" Amsterd \m. April i 7th, 1 795.
"Sir and Cousin :
"These few lines will serve as an answer to your mosl
agreeable favour of November 14th, 1794, which was handed
to us by your and our cousin Robert S. Van Rensselaer, who
is now in good health, and with whom we have had the good
fortune to converse daily. During his stay here we have
become very much attached to each other, so that we must
see each other daily.
'• We had expected ere long our Cousin Killiaan II. Van
Renssclaar, whom we had known before; but have now
heard from the above that he is in France.
"We cannot thank you enough for your friendly invita-
tion, if matters in our country grow worse, to come to you.
We hope they will soon be arranged, and do not doubt but
our cousin who is now here will tell you more about it.
Nothing would be more agreeable to us than to be of some
service to you; but we cannot have that pleasure here. If
you know of any thing in which we can serve you we cor-
dially beg that you will make use of us.
" We hope these few lines may tend to further correspond-
ence between us.
" From your letter we see that it is easier for you to write
in English;. that is very good, as we can easily get it trans-
lated here. And as we also see that you can read Dutch
and understand it, and we cannot write English, we do so
in Dutch.
" With this we close, and send greetings to all our friends
and those we are related to in North America, and wish
heartily every good thing to them.
(Signed) "J. C. & S. Van Rensselaar."
Before this reply was received my grandfather had
sent a further communication to them :
63
" America :
Albany, March 15, 1795.
" Dear Kinsman :
" I wrote you last November by my brother's son, Robert
S.Van Rensselaer, which letter was addressed to J. C. andS.
Van Rensselaar, and which I hope has been delivered in
propria manu.
" We all fear by the time this reaches you your Country
will be greatly convulsed by the Success of the French
Arms ; and how far this may affect you for the better or for
the worse we can not divine. We hope you will not be
prejudiced thereby in the least; and should you be we shall
truly participate in your distresses, as well as commiserate
your misfortunes.
"I did not see my nephew, Killian H. Van Rensselaar,
when he returned from Holland, as he sailed from New
York soon after his arrival. He has been on a successful
voyage, and has purchased part of a ship, which he com-
mands, and has actually sailed for France, from whence he
sails for Amsterdam. He furnished me with some letters
which you and others did him the honor to write after he
left your City and laid in the Texel. These letters, Sir,
breathe true friendship and hospitality, and I can assure you
they have made lasting impressions of gratitude on the
young seaman, as well as his friends here. I hope that
amiable lady that was sick, as well as A. Van Rensselaar,
are recovered from their sickness, and that they have not
experienced anything but ordinary inconvenience therefrom.
Those letters, dear kinsman, caused tears to flow when they
were read here, particularly from the parents of the young
captain. They impart friendship which will ever unite our
hearts with cords imperceptible yet indissoluble. I have
questioned the captain about writing ; he gave for answer,
he wanted only to communicate the contents of the ' Second
Epistle of John, the 12th verse.' I hope he will be with
you in propria persoJia by June. This young seaman has
acquired a reputation and character worthy of himself, and
it is no small piece of gratification that he has acquired
your confidence also.
" Our political atmosphere was filled with vapours that
foreboded War, but I can with pleasure advise that our
Minister. Mr. Jay, has settled a treaty of Amity, Commerce
and Navigation with Great Britain which will secure us the
'a
64
blessings of peace. That this may be your happy lot with
your enemies we sincerely pray. Our Country is rising in
wealth and happiness beyond credibility.
It must, Sir, be no small plea ure to us when we refle< I that
our ancestors acted a principal part in settling this country
and laying a foundation of Religion and Civil policy in thai
wilderness which now rejoi . and blossoms as a rose. Thai
you may avoid the further horrors of war, and sit down in
a peaceable and good government, I shall ever pray for.
" I shall rejoice to receive a line from you, and as many
more as will take the trouble of entering into a friendlj
respondence with me. Should you, Sir, find any difficulty
in getting my letters translated. 1 shall in future i n :• avor to
get them done here ; and at all events, 1 hope this will
no obstacle to either of us.
" Deliver the enclosed to our nephew, and let our love
and amity accompany it. I am anxious to hear from our
friend Robert S. Van Rensselaer: if he should not have
reached you owing to any accidents at sea, commit the
enclosed to the flames.
" Make my compliments acceptable to your worthy 1
and family, and greet all our kinsmen with you in our name.
" I am. Sir, with sentiments of Ksteem and regard,
" your relation and friend,
" K. K. Van Renssei \ \i\
" l,\x 1 \i : Van Rensselaar."
A curious episode occurred during the absence of
Robert in Europe, in which the serious and the ludi-
crous were wonderfully combined, and which was a
remarkable illustration of " All's well that ends well ! "
To appreciate it fully one must have known the chief
actor in it. In a letter from London, February 6,
1797, Robert had written to his uncle:
" After perusing my letters I immediately set off for Graves-
end in hopes of meeting with my brother. My disappoint-
ment was inexpressible when told he was not on board the
Ellice. On inquiry I found he had made application in an
improper manner, not one of his friends accompanying him,
or assisting him in obtaining a berth on board of a good
ship, but left to himself, without even a friend to advise with.
65
This I deem very hard, and regret much that when I left
America he did not accompany me, for by this time I should
have obtained him a mate's situation, had he been deserving
of it, which I have no doubt he would have been. If my
better stars prevail, and I am once more landed in my native
soil, he shall not want for that assistance the want of which
has prevented my seeing him. The captain of the Ellice
would have taken him if a proper application had been made
by his friends, which I sincerely hope have not deserted him,
as from the complexion of the transaction it appears."
He would have felt worse had he known all about
his brother, and where he was at the time. Peter S.
Van Rensselaer, or " Pappy Piet," as he was familiarly
known, was a wild boy, and had enticed one of the
family negroes, who were always restless and ready
for an escapade, and the two got every thing ready to
run away and go to sea, in the regular Robinson Cru-
soe style. " We had made satisfactory arrangements
in our own way for that purpose," said " Cousin
Peter," as we were taught to address him respectfully,
" when my father, Philip Van Rensselaer, found us
out, and being a man of great energy and decision of
character, immediately notified us to get ready, and
he would make us sailors to our hearts' content. So,
after a few tears from mother, and earnest good-byes
from other members of the family, we accompanied
father to New York, where he placed Jack and myself
under the charge of Captain Oglevie, of the good ship
Ocean Queen bound from New York to London,
loaded with flour, and especially enjoined the captain
to make us both first-class sailors before the mast.
And I do believe the captain gave us all the expe-
rience he knew how to ; at least I was pleased when
the Ocean Queen was captured in the British channel
by a French privateer from St. Malo, subsequently
66
ascertained to belong to my brother Robert, who was
then living in great splendor and extravagance at
Paris. A portion of our ship's crew, including Cap-
tain Oglcvie and myself, were retained on our own
ship, and with a prize crew ordered to St. Malo. Tip
rest of our ship's crew, including my black compan-
ion, were taken on board the privateer, and were
never again heard from, the vessel having foundered
and every soul lost. Our ship was re-captured by an
English cruiser, and ordered into Dartmouth, where
we duly arrived; and I with others was imprisoned
for months. After treaty and long delay, and the
earnest interference of our Consul at London, and
John Jay, our Minister at St. James, myself and others
were liberated, in great destitution ; and I reached
New York, after having worked my passage home,
and an absence of nearly one year, to learn that my
father had in the meantime died." As the ship on
which he was returning, a wiser if not a more sober
man, was drawing near her dock on the East river,
two of his kinsmen, who happened at the time to be
sauntering along the docks, descried him in the rig-
ging, "a poor, begrimed, soiled, torn, hard-working
sailor, looking as if friendless in the world." It was
a joyous meeting, and having been transformed in
their friendly hands into a clean and respectable cit-
izen, he declared that he " never until now knew what
it was to be perfectly happy." And he proved the
reality of his conviction by going home in three days,
and never leaving it except to marry his own cousin,
Sarah Sanders, after the bad custom of too many of
his family. "Cousin Sally" was a most estimable
woman, loving and lovable, and a faithful and devoted
67
wife during many years of long-suffering patience.
May she rest in peace, and perpetual light shine upon
her.
My grandfather had made the journey to Niagara
Falls on horseback through the wilderness, in com-
pany, I think, with General Schuyler. There was no
wagon-road to it at that day. He had inherited the
enterprising spirit of his ancestors, and was inclined
to take advantage of an offer to share in the Phelps
and Gorham purchase, the head-quarters of which
were at Canandaigua. Had he done so the career of
his family would have been of necessity entirely dif-
ferent. Robert Morris, the great financier of the Rev-
olution, had purchased large tracts of land in the
western part of the State, and he seems to have had
a correspondence with him about the buying and set-
tling of lands. He received from him the following
letter :
" Phila., June 25, 1793.
"Sir:
" Your letter of the 14th inst. reached me a few days ago,
and before I give a decided answer, I wish to see my son
Thomas, who intends to be here in the course of next month.
I shall converse with him respecting the sale of Lands in his
Neighborhood, and if I am induced to make farther sales it
will be upon the terms you mention, that is, that the pur-
chaser shall make immediate Settlement.
" I am, Sir,
" Your most obedient
" hble Servant,
" Robt. Morris."
He was deterred from it by the influence of his
brother-in-law, Judge John Sanders, an able and
intelligent man himself, but to whose vision that
region seemed as distant as Alaska seems to us.
68
" Szvagei'" (brother-in-law) said he, "your children
and your children's children will be old men and
women before then? are any roads through that coun-
try ! " The old gentleman lived to see how erroneous
his judgment had been, but it was too late. However,
my grandfather extended his professional business in
that quarter, where he had many correspondent
His business required journeys to the western parts
of the State, which were made on horseback or in a
gig, a very useful vehicle in those days. On one of
these he heard cries of distress in the woods, and on
following the sound discovered a rider mired in a
bog, into which his horse was gradually sinking.
With such branches and sticks as he found at hand
he helped horse and rider out of their danger, which
was imminent in that lonesome spot, and after receiv-
ing his grateful thanks passed on. Afterwards at an
entertainment at Albany he was introduced to the
famous Talleyrand, who had been driven from France
by the excesses of the Jacobins, and recognized in
him the traveler whom he had rescued ! The French-
man did not recognize him, and he, of course, did
not allude to the obligation. What vast changes in
the history of France, of Furope, and indeed of the
world, might not have taken place but for that rencon-
tre, and the rescue from a bog in the wilds of America
of the man who became the Machiavellian minister
of Napoleon !
There were no express companies then and no
banks except in the cities, and in the course of these
expeditions into the country for their clients lawyers
were obliged to collect and carry along with them
large sums of money, taking the risks of meeting
69
robbers. On one occasion, as my uncle Richard told
me, when his father had taken him with him, they
were obliged to transport in the gig a bag filled with
silver collected on the expedition, which it was his
business to carry in and out of the taverns where they
lodged on their journey, and he had cause to remem-
ber that it was no easy burden to bear. But they
brought it in safety to Albany.
His profession brought him into frequent corres-
pondence with De Witt Clinton, then practicing law
in New York. From several letters I give the follow-
ing, as showing a friendly feeling that was kept up
through life :
" Dear Sir :
" I shall avail myself of your obliging offer to attend to
such of my business in Albany as may be necessary, and
hope that you will not be backward in requesting the like
from me. " I am, Sir,
" With great esteem,
" Your most obedt. Servt.,
" 22 June, 1792. " De Witt Clinton.
" New York."
Ambrose Spencer, afterwards the distinguished
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of
New York, was one of his most constant and familiar
correspondents. The following is especially interest-
ing as marking a step in the early career of one who
afterwards became so eminent :
"Hudson, July 27, 1793.
" I shall be up on Monday evening or Tuesday morning. I
am determined to apply for my examination as Solicitor in
Chancery and wish your Company upon the Examination,
and more the better — mention it to the young Gentlemen
entitled to Examination.
" I am yours sincerely,
■•Ambrose Spencer."
70
He was active in advancing the interests of his
political party, and his advice was sought by leadii
Federalists.
"Manor House, 24 Feby., 1792.
" Hope our friends were all well in New York. Let me
know how matters stand respecting Governor. If Judge
Yates will not oblige his friends and step forward in return
for their exertions last time, I cannot see any probabilily of
fixing on any other person that will answer the end proposed.
Beg your thoughts and that of your Citizens on the Subject.
" Yours Sincerely,
" Peter R. Livingston."
As Chairman of the Federal General Committee
he signed an appeal to the people of the State, April
9, 1798, together with John C. Cuyler, A. Hun, S.
Bleecker and C. R. Webster, to solicit their suffrages
for their candidates at the coming election.
The Patroon was an active member of the Feder-
alist party, of which his father-in-law, Gen. Schuyler,
was the leader, and Alexander Hamilton, his brother-
in-law, the great ornament and strength, by his great
ability and distinguished services as a soldier and the
founder and organizer of the Treasury Department
of the United States. Mr. Van Rensselaer was a
member of the State Legislature of 1795, and during
its session in New York, then the capital, he wrote
the following characteristic letter to one of his lead-
ing constituents, highly illustrative of the politics of
the times :
"New York, March 18, 1795.
" Dear Sir :
" I have received your letters, but being engaged daily, I
have not answered them so soon as I ought. The money
was very acceptable — indeed, if 1 remain here much longer
I shall be obliged to mortgage the Manor. It gives me
great pleasure to find that unanimity prevails in the County,
71
and particularly in my towns. You should not, however,
relax in your exertions to continue it, for I apprehend every
effort will be made previous to the Election to divide us.
You will therefore take care to commit as many of the
principal folks as possible.
" We shall adjourn the first week in April, and not sooner.
I am sorry to hear that your mother is still indisposed. I
hope the Journey has been of service to the Judge. Make
my compliments to all the Family, and not forgetting Mr.
Bassett.
" Mr. Jay has written to his friends here that he will sail
in April ; his letter was dated the 5 December. The greatest
unanimity prevails here; we calculate on a majority of 1,000.
" Your Friend, &c,
"S. V. Rensselaer."
The aggressive course of the French Director)'
towards neutrals was resented by the United States in
consequence of the great injury to their commerce,
and preparations were made for war. General Wash-
ington was made Commander-in-chief, and Alexander
Hamilton a Major-General. Gen. Hamilton made
Philip S. Church, grandson of Gen. Schuyler, his
aide-de-camp. More than fifty years afterwards he
was at dinner at Miss Wadsworth's, afterwards Mrs.
Murray, when she asked him, in my presence, why he
was called " Captain " Church. "O," said he, " once
a captain, always a captain. Gen. Hamilton made
me his aide when we expected a war with France,
and I have been a captain ever since."
My grandfather's patriotism and military ardor
prompted him at this period to raise a company of
volunteers among his fellow-citizens. The following
is in his own handwriting, and signed first by him :
'• We, the subscribers, do hereby promise and engage to
form ourselves into a Company, to be called the "Albany
Guards," and when forty subscribe, the company officers are
72
to be elected. The regulations respecting uniform and
dress, together with the Rules for its discipline and police
are to be agreed on by the Company.
"July 27, 1798."
He always held and inculcated that ever)' citizen
of the United States was a soldier when he could
bear arms, and one of my earliest experiences was to
be drilled by him in the manual of arms and the
facings and steps of a soldier.
In those days every gentleman whose reputation
was assailed was expected to vindicate it by " calling
out" his assailant and fighting a duel with him. My
great-uncle, John Sanders, and Abraham Van Vechten
were shining lights of tin- Feneralist party, but that
did not prevent their having a disagreement, which
became a question of veracity. My uncle was a man
of high honor and jealous of his reputation, and
withal of high courage and resolution, and he sen'
challenge to Mr. Van Vechten, putting it into the
hands of my grandfather to be delivered to Mr. Van
Vechten, as his second. He was referred to Mr.
Kmott as Mr. Van Vechten's second. Before making
arrangements for the deadly meeting, the two friends
set to work to see whether they could not bring
the antagonists to terms and settle the difficult)'.
Accordingly my grandfather wrote to his principal
the following letter, which was most creditable to
himself and to all engaged in it, and one of the most
honorable records which remain of him :
'• Dear Sir :
" Mr. Emott and myself wish to interpose ami settle in a
friendly manner your difference with Mr. Y. Vechten, if it
can be done consistently. I hope, Sir, altho' this attempt
is made at a late hour, we shall not be the less successful in
73
the end. Should this favorable interposition meet your
approbation, pray drop me a line, and the time, place and
measures will be fixed by Mr. Emott and myself, unless
intervening circumstances make it necessary to have them
altered. " I am, Sir,
" With sentiments of esteem,
" Your friend and Hble Servt,
" K. K. Van Rensselaer.
" August 24. 1 799."
This drew forth the following characteristic reply:
"Scotia, Augt. 26th, 1799.
" Dear Sir :
" Your letter of yesterday's date I have now before me.
Your wishes to interpose with Mr. Van Veghten and myself
respecting our dispute I thank you and Mr. Emot for. I
cannot under present circumstances see how friends can
well interpose with me, since Mr. Van Veghten has thought
proper to deny his assertions made to me, before the bar of
the public ; besides I have been credibly informed he has
charged me in public company with having reported lies
about him. I conceive I am in duty bound to support the
truth and my own character and reputation. 1 have accord-
ingly sent my affidavit to Messrs. Websters respecting the
business. I still stand charged before the public of having
declared an untruth — how or in what manner can friends
settle this ? Will Mr. Van Yediten disavow what he has
said ? Your friendly interference is very natural, and 1 wish
had been more timely before the business was circumstanced
as it now is. I confess I can not see how it can now be
compromised.
'* I however wish you to stop the publication I sent to the
Messrs. Websters, that Mr. Van Veghten and his friends may
see that I am disposed to a settlement of this unpleasant
business ; if a mode can be suggested and devised by them
of accomplishing it on just, fair and reasonable principles, I
will meet it with readiness. But the business has been car-
ried now, I think, too far for accommodation. Any propo-
sitions they wish to attempt ought to be made without loss
of time, as this business has been already too long protracted.
" I am, Sir,
" Your friend and hmble Servt,
" J. Sanders."
74
This reply did not promise much success to their
peacemaking efforts, lint they were not discouraged,
and persevered until they succcded in reconciling the
antagonists, and winning all the glory from the Strife
in becoming " peacemakers."
75
CHAPTER SEVENTH.
CONGRESSIONAL CAREER.
My grandfather was elected a Representative in
the seventh Congress in his thirty-seventh year. It
was the first one that met in Washington, and was
the precursor of many critical events in the history
of the nation. Jefferson had just been elected Presi-
dent by the preceding House of Representatives after
a heated and doubtful contest with Colonel Aaron
Burr, during which civil war had been talked of unless
a choice was made. The whole policy of the govern-
ment was on the eve of a revolution from the system
inaugurated by Washington and advocated by the
Federalists, of whom, as mentioned previously, my
grandfather was one, and of whom General Schuyler
was the acknowledged leader in New York. Harrison
Gray Otis, his college correspondent, had been a
member of the two preceding Congresses. He was
re-elected for four successive terms thereafter, and
served through the two terms of Jefferson and half of
the first of Madison. Both houses were filled at that
time with distinguished men from all parts of the
nation, among whom were Rufus King, Governeur
Morris, Philip V. Cortlandt, John Cotton Smith,
James A. Bayard, John Randolph, James Madison,
76
Rutledge, Huger and Sumter, from South Carolina.
Albert Gallatin, of a name famous in Geneva, Switz-
erland, began his distinguished career as Secretary of
the Treasury, and Gideon Granger was made Post-
master-General. Henry Clay entered Congress just
as my grandfather was about to leave it.
The Constitution of the United States leaves to
the Senators and Representatives to " ascertain by
law" the amount to be paid them for their services;
and the rate established by the fathers — $3 a day
and twenty cents a mile — was moderate enough for
those days. It cost my grandfather to get to Wash-
ington from Albany to his first session $58.06, and
his expenses for three sessions averaged $361.33,
while he received on an average only $324, and that
not promptly paid. Board was $10 a week, a very
high rate for that time, but ridiculously small for the
habits of present Congressmen. Sometimes the
members formed messes, and he seems to have been
the treasurer of one composed of Generals Dayton
and Morris, Colonel Sims and Messrs. Bayard, Wal-
ker, Thomas Morris, Campbell, Hill and Wood. The
visiting card of the day varied from a model of sim-
plicity to a piece of card-board impressed with
elaborate designs of a nondescript character. " A :
Burr," then Vice-President, wrote his name in his
distinct, bold hand on one of the former, while that
of " Mr. Madison " is inscribed in an elaborate border
of filagree work adorned with flowers, a lute and
guitars : that of " Le Comte de Pahlen, Envoye Ext :
et Ministre Pleni : de S. M : i'Empereur de toutes
les Russies," was engraved in the modern style.
President Jefferson's invitations to dinner were printed
77
on coarse paper, and informed the recipient that
" Thos. Jefferson requests the favour of Mr. Van R.
to dine with him on day next at 2 o'clock, or as
soon thereafter as the adjournment of the House will
permit; " the carrying out of which humble waiting
on the pleasure and convenience of the House of
Representatives must have elicited the patience as
well as the skill of the "Aunty " who ruled in the
Presidential kitchen. President Madison improved
on the dinner hour, as follows: " J. Madison requests
the favor of Mr. Van R. to dine with him on Tues-
day next at four o'clock." Another invitation re-
calls one of General Washington's closest friends,
whom he persuaded to become a resident of Wash-
ington in its infancy, and who built the spacious
mansion on the corner of New York avenue and
Eighteenth street, which is one of the surviving
relics of the primitive city, not having been destroyed
by the British in 18 14 — Colonel Tayloe : " Mr. Tay-
loe requests the favor of Mr. Van Rensselaer to dine
with him on Saturday next at 4 o'clock. The favour
of an answer is requested. Wensday 9th febry."
And the Plenipotentiary of the Czar of Russia sends
an invitation : " Count Pahlen requests the honour
of Mr. Van Rensselaer's company at dinner on Mon-
day February 18th at half-past four o'clock. The
favour of an answer is requested." The ambassador
of Napoleon was not successful in getting the name
of the Representative, as appears by the following:
" General Turreau requests the favour of Mr. Wan-
rasselaer's company to dine on Wednesday next at
four o'clock. Thursday, December 20th. 18 10. An
answer is requested."
-7Q
8
My grandfather's commencement of his Congres-
sional career was marked by a change from the custom
of Washington in reading an address to the Congress
in person, to that of the President's addressing a mes-
sage, which has ever since been pursued. lie was
placed on the most important committee on Ways and
Means. The pernicious policy of diminishing the
number of years required for the naturalization of
foreigners from fourteen to five was recommended by
Jefferson and adopted by Congress; the perilous
fruits of which we are reaping in the domination of
foreign ideas and methods which threaten the very
existence of the freedom which it cost our fathers so
much blood and treasure to gain for us. Mr. Jeffer-
son was opposed to the "spoils" system in appoint-
ing to public offices, nor can he justly be accused of
inconsistency in his course ; but his removals of Fed-
eralists from offices to which they had been appointed
undoubtedly was the little end of the wedge which
has played such havoc in our public service. The
ten years of my grandfather's service in Congress
were signalized by some of the most important crises
in our national history, and he was called on to take
part in meeting and shaping them. The purchase of
Louisiana from France, beginning with a modest offer
for the acquisition of New Orleans, and ending with
the transfer of the vast territory west of the Missis-
sippi, was the chief act of the Jefferson administration,
which made the peaceable dissolution of the Union
thenceforth impossible. On the recommendation of
the President a sword and medals were voted to naval
officers who had captured a Tripoli corsair after a
fight, and thus made our flag respected by those
79
pirates. The famous expedition of Lewis and Clarke,
which had been planned by the President, and was one
of his best and wisest plans for the country, was sent
out in 1804, and laid the foundation for the future ex-
plorations and the settlement of the great west. The
famous Cumberland road, which became a subject for
so much contention on the part of the " strict con-
structionists " of the Constitution, was begun in 1806,
to open the route from the seaboard to the Ohio.
The conspiracy and expedition of Colonel Burr for
the invasion of Mexico occupied the minds of all in
1806, and called forth the most vigorons measures of
the administration for its suppression ; although he
managed to escape conviction on his trial in Rich-
mond from want of evidence, as might have been ex-
pected from so able a lawyer and shrewd a scoundrel
as he was. The war in Europe between Napoleon
and Great Britain, during which arbitrary decrees and
orders were issued by both combatants, seriouslv crip-
pling our commerce and ruining our merchants, caused
the government to retaliate by an embargo and non-
intercourse, by which we injured ourselves as much
as we did them. The dissatisfaction in New England
on account of the stagnation in trade, was intense,
and at one time threatened a secession. The provis-
ion of the Constitution for the abolition of the slave
trade in twenty years was carried into effect by Con-
gress in 1808. The refusal of Congress in 181 r to
renew the charter of the Bank of the United States,
which was earnestly desired by the mercantile com-
munity, was the cause of wide-spread distress, as was
made clear from the correspondence of the day. Pul-
ton's great achievement in propelling boats by steam
80
in 1807 marked a new era in the progress of the na-
tion and of mankind. Inventors and schemers were
busy as they arc now, and Louis Dupre" and Thorn. 1
Bruff, respectively, petitioned for a -rant to enable
them to perfect their plans for " perpetual motion ; "
but they were allowed to withdraw their petitions.
European complications were continually threatening
us, and the nation was slowly but surely drifting into
a war with Great Britain, chiefly on account of her
practice of stopping and searching our ships for
alleged British sailors. January 17, 1806, he wrote
to my father, then at college in Montreal :
" Our country is truly in a delicate situation, and our trade
and commerce makes us an object for all nations to courl,
and the least partiality to one more than the other renders
us an object of envy and resentment ; hence, a disposition
for the European powers whom we do not favor to entangle
us in a war, which 1 trust we shall avoid."
The contest between Jefferson and Burr for the
presidency, both having received an equal number of
electoral votes for President, had revealed a defect in
the Constitution, to correct which Congress adopted
the present provision, three-fourths of the States con-
curring. The Legislature of New York had pre-
viously proposed the amendment in resolutions which
were sent to the Senators and Representatives at Wash-
ington with the following letter :
" Albany, 2d Feb. 1802.
"Sir:
" In behalf and by request of the Legislature of this State,
we do ourselves the honor of transmitting to you the above
Resolutions, which passed both Houses without a dissenting
81
voice ; and we earnestly request that you will use your best
exertions in carrying the same into effect.
•• We have the honor to be,
" With the highest consideration,
" Your most obedient Servants,
" Jer. V. Rensselaer, President of Senate.
"Attested "Thomas Storm, Speaker of Assembly.
" Aem B. Bancker, Clk
" of the Senate.
" Jas. Van Ingen, Clk
" of the Assembly."
The change which the Telegraph has wrought is
illustrated by the following:
" To the Honble Killyaen K. V. Rensselaer, Esqr,
" In Congress,
"Washington."
" Albany, February i, 1802.
" Dear Sir:
" Pardon the liberty I take of Inclosing you a letter for
Mr. Rensselaer. If he should have left Washington to return
to this place, be pleased to send the letter to him under cover
of one of yours.
" The newspapers will advise you of the havoc made by
the late Council of Appointment.
"Mr. Hoffman has resigned the office of Attorney
Ceneral, and Mr. Spencer will probably be appointed thereto
to-day.
"I am,
■• Dear Sir,
" Your most Obedient Servant,
" Ph. Schuyler."
" Honble Killyaen K. V. Rensselaer, Esqr.
"Sir:
" My Father desires me to beg you will forward the
enclosed letter to Mr. Van Rensselaer if he should have
left Washington before it arrives. He hopes you will
excuse the liberty he takes in giving you this trouble.
"I have the pleasure of assuring you, Sir, that all your
family here are in health. Yours, &c, &c,
"Catharine YR. Schuyler.
"Albany, 23d Jany."
82
This was the infant rescued by her brave sister
from the tomahawk of the savage at the Schuyler
Mansion.
The following reminiscence, communicated by my
Grandfather in a letter to Jared Sparks, is both
interesting and suggestive :
"Governeur Morris in the year 1801 was a Senator from
the State of New York in the Senate of the United States.
In the Fall of 1801 he founded a mess at Washington on
Capitol Hill, composed of Six Senators and Six Repre-
sentatives. 1 had the honor to be one of that mess,
"In the winter of 1802 Mr. Robt. Morris, the old
financier from Philadelphia, came to Washington on a
visit. We unanimously agreed to admit him to join our
mess as a boarder. At this period the subject about remov-
ing the seat of Government, amongst other things, was a
topic of conversation. It was at that time I first heard
Mr. Robt. Morris say that Govnr. Morris wanted to fix the
seat of the Federal Government at New Burgh and New-
Windsor in the Constitution, when the Convention was
framing the same to be submitted to the States. I asked
Mr. R. Morris if a proposition or motion to that effect
had been made in form by Mr. G. Morris? His answer
was, No. The great object, Mr. R. Morris said, was to
agree on a Constitution. The seat of Government was a
secondary consideration: — independent of many weighty
reasons against such a motion, he added : I deemed it
improper for Govnr. Morris to make it. He was my com-
peer from Pennsylvania as a Delegate. It would have
given great offence to the State, &c. By reasoned raillery
I got him to abandon it. At that time I considered the
idea chimerical and romantic ; but I have changed my
mind since, &c. That Govnr. Morris in support of his
opinion urged as an argument the following reasons, to
wit: — That New Burgh was the only place near the Atlantic
in the Union, that had combined with it all the requisites
for the Seat of Government:
"I. Perfect safety in time of war from an attack by an
enemy.
"II. Free access to the Ocean every month in the year
by our shipping — its contiguity, &c.
8.3
"III. Perfect security for Xaval and Military arsenals,
&c, added to a large cove or Basin for a Navy Yard to
secure shipping in time of war, &c.
" IV. A large city near it with a spacious harbor and a
thousand facilities to aid the Government in any exigency.
" V. Surrounded by States filled with free men, that
would support and defend the Capital, &:c.
"VI. A place that could be approached by water from
all quarters as soon as Lake Erie was tapped and the Canal
was made to the Hudson.
"I have thus, my good sir, in substance stated the above
information as I received it from Mr. Robt. Morris; to
which I beg leave to add that I have (on proper occasions)
imparted the same to others since 1802."
General William North, of Duanesburgh, was a
personal and political friend of my grandfather, and
a frequent correspondent. He was clever, witty, a
ready writer, and an uncompromising opponent of
Jefferson and his party. He had been aide to Baron
Steuben in the Revolution. His love of fun, as it is
related, led him to illustrate the Baron's hot temper
and ignorance of the English language by the follow-
ing parable : — The Baron would get so angry at the
awkwardness of the soldiers in their drill that he
would call out to his aide at his side — "Swear at
them for me ! " He had recited this so often in the
Baron's hearing that at length the Baron repeated it
himself at a dinner party as an actual occurrence,
when North claimed it as an invention of his own
imagination ! The following extracts afford a flavor
of his voluminous correspondence, and of his views
on men and things at the beginning of this century:
"Your great man* wishes to overturn everything. He
begins at the Christian Religion and ends with the cere-
monies of a drawing room. He is a Philosopher, and there
is nothing too Great nor too Small for your Philosophers."
* Jefferson.
84
"The devil is let loose, and when he will be chained
again no one knows — and the worst of it is, he goes about
like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. May
GOD have you in his holy keeping.
" Feb. 15-March 10, 1804.
" How it is with you 1 know not, but here an eternal,
never-dying Winter reigns ; the light of the sun is inter-
cepted by the thick-falling snows, and the cold exhalations
from the earth, frozen to its center, form a frigid atmosphere
through which its genial warmth can never penetrate. In
plain English, it has been, is, and I am afraid will be to the
end of May, bitter cold. There is no hay in our country,
and the snow is too deep to browse our cattle. This is our
melancholy situation, while you, O Titurus, under tin-
shadow of the Man Mountain, are either playing or hearing
the swains around you play on the words Patriotism, (Econ-
omy and Justice. Play on, as the late Empress of Russia
said to the drummer of her Guards, who while she was
looking out of the window, had come behind her, and was
giving some poing strokes with his drumstick — play on, till
you raise a sett of dancers who will foot the master of the
ceremonies, and Ids obsequious band of Semivirs out of the
orchestra into the arena, where there is weeping and wailing
and gnashing of teeth.
" I like to support religion or even the semblance of reli-
gion, and I wish to get money without labor — enclosed are
$10, with which please to buy me a ticket in the Roman
Catholic Lottery.
" I am your friend,
" GULIELMUS DE MONT M.\RIK."
" Mont Marie," after which he whimsically signed
himself, was the name of the General's place at
Duanesburgh, Schenectady count)-.
Jonathan Mason, of Boston, was in Washington at
this time (1 804-5), an d made this record in his diary :
"Washington City is as it has been. It does not
improve and is filled with dissensions."
The criminal prosecution of Harry Croswell, after-
wards the celebrated Rector of Trinity Church, New
Haven, but then editor of " The Balance" of Hudson,
85
for an alleged libel on the President, was one of the
" causes alebres " of that epoch. The following gives
an impression of the intense party feeling which it
evoked :
"Albany, February 18th, 1804.
"A triumph of Federal talents was displayed on a late
occasion which I cannot forbear relating to you. It was on
the application of Harry Croswell to the Supreme Court
for a new trial on an indictment for libel against the Presi-
dent of the United States, the particulars of which you have
undoubtedly heard. The case was argued on Monday,
Tuesday and Wednesday last, before a crowded house ;
four Judges on the bench ; Spencer and Counsellor Karnes
for the prosecution, and Messrs. Van Ness, Harison and
Hamilton for the defendant. Mr. Hamilton closed the
argument with a speech of three hours and a half, and the
most splendid strain of eloquence was there displayed that
perhaps was (ever) witnessed — so acute, so profound — now
demonstrating the inapplicability of the Common Law doc-
trine of Ld. Mansfield to this country, then dissecting the
arguments of the opposite counsel, showing their fallacy
with inconceivable strength and ingenuity ; now dwelling
on the nature of the libel, adverting to the charge against
Mr. Jefferson of paying Callender for reviling Washington,
Adams, &c.
"Here opened a field for a display of pathos — again
touching on the nature of the effects of calumny to under-
mine by degrees the best reputation on earth, he took high
ground, professed an abhorrence for all libellers, but strongly
did he plead the necessity of establishing those principles
which were contained in the Sedition Law— the necessity of
investigating the characters of men in public stations, and
of candidates for office, he investigated. It's impossible to
give you an idea with what energy he demonstrated the
necessity of strictly adhering to certain known and fixed
principles in our government, of maintaining those princi-
ples in their purity as essential to the preservation of our
liberties ; of the actual danger which threatened our liber-
ties by the spirit of factions innovating on our Constitution,
especially in destroying the barriers which had been set up
to guard the independence of the judiciary system.
86
" It is impossible for my feeble pen to attempt to give
you even an outline of his argument ; suffice it to say that
so impressive, so pathetic, so solemn was this brilliant dis-
play of eloquence as to draw tears from old and young in
the assemblage of spectators. Farewell, and believe me
with esteem Yours,
" John Van Schaick."
It was not many months after (July nth, 1804),
that this brilliant career was cut short by the mur-
derous hand of Burr, who admitted to my kinsman,
Judge John Sanders, Jr., that he had intended to kill
Gen. Hamilton in revenge for having prevented his
being chosen President of the United Stales ; that he-
had felt no regrets for it, and was willing to repeat it!
A striking illustration of the means by which a man
contemplating deliberate murder may shield himself
under the so-called " Code of Honor."
He spent his first New Year's day at home in four
years, in 1805, during the second session of the 8th
Congress. It can well be imagined by those who
knew his family how heartily he was welcomed by
wife, children and kindred, and by all his friends. It
was during this visit, when he was in a jocose mood
and enjoying the happiness of home, that he wrote
the following letter to one of hi.s messmates in Wash-
ington, Mr. Dana, a bachelor. He possessed a vein
of quiet humor running through his nature which he
was fond of indulging when he wrote ; though I never
remember hearing him laugh aloud, a smile being the
utmost that he allowed himself. To explain the
jocose allusion in it, which might seem to cast a
doubt on his habitual abstemiousness, it must be
remembered that it was written on New Year's day,
the great festival of the Dutch, rivaling [the least of
37
the patron Saint, St. Nicholas. On New Year's day
every good citizen was expected to provide New
Year's cakes, oilekoeks and crulletjes, with plenty of
cordials upon the sideboard for his neighbors, who,
on their part, were expected to call with greetings for
" A Happy New Year," and partake liberally of the
good cheer provided for them. The " Dominie "
was always specially remembered with a large round
" koekie " stamped with a scene from the Bible, as
indeed all New Year's cakes were. It was a breach
of courtesy and friendly neighborhood to pass over
anyone in these calls, or to treat the refreshments
with neglect, which could not easily be atoned for.
On these occasions the sober burghers warmed into
goodfellowship and kindly feeling, and had their
good time for the year. This will explain the allusion
to the •' drams "in the letter :
"Albaxy, Jan. ist, '05.
"Dr. Sir:
" I have been since my return to Albany almost in a state
of Frozation, (as Mr. Stedman would say were he applied
to for an appropriate phrase to describe the feelings of a
person in our cold latitude just now.) But I am thawed
out: — whether it is occasioned by a change of the weather,
or from the number of drams I have taken this morning, I
cannot tell : but certain I am that there is no inclemency
of season that ever prevents an Albanian from calling on
his friends to greet them on the return of the New Year.
We are therefore all a tip-toe just now ; and you may justly
conclude that I am in good spirits, and in a fair way of
being thawed out, if I am not so already.
" Present, my dear sir, the compliments of the season to
the Pickering Mess — Mr. and Mrs. Coyle ; — and as for
yourself, may the winged moments steal gently past you and
whisper peace in their silent passage ; may conscience always
smile upon you like a well-pleased angel ; may your friends
be firm and free from dissimulation ; may your enemies
search in vain for matters of reproach and be confounded ;
88
may hypocrites drop their masks before you and stand
abashed ; may health with cheerful spirits still feed the lamp
of life; and to crown the sum of human happiness, may
you find the partner whose soul is framed on the model of
your own, whose benevolent mind beams from her counte-
nance like the morning sun from the rosy chambers of the
East; may your children like olive branches (12 sons and 9
daughters) surround your table, on which let plenty lie
poured from the lap of fortune in unlimited stores ! And
when you have thus glided along with the smooth current
of time, and find yourself at length on the threshold "I
Eternity, may you with joy quit a world of vanity, and
urasp that unending felicity which is there reserved for the
good ! "
Whether these cordial and overflowing New Year's
aspirations for his bachelor friend at Washington
were granted in their completeness is not recorded ;
but we ma}' well hope and believe that the)' were
given in such a measure as was good for human
frailty to enjoy.
The following was from one of his political oppo-
nents, who nevertheless bad always been on the most
friendly terms with him from their early days. The
writer will be recognized as one of the ablest and
most distinguished men whom this State has pro-
duced :
"Albany, Dec. 25, 1805,
" Dear Sir :
" Your obliging letter of the 16th announcing the trans-
mission of the Intelligencer, demands my grateful acknowl-
edgments for your polite attention, as well as your favor of
the Message. This paper, which you correctly term, in the
American sense of the word, Ministerial, is valuable during
the session of Congress, as a repository of the debates in
the two branches, and in lucubrations speaking sometimes
the sense of the Cabinet.
" The European news lately furnished us present great
themes for consideration and conjecture. How the affairs
of that illfated portion of the globe will eventuate, the God
89
of battles can only foresee. But this we may safely affirm,
that we live in an age peculiarly pregnant with great events.
" It is perhaps not injurious to us, as a people, that the
ambition and folly of Kings and Emperors give employment
to all their energies across the Atlantic. * * *
"With respect and esteem,
" Vour Obdt. Servt,
"A. Spencer.
" Honble. K. K. Van Rensselaer."
The following from his life-long friend and the
friend of his brother Philip, Colonel Richard Varick ;
and from his brother-in-law John Sanders, give a
vivid idea of the financial distress of the country at
the beginning of 1S11. The refusal of Congress to
recharter the United States Bank, which had been
incorporated under Washington, was popularly con-
sidered to be the cause of it.
" New York, 8th January, 1811.
" I now steal a few Minutes, my dear Friend, to thank
You for your many Addresses and the valuable Envelopes.
As you Gentlemen of Congress are tongue-tied so often
you dare not tell your Friends that you are in Health, but
leave it to be inferred from your being able to address Pack-
ets to your Friends. If this is the Honor my friends so
eagerly seek after, they are most heartily welcome thereto.
I do not envy them, nor will I presume to interfere to sup-
plant any of them in the exalted Station of Senator or
Representative of the United States."
" 23rd Jany., 181 1.
" Confidence, my dear friend, is pretty nearly gone be-
tween the most intimate Friends, for no man knows here
whether from one week to another he can meet his own
Engagements, and a few more days' Delay in the
Business of re-chartering the National Bank will prostrate
the Credit of many of our best and able Merchants.
* * * The present Session of Congress will probably decide
the fate of our future Commercial Credit for Years to come,
and punctuality in payments to Government as well as to
Individuals will cease to be realized unless the evil is soon
90
remedied. Are Eppes and his adherents mad. or are they
sworn to sacrifice the Interests of the United States at the
Shrine of French Ambition and Omnipotence? Are we
to make no struggle for our once Independent Country?
God bless and help us, for we will not try to help ourselves.
"Yours very affectly,
" RiCHD. Varick."
"New York, 28th Jany., 1811. 12 o'clk.
"1 thank you, my dear Rensselaer, lor your two letters
of the 28th, as also that of the 24th, giving me information
of the final result of your Deliberations on the Hank (Ques-
tion. The Conduct of your House puts our Country in a
more critical Situation than the Opposers of the bank
imagine. The total Destruction of all paper Credit may
and probably will follow on their madness and folly, if
persisted in.
"My Brother's Failure involves me ultimately in about
$7,000, part of which will be eventually secure ; but I
must, and thank GOD, yet can advance Credit for the
Whole Money by the first of May : But that entirely cripples
me as to helping other Friends for more than 3 months.
I have borrowed for your Sister Maria and her Son Philip
P. Van Rensselaer, on their Bond to me, and paid the
monies to two firms here on Phil's order, $1,000. I could
not refuse Maria's Solicitations on the subject, and have
therefore increased my debts by that small sum.
" GOD bless you. My respects to my friends Tallmadge,
Gardinier, &c. Adieu, and my best wishes attend you and
your fellows.
"RICHARD VARICK.
"Killian K. Van Rensselaer, Esqr."
" Scotia, 9th Jany., 181 1.
" I long to hear from you and learn what measures are
likely to be adopted by Congress. Those you mention in
your last I fear are big with distress. We experience here
an almost total stop to all circulation of money. No banks
discount, and it is expected, will not for a long time. Fail-
ures have begun and fear will multiply greatly. My repre-
sentation is from experience : Though I have many able
people who owe me some, and though my Sons were out
for 8 days, I could not get together $200 to pay the call and
discount at bank ; and my notes must be renewed without
91
the call or be protested. I assure you no exertion in my
power was left unessayed ; thus you may form some idea
of the times with us. Though there is little or no crops the
people find difficulty to vend anything, and money can no
longer be got at. * * *
"My daughter Catharine is very ill at New York. Mr.
Beekman writes me once a week ; in his last her situation
was more promising. Accept my best wishes for your
health and happiness.
" Your friend as usual,
"JOHN SANDERS."
"February ist, 1811.
" Dear Friend,
"Your favour of the 18th ultimo, covering the report
and statements of the Secretary of the Treasury, is come to
hand. The measures of Administration I fear will reduce
us to poverty and distress. This is a consequence inevitable,
and likely to be persevered in till the good and upright part
of society be awakened from the lethargy which has given
the predominant party the rule, and put in men who have
the welfare of their country only in view. Such a change
must soon take place, or we will be undone. * * *
" My daughter Mrs. Beekman by the last letters appears
a little more promising. All desire their affectionate com-
pliments to you, which please accept also from your friend
and brother in-law,
"JOHN SANDERS."
My grandfather's public life terminated with this
Congress. He had spent the greater part of ten
winters and springs at Washington, and the state of
his family and his private affairs required his return
to private life. The happiness which this brought to
his family will be learned from what is to follow. The
respect and regard of his associates which he carried
away with him from the theatre of his public service
will be inferred from the following characteristic and
admirable letter from his Congressional messmate*
the Hon. James A. Bayard.
92
"Wilmington, 25 April, 1S13.
"Dear Sir:
" I had the pleasure to receive yesterday your letter of
the 17th inst. It is quite true, as the public prim
stated, that the President has offered me the appointment
of one of the Commissioners proposed to be senl to the
Court of Russia.
"The object of the Mission being to negotiate a tn
of peace with Great Britain under the mediation of the
Emperor of Russia, 1 have considered it my duty not to
refuse any aid in my power to contribute towards its attain
ment. I can assure you that the selei tion for the
which the Government have thought proper to make is
entirely ex parte, and that they have not asked for any
private understanding upon any point whatsoever. They
have taken me as that man whom they and the people at
large have known in public life for years past. If any
sinister views be entertained they are unknown to me; but if
that were the case, it is wonderful that they should selei
political adversary to trust with the secret.
" I can well imagine without the exercise of either confi-
dence or charity, that peace may be sincerely desired by the
Administration. They who are most jealous cannot suppose
it to be their wish to ruin themselves as well as the country ;
but such must be the case if the war be protracted, when
there are means of terminating it on any fair grounds.
" L am employed to assist in settling the differences
between Great Britain and the United Sta These
differences we all wish to see settled, and how could I con-
sistently refuse my aid in accomplishing so desirable an end?
" If the negociation should fail (the worst event which
can happen), the nation can sustain no injury from my hav-
ing been a member of the Mission. I can only be called
upon to attest the true grounds upon which the negociation
may have terminated, and it certainly will be important for
the Country to know the truth upon the subject.
" Sensible that nothing lias or can enter into my views
upon the occasion inconsistent with the honor, interest and
welfare of the country, I cannot feel apprehensive of losing,
while I am confident I shall never deserve to forfeit, the
confidence of my political friends.
" Very Sincerely yours,
"J. A. B A YARD."
93
CHAPTER EIGHTH.
MARGARETTA SANDERS HER DOMESTIC LIFE
HER LETTERS.
My estimable grandmother, Margaretta Sanders,
was called home April 21, 1830. She had been pre-
paring for it through many years of ill-health, which
had been patiently borne, and her end was like her
life, full of humble and devout trust in her God and
Savior. She was descended on her father's side from
Robert Sanders, famous in the annals of Albany and
of the Province of New York for his knowledge of
the Indian languages, and his influence over the Mo-
hawks, which made his services indispensable in dif-
ficult negotiations with them. On her mother's side
she traced her lineage from Sander Lenderse Glen,
whose name is found in the records of the " Colonie "
in the year 1639, and who, in company with Benoni
Van Corlaer and others, in 1661, secured the land at
Schenectady where his descendants still reside. The
Labadist missionaries who visited Albany in 1680
have left a pleasant account of their reception and
treatment by Robert Sanders, which has been copied
by Mr. Weise in his " History of Albany." John
Sanders, her father, married Deborah, daughter of
Colonel Jacob Glen ; in whom Colonel, afterwards
Sir William Johnson, trusted largely in his difficult
and dangerous task of controlling the Indians along
94
the Mohawk during that critical period ; and who, in
his mansion at Scotia, held one of the extreme out-
posts of the English settlements towards Canada, then
possessed by the French. My grandmother was horn,
their fourth daughter, June 20, 1764, and she was
married January 27, 1 791 . Her childhood and girl-
hood had been passed amid the stormy and perillous
scenes of the Revolutionary war, on a dangerous fron-
tier continually exposed to the murderous forays of
the Indians and of the more cruel Tories, and the ex-
perience of those seven trying years could hardly
have failed to make their impress on her character.
As I recall her, she was grave and serious without
being austere or sanctimonious, religious without any
cant, full of wise maxims, prudent and careful in af-
fairs, looking well to her household, with an excellent
head for business, and a keen sense of justice, diffi-
cult to be imposed upon and incapable of doing-
wrong to any one. She was an affectionate and de-
voted wife and mother, and a most judicious, loving
and tender grandmother. It was her delight to see
her children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews
around her, and " Aunt Peggy " was a universal favor-
ite with them. She had been reared in the habits of
frontier hospitality, for which Scotia was always fa-
mous, and she fully shared her husband's hospitable
inclinations, which always preferred the substantial to
the showy, and shunned a display beyond their means.
She brought with her a handsome estate inherited
from her father and mother, of which two " morgens "
(a little less than four acres) still remain in the pos-
session of her descendants. She shared the dominion
of the first floor of the old mansion with my grand-
95
father ; lie having the front room for his " office,"
and she the rear room for her living-room ; between
them was the bedroom with the " kas " on which the
well-remembered basket of spitzenbergs used to stand ;
the present butler's pantry was used as the dining-
room when the family was small. My mother was her
fovorite, as she deserved to be ; in fact they were very
much alike in many points of character — high prin-
ciple, perfect truthfulness, sincere and unaffected
piety, entire reliability and unselfishness, deep and
constant affections, a supreme devotion and unstinted
love for her family and kindred, and great- trials.
Fortunately many of my grandmother's letters, writ-
ten to my grandfather when he was in Congress, have
been preserved. They afford such a pleasing tran-
script of a true, sincere, sensible woman, a faithful,
loving and submissive wife, a tender, affectionate and
thoughtful mother, a patient and uncomplaining suf-
ferer, and a humble and devout Christian, that my
account would be incomplete without ample extracts
from them. If they are lacking in the graces of com-
position, or defective in any of the [requisites of a
good letter, about which my grandfather was so punc-
tilious, it must be ascribed to the time and place in
which she passed her girlhood, and the privations of
the war, among which the difficulty of educating girls
was not the least, when even the school of the Mora-
vians was appropriated for a hospital by the Amer-
icans ; and to the fact that they were written in ill-
health and amid the distraction caused by the romping
of children. They do not, however, in the least mar
the impression of her character conveyed by her
thoughts and words. It is a cause for us, her descend-
96
ants, to be thankful that they survive to supply, how-
ever imperfectly, that living voice which has been so
long hushed in death, and which always enforced the
lessons of love, truth and goodness which she prac-
ticed, and that by means of them she " being dead
yet speaketh "
"Nov. 29, 1801. I should undoubtedly written you he-
fore, but as John remains the same as you left him I was in
hopes to have given you better tidings. Barent has been
very ill with an inflammation in his throat and vomiting ; he
was seized the day you left this. Three days I despaired of
his recovery, but by great attention I flatter myself he is out
of danger. Your two other sons are in health. You may
suppose that I am weak and worn down. P. S. John, Wil-
liam and Richard send their love and a Kiss to you and
Barney crys ' Dada.' "
" Decbr. 7, 1801. It is with pleasure that I can inform
you that our son John is mending ; he dined with us these
two days He has had the same complaint he had three
years ago, when he was reduced so low. His cough and
hives still remain on him tho not so violent; his fever has
left him ; I flatter myself with proper care he will do well.
Barney is recovered, and looks to every Gentleman that
calls in for his Dada, but after staring for a while he dis-
covers his mistake, and then hides his face. William's well
and sends his love to you. Richard is as great a buck as
ever, and sends a kiss to you. Master John requests that if
you arrive at Washington you will write him a letter, as he
is too weak to write to you. He hopes when you return he
will be in Caesar, for he intends to study night and day when
he gets well ; he sends Ten Kisses to you. But, poor fel-
low, I fear he will be confined some time yet. I assure you
I have had a trying time of it since you left me ; my spirits
have been much depressed. But the prospect is brighten-
ing ; my babes are recovering, and I hope next Spring to
receive you home contented and happy, which is the sincere
wish of her who is always most happy when with you."
"Deer. 17, 1801. Our son John is almost well, tho his
lungs are weak, and he is sometimes hoarse, which prevents
my sending him to school. The rest of the Children are
97
in health ; the family well, except myself. I have a violent
cough that attacks me day and night, tho the Doctor flatters
me it is an asthmatic cough. 1 am weak and most of my
time confined to my bed. My spirits are good and I hope
for the best. Our dear William is a very good boy, and
improves his time well since you left him. He says his les-
son twice a day, spells well, and reads three verses of " No
man " perfect. The children send their love, and each a
dozen kisses."
" J any. 12, 1802. I am happy once more ro resume my
pen to write after four weeks tedious confinement. My
complaint has been really dangerous — more so than I was
actually sensible of. The violence of my fever is in a great
measure removed, and my strength is increased, so that I
can walk out of the bedroom into the front room; but my
cough and weakness and pain in my side and breast still
hang on me. Pray, make yourself easy, for I have re-
fused letting you know my situation until I could write my-
self. Our dear little flock is in health. William is at Sche-
nectady since Christmas. O how I long to see him ! If he
comes down (with your permission) I shall keep him home ;
he is accustomed to be indulged a great deal home. Caty
Sanders stays with me for campany and sends her respects.
My dear little boys all join with me in giving you the Com-
pliments of the season, and each sends you a kiss. O how
happy your sons are when I receive a letter from you !
They jump about me for a quarter of an hour, each equally
anxious to hear how you are."
"Jany. 27, 1802. Our dear babes are in health. Bar-
ney's a fine promising boy, but I cannot flatter his papa he
looks much like him. Richard is a handsome, active little
fellow, and so much afraid that his mama will take cold
again that he carries almost all the wood I burn in both
Rooms. You may suppose from John's illness and absence
from school he is not improved as much as I could wish.
He has got through Corderii ; I have purchased him another
book yesterday called Mare's Introduction. He reads well ;
altho I have not been able to bestow any attention on him.
He is under much better control than when you were home,
and does not attempt to stir out unless by my permission.
" This day brings to my mind many past scenes and re-
flections. It is to-day eleven years that we were connected,
and the first time we were ever separated on that day. I
98
wrote the 12th, which was Barent's birthday {one year old).
I should certainly not have delayed writing had my health
permitted me before, for nothing affords me more satisfac-
tion and pleasure than to converse with you and receive a
line from you. I even sometimes fear that the- length of my
letter and the petty stuff it contains will 1 yourpatien
amongst so many scenes of more importance.
"Our dear William is at Schenectady; since the 25th o\
December I have not seen him. lien returned from there
this evening, with the old cow, ami assures me he is well
and hearty, and does not wish to come home only to see his
mama and return. The dear hoys joyn 111 sending then
love and respects to you. The family is well. Caty San-
ders sends her love."
" Feb. 20, 1802. Our dear little boys are in health. Wil-
liam is still here; I cannot get him to ; iiza (Mrs. An-
derson) again; he even crys if I attempt to put up his
clothes. I will try to get him off to-morrow with Mr. San-
ders ; if not, I will put him to school here again. He s
if I send him to Schenectady he will get sick ; he has had
something of asthma but is almost well. My strength and
appetite is much better than it has been, but my cough and
pain in my breast is much the same and keeps me confined
to my two rooms ; front, back, are the only exercise I can
as yet take. I flatter myself time every day makes one
nearer for your return home ; but then if I reflect two long
months' absence will still be tedious to pass by. If you can
only be home before I have to move in May I shall be
happy ; for I do not know how to accomplish it if you
should not be home. I have some uneasines.-, on me that
you are not in health; if so pray keep it not from me. If
the climate does not agree with you,* I beg you will not sac-
rifice your health to it.
" John is of late not so attentive to reading and .study as
I would wish him. Pray write him on the subject, as I
suppose it will have a good effect on him if he thinks I
have informed you of it. It's mostly owing to Mrs. Sanders
being here, and Company in and out all the evening ; she
has spent a fortnight here. Caty is gone home. The
servants behave as well as I can expect considering you are
from home ; altho' I found it difficult when you fust left
to do anything with Bet or Sam ; but finding I would not
give way to them I have them under good regulations at
99
present. My dear babes send each their love and each a
kiss. Billy has stood at my elbow all the time I have been
writing, and Barney pulling at my gown. It is bed time,
and I must conclude with wishing you health and a speedy
and safe return to your affectionate and sincere Margaretta."
" Feby. 22, 1802. William is gone up to Schenectady
yesterday with Mr. Sanders. I had to promise him he should
certainly come home in a fortnight again. I do not find he
is improved at all ; he has lost most part of his spelling ;
and believe me, it is a difficult task to force him away with
tears on his cheeks. Pray let me know your wish under
these circumstances, as he is not in good health. The boys
send their love."
" March 1st, 1802. Barent is a sweet little fellow and so
lively and mischievous he keeps me and Caty busy all day ;
he is in every part of the house in a moment ; he stands
alone and walks two steps. Richard is a true sailor ; indeed
there is no possibility to keep him quiet so long as to learn
his lesson. I have sent him to Mrs. Wilson's school ; he
came back in the evening with a message that he kept the
whole school a laughing ; she could not manage him yet ;
I must keep him home one year longer. I have, however,
persevered and teach him myself his a b c perfectly ; he
now learns his ab. I still continue to remain so weak I
cannot yet leave my room ; my lungs are so weak I cannot
bear the least cold air, or my cough increases. Ritty says
I must tell Papa he learns his lesson and is a good boy.
Papa must bring sugar plums, everything that is good. He
must come home quick, or he won't love Papa. John con-
fesses he has neglected some part of his time ; he will
endeavour to makeup for it, and will write to you and inclose
a copy of a large and small hand, to convince you he strives
to improve himself. They are almost out of patience — your
absence appears to be so long to them. They cannot be
more so, I am sure, than your sincere and unalterable
Margaretta."
"March 15th, 1802. In overlooking a letter this morn-
ing of Mr. Sanders' which lay on the table I discovered
that he mentioned to you that if you wished to be elected
for Representative to Congress again he would mention it
to your friends, and wished to know your sentiments on the
Subject. This gave rise to the following melancholy
reflections.
IOO
'• Had I my health I certainly would be the first to wish
you to attain to whatever your wishes might lead you in
public life. But under present circumstances, finding
myself inadequate to the task to take charge of the family
in your absence, 1 should not wish you to engage yourself
again.
" It hath pleased the all-wise Disposer of events to deprive
me of health; you ought, therefore, to submit to it with
resignation. It will undoubtedly (if my health does not
assume more promising prospects), end ere long; nature
must give way and sink under it. Should nol my dear little
babes then be left without a parent to protect them (for six
or seven months in the year for three years successively)
from snares and intrigues of the world, particularly John,
who is of that age he requires the strictest attention to form
his morals, and in a few years more, with proper instruction,
he may be a pattern to the other boys.
" Should I even acquire health (which hope I have long
before this given up) I could not think to follow you
Washington (unless it was a trial to regain health) my duty
to small infants would require my remaining with them. I
well know I could not make myself happy or contented
without them.
"I do not wish you to imagine I wish to lay down rules
to govern yourself by. These are bitter reflections that
give me the greatest uneasiness, and it may possibly be in
your power to relieve me of them.
" This leaves our dear little boys and family well. Their
patience is almost exhausted. John sat down on Sunday
and asked me very seriously whether I did not think it was
his Papa's wish to be from home; the tears rolled down his
Cheeks. Richard don't speak much more of you. Barney
is a very promising child, but 1 suppose you are almost a
stranger to him; he crys after Mr. Sanders wherever he sees
him. Our two sons John and William arrived home this
day, and play and are so noisy 1 hardly know what I write.
I must conclude with wishing a speedy and safe return to
your almost impatient Margaretta."
"March 24th, 1802. Caty says if you come home by the
first of May she will endeavour to save one bushel of apples
of the best for you. O how often do I wish you only one
apple when I see the children eating them so eagerly, for 1
well know they do not take their fondness for apples from
IOI
their mama. I have got a small and large copper-plate for
John to write after. He now and then writes Latin at
school, and that spoils his hand; he then writes too quickly.
He has been three times thro' the Rudiments of Grammar
and is half thro' Ross's Grammar. Barney is cutting his
Eye teeth and not very well. If the small-pox should
spread would you wish Barney to be inocculated? I am
afraid I shall not be able to keep him in doors, he is so
lively. Please let me know your Determination as soon as
this reaches you, or the weather grows too warm. William
is still at Schenectady. I promised him when he went up
he should come down again in a fortnight; it is four weeks
since he went. If he comes home I shall not force him
away again. I do not think him much improved since he
left home. O how much I am in want of a good and care-
ful Gallant to carry me out? I imagine if I could ride out
I would regain strength. My dear little boys have not had
their feet into a sleigh this winter, only once with Mr. Sanders.
" I am informed your political friends have your consent
to your re-election for Member of Congress. I do not give
any credit to it, as I am almost certain you would have
mentioned it to me in one of your letters. My dear babes
send you each a kiss."
" April 5th, 1802. I have been confined to my room for
four months ; undoubtedly a healthy person would be debil-
itated if so long confined, much more one who has not had
her health for so long a time.
" Your return I anticipate hourly since I received your
letter yesterday of the 26th March. The days and weeks
will not pass so swiftly as I will imagine they ought to pass
to bring you to me and your dear boys. Our son John has
been on a visit to Schenectady with his uncle ; has brought
William down with him. I shall not let him go up again
as I expect you home so soon, and I suppose you will be
happy to find us together. John and William anticipate the
pleasure of spending their birthday together the 10th of
April.
" Our dear William sends his love to you and says you
must come home soon. Richard does not forget you ;
Papa's name is mentioned quite as often as if you were
home. I conclude with wishing you a speedy and safe
return to your wife and family, and remain your affectionate
and unalterable Margaretta."
102
"Deer. 25th, 1802. Our dear little flock is in health,
except Barnard, who has met with an nt and fell in
the fire. Nothing is burnt but his hand ; ii ry bad,
but I think it is mending. I now write with him on my lap,
and his (inner daubing the paper with ink. Since ti,
dent with his hand the dear little creatine t 1:
the pain forced him to speak. The in • or four d
you left us he looked for you in every corner of the
particularly in the bed. where he last saw you. lie called
me ' papa' for several days. The sweet Hoy sits and ki
me continually, which (K) I send you.
" 1 cannot give you as good an account of myself
could wish ; fatigue and the cold weather has in
measure impaired my health. Our son John is nol en-
tive to his Brothers and his stud 1 would wish ; you
would oblige me in giving him a hint."
" Jany. 3d, 1803. Our dear boys are in health and sp
May this be the last winter that their Father may be
from them, for I find it every day more difficult to govern
them without you. Our dear little Barnard's hand is 1
ing last : it is almost well. He now reconciles himself to
your absence. He calk, Barent Sanders ' papa,' an I hes
him every moment if he expects he will go out. The old
terror of your leaving him he has not yet forgot. 1 end'
here a little paper which he has been scribbling whilst 1
have been writing to you. It appears he knows to wh
the letters are going, for he understands every word you
speak."
"Jany. 23, 1803. Our dear little Barnard was burnt in
worse than I wished to let you know ; Caty and myself \\
up with him day and night for 10 or 12 days, and I assure
you I was afraid the hand was so contracted by the fire that
he would never have had any use of it again, altho it is now
quite well, * * * Our dear little flock were never more
healthy than they have been this winter, or more lively.
Our son John is more attentive to his Brothers and the fam-
ily since you wrote him his letter. Dear Bernard has left
off calling Barney Sanders ' Papa ;' he calls him by his own
name, and whenever I receive a letter from you he crys for
it, and reads and handles it till it is almost destroyed, as if
he knew it came from his papa."
" Jany. 30th, 1803. Our dear sons Richard and William
were exceedingly happy to receive a letter from their papa;
103
they made John read them so often that he was almost out
of patience with them. Our dear little flock were never in
better health and spirits. I allow them to play one hour
every night before John and William go to reading and the
rest to bed. I often sincerely wish you might have a peep
at them for a few minutes ; how you would be delighted to
see dear little Bernard romp and play amongst them ! They
have not a wish to go on the street to play ; their amuse-
ments they take on the back stoop and in the bedroom.
"My health is so delicate I much doubt whether I will be
able to accompany you to Washington next Fall. The dis
tance is so far I do not imagine I could undergo the fatigue ;
and by water I believe the passage dangerous ; and to live
another winter separated from you I cannot bear the idea of;
but I trust He that ruleth all things will, I doubt not, provide
for that.
"To-day there fell from four to rive inches of snow. Our
dear boys have had a fine ride this afternoon to Cherry Hill,
Barney amongst the number. They were so rejoiced with
the snow that, altho it is Sunday, I permitted them to go.
They have had little or no exercise this winter. Your sons
as well as myself begin to count the weeks to the 4th of
March, when you will be at liberty to return to us.
•• P. S. — I ought to have three letters for one, considering
I have to write amongst the noise of four boys; I some-
times don't know what 1 am about."
"Feb. 21, 1803. It gives me infinite satisfaction to
anticipate (if 1 should live next winter) that I shall not have
to spend it so lonesome ; for altho' I am surrounded by
hundreds, they can give but little pleasure if the one so dear
to me is absent. Our dear little flock are my present com-
fort. Richard asks every evening^ ' what the day to-night ?
will papa be home to-morrow ? ' The boys get to be very
impatient as they now suppose you will return soon. Four
weeks from to day, I flatter myself, will bring you to us,
and my sincere prayers will be offered for your health and
safety till that hour shall arrive."
"Deer. 24, '05. Mr. Sanders, my brother, is very ill;
his life was despaired of last week. They have informed
me he is something better, but I fear not out of danger.
Flis children with Mrs. V. Rensselaer of Cherry Hill and
Peter are all yet at Scotia, and not one returned. I should
have gone up myself, but my weak health wd. not permit
104
me to travel; if 1 should get a little belter I shall go up.
how much I stand in need of your Company and flow oj
spirits! It is a trying time to me ; it is my last brother,
who has been a kind affectionate friend to me. I trust and
hope Clod will grant me strength and fortitude to bear whal
ever He will be pleased to call me to: His will be done!
1 have every reason to be grateful that He spares you and
my children. O may the time soon arrive that you may
again return to your wife who stands mui h in need of youi
presence at this trying time! O may the Lord prepare you
and me that when God shall call us and the time ol our
departure is at hand we may not me I death as a grim
Tyrant, but as the messenger of peace to take us to our
Saviour's bosom, where all trouble and where all separation
shall have an end and where we shall be united together
with the i ord!"
"Jauy. 16, 1806. You informed me you had obtained the
loan of some volumes of Romanic's Works: may you read
them with attention, and may they bestow on you that Con-
solation which they are so capable to grant, and which the
• author is so anxious to inspire true believers with, is the
wish and prayer of your Margaretta."
" Jany. 18, 1806. Our sons desire to be remembered to
you, and send their love and each six kisses. Barney says
I must tell you he is a good boy, and behaves better than
Richard."
"Jany. 28, 1806. Yours of the 12th mentions that if
you had been as indifferent about passing the Potomai
week ago as you were at the time you wrote, there would
have been less prospect of No. 92 producing a widow. I
suppose you refer to yourself; that you were one of the
party in the boat. This is already the second danger you
have escaped and been preserved from. Your danger \
not much less at New York, when you passed thro' that
city when the stage broke down ; but you were preserved
and not the least hurt. Have you duly reflected on the
remarkable preservations you have had, and acknowledged
them before your bountiful Preserver Who watches over
you with such tender care, and has preserved and given you
your life anew ? May that life be devoted to Him, and' be
spent in serving your bountiful Benefactor : and may it lead
us both to Him, and make us more earnest in serving Him !
105
" Mr. Oothout attends to William every evening ; I don't
think he makes much progress in his studies. Richard is a
very bad boy and inattentive ; he has been guilty of a bad
fault in the cheating way. I wish you would write to him.
The more our boys grow up the more difficult I find it to
govern them without you. Bernard is a fine boy, but very
mischievous and not willing to learn. He can say about
half his a b c. Where does Barney sleep ? — At mama's
feet, and William at the head. Richard sometimes takes
William's place when he is a good boy."
" Feby. 8, 1806. I thank you for your kind and affection-
ate wishes to me and our babes on the commencement of the
16th year of our Union. May you realize them when you
return to us again, are my sincere prayers; and may you
many years enjoy that happiness you so kindly wish us. are
the ardent wishes of my heart.
" You wrote a long letter, and on perusing it you 'tho't
it best not to trouble me with it.' Did you ever find any-
thing a trouble to your Margaretta that could give you
pleasure or consolation ? From whatever cause some small
difference may have arisen between us, I am confident I
never intentionally was the cause of them. May Love and
Peace long abide with us to our latest hour, are the ardent
prayers of my heart. Excuse this letter : my boys are so
noisy I hardly know what I write. They are in a high flow
of spirits this evening, and [ack is waiting to take this to
the Post Office."
" Feby. 19, 1806. I have had a short jaunt to Schenec-
tady to see my brother, whom I found much better, tho'
still weak and confined to his room ; I trust the warm
weather will be favourable for him.
"The family are in health except myself; I flatter myself
I am better to day. I have reed, a letter from our son John
and inclose it in one of William to you. Richard is a good
boy, and behaves much better. I cannot say William makes
much progress in the Languages; I fear Miller does not
attend to him. I believe it will be best to put him to some
private instructor. Barney is a fine lively little fellow, and
begins to ask every day when his papa is coming home.
Richard runs to the Post Office before he eats his breakfast
every morning to see if there are no letters from his papa,
and when he finds one he returns home as happy as if he
had got a great present.
106
"You mention in one of your letters you have obtained
the loan of some of the volumes of Roi
pray be so kind and let me know your sentiments on them.
I cannot be thankful enough to you for your kindness in
sending them to me. Theyhavi been m ompani
in my retired life, and given much com: in ;
may you experience the same from them is the sincere \\
of my heart. Last year at this time I be in to count
days when you were to break up ; but I fear by your I
I will have to calculate months yet before you i -
this session. However, it is some consolation when I recol-
lect your promise that it is to be the last y to be
absent from home and at so great a distance from those to
whom you are so dear. May you return with speed and
safety to your Margaretta and babes, art i
to God, to whose care I commit you."
" March 6th, 1806. As to our son's remaining at .Mon-
treal, you are best calculated to judge ; I leave it entii
yourself, as I would not wish to have my feelings consulted,
for fear I might injure the child in hiseducation and knowl-
edge. However, I suppose there are seminaries of edui
tion within the United States of America equal if not supe-
rior to those in Canada. My greatest ion to his
remaining at Canada is on account of the principles of reli-
gion which he might be persuaded by the priests to turn
Roman Catholic ; I refer you to his own letter, which I will
inclose in this. Might we not ever repent that in endeavor-
ing to lay the foundation for earthly knowled
undermine the true foundation on which our heavenly and
Divine fundamental truths are founded, and on which his
eternal happiness or misery must depend, and from winch
our earthly Joys arise and flow? For there is no other
foundation on which we can build our hopes but Jc
Christ alone, and not on any works of our own, lest any
man should boast — Eph : ii, 9. In the letter he mentii
that the priests make use of every persuasion to prevail on
him to become one of their religion, and say he is damned
unless he turns. Peter VR. arrived from Montreal this
morning. He tells me he is grown very much, so that he
hardly "knew him j and that he speaks the French .
fluently, and looks much like a Frenchman ; and is recon-
ciled to remain there during your pleasure to leave him ;
and that Mr. Cuyler's family are attentive to him and v
kind.
107
" I thank you for your kind assurances in your last letter
of your intention of remaining with me and sons the
remainder of life. My prayers are to the Lord that He may
bring you back in safety, and to grant us strength to enable
us to spend our time so here that when He shall be pleased
to remove or separate us again it may be to that place of
bliss where I hope and trust we all shall meet, never to be
separated more.
" P. S. — I shall inquire if there is a good dancing-master
in town, and if there is I shall send William, providing I
can persuade him to go. I fear he will not go till you carry
him there yourself."
•• March 25th, 1S06. Our family and little flock are all
in health. The accounts we have of your son John are
very flattering and pleasing. Our friends are all well. My
little sons all join me in their love to you. Our son Bernard
is verv jealous of his brothers receiving letters from you and
his receiving none ; he pouts a half-hour after your letters
are opened. I beg you to write to him one line in your
next to me."
"April 5th, i8c6. I have had the pleasure of receiving
two letters of our son John since I wrote you last, one of
the 1 6th and one of the 22d March, in which he informs
me he is in health, and studying very hard. The intelligence
you sent me of your son is very nattering to us, and no
doubt as pleasing to you as to myself. I hope he may con-
tinue to merit our esteem. Our three other boys are in
health and very promising children. I have brought our
Richard to some regulations, and I trust his temper is broken
in a great measure. Our William is a fine, sedate little lad,
and Barney is all life and spirits ; I cannot keep him so long
in the room as to teach him his letters. Of course we will
have to put him to school as soon as you return home ; I
cannot spare him before, as it would be too lonesome for me
without him. I flatter myself that period is not far distant,
but sometimes I fear they hold up the prospect of an
adjournment on the 15th with a view to detain the members
of Congress ; for no doubt many would be off if they sup-
posed anything would turn up in Congress that would detain
them beyond that time. I suppose 5 months' absence from
their families must make them anxious to return to them.
The only pleasing consolation I have to cheer my spirits is,
that if the time is long and passes tedious, if my friend may
108
return in safety he will leave me no more ; may that be soon
are my sincere prayers.
" I have been very busy all week in boiling soap, and
next week we will have to make garden, Jack will have to
keep Paas, and after that we will go at it if I remain in health.
This afternoon 1 am to dye 50 eggs for our boys."
My account of my grandfather and grandmother
would be very incomplete if I left the training of
their children out of it. From what lias been said it
will be seen how very affectionate were the relations
between them, and how carefully the growth and
education of the four boys were watched over.
Tenderness strengthened by discipline characterized
the parents; while respect and obedience, warmed by
affection and confidence, marked the children. The
surviving records of those early days preserve a
picture of a vet'}- harmonious and happy family,
with simple, home-like tastes, and finding their chief
delights in each other. My grandfather encouraged
the habit of letter-writing in his children from their
earliest days. To be a ready correspondent was a
matter of the greatest importance in his estimation.
It was one of his infallible marks of a gentleman that
he should be able to write a good letter. Many
instructions and reproofs on this subject have I
received through his oversight, which I have never
forgotten. He carefully preserved even the childish
scrawls of his boys, and 1 will copy some samples of
my father's, which he had filed away, to illustrate the
fondness which pervaded the household.
"Albany, December 12th, 1801.
"Dear Papa,
"I am just recovering from a severe fit of sickness and
feel happy to have it in my power to address you with a
letter, for I almost feared after you left us that I would never
109
have had it in my power to write you again But through
the great care of mama and caty I am almost well. Mama
is very unwell with a bad cough and swelled face which we
fear will fester. Brother V» 'illiam and Richard are happy
and well. Barent makes sam dance about every night.
C ity is well, papa will you be so kind as to write to mama
to give me a pair of Scates for I can't prevail on her to
me a pair, mama and we -are all very anxions to hear
of your safe arrival at Washington. mama and all the
family join with me and send Respects to you. William
sends three kisses. Richar has cried all night to write a
letter too and has spilt the ink over all the floor. I conclude
with wishing you a happy Christmas and Remain your
dutiful son
•• r. Sanders Van Rensselaer."
"Albany, December 28th, 1801.
'■Dear Papa
" I have just got over my sickness which I believe if it
had lasted on me it would have carried me in a consumption.
Mama has been very sick with a bad cough and intermitting
fever, but now I think she is a little better so that she begins
to sit up aunt Rensselaer takes care of her.
••Aunt Rensselaer wishes the compliments of the season.
'■ Papa pray write as often as you can mama spirrits rise
when she Receive a letter from vou."
"Albany, January ist, 1S02.
''Dear Papa,
"I hope you will not accuse me of being saucy or
impertinent If I make known to papa my sincere and
hearty wish. Relying then on that kind and tender
indulgence which I have ever experienced from papa, I
pronounce it. My dear papa, I wish you a happy New
Year ! In doing this, I very well know, that I wish at the
same time that I may be a good, that is, an obedient
industrious boy; I am sure papa cannot be completely
happy if I am disobedient. I hope I shall conduct myself
in such a manner as to deserve thos mutual blessings which
papa so beautifully writin in his letter to me. In my next I
I IO
will give papa the account he requested ri ig our
improvement. I am dear papa
" Your affectionate son
" |. S. \'.\\ I ELAER.
"NEW YEAR'S PIECE."
.v, [anuary 23, 1
" Dear Papa
"I received your kind letter of the 12 of Januy. for which
I thank you. It is a little remarkable that
1 the day on which he wrote me was brother B
birth day. In order to answei letter, I writ
cerning those things he I have written re
twice a week. Papa had best write Mr. Miller, in 01
ascertain how I come on in my studies, but I 1 ure
papa L have not been kept in school for not knowing my
lessons since papa's abscence. William i on butsloyly
with his Grammar, he gets but small lessons but generally
has them perfect. I had al. 1 ten to writ Mr.
Miller has put me in Greek Testament.
•• i remain your affectionate
"J. S. Van R
" Honble. K. K. Van Ren ■;■:.,
" in Congress,
" Washington."
"Albany, February 12th. 1802.
'• Dear Papa
" I am happy to inform that my Dear little Brothers are
all in health Except William who has taken a bad Cold he
was to go back to Schenectady today but was to unwell he
rather wishes to decline going and sheds tears when ever
mama speaks of his going. Richard is a fine Sailor indeed
he almost Masters us all whatever I or William plays he will
be in the mids of us mama teaches him he knows his A B
C. Barney stands alone and will soon learn to walk. O !
papa what a fine fat little fellow he is and so fond of mama
that we can hardly tare him from her Chair he points to
every thing he wants and calls there there.
" Mama is not so well as she was last week we have had
three or four very cold days and she cough a great deal
which makes her unwell and weak.
"Captain Howding is dead he was buryed last Saterday
I I I
with all the Honour and pomp of war. three guns were
fired over his grave, the offercers Soldiers and freemasons
followed his CoqDS to the grave. Mama sends her respects
to you. My Brothers join with me and sending you a kiss
" I Remain Dear papa your affectionate son
■ I. Sanders Van Rensselaer."
When my father was thirteen years old he was taken
by his father to Montreal and placed in the college to
learn the French language. The Revolution had sent
many royalists to Canada, and among them was
Capt. Cornelius Cuyler, who had taken up his abode
in Montreal. The presence of Mr. Cuyler and his
family there, who were fellow townspeople and friends,
formed an inducement which took away the repug-
nance of his parents to sending him so far from home,
and to an institution conducted by French Roman
Catholic priests. The anxiety which it caused his
mother especially may be inferred from the preceding
letters. His frequent epistles to his parents and
brothers display an affectionate, frank and manly
spirit of a schoolboy easily contented, without the
usual faultfinding and grumbling of the tribe, grate-
ful for the opportunities of improvement given to
him, and diligent in making the most of them, with a
whimsical idea of responsibility to his younger
brothers for their good conduct and improvement,
which was the occasion of some amusement to them
in after days. His first letter after settling to his
work was to his "dear mama."
•• Montreal, Septr. 14th, 1805.
"Dear Mama
"An opportunity has offered itself to me and I seize it in
order to write my dear mama. I find the French much
easier than I expected and have made considerable progress
1 12
in it considering the short time I have studied. I am in
perfect health and profit by it much, papa left this pla< e
on Tuesday the iith and will reach Albany before this
letter starts. I suppose he will tell mama that he has
ordered a college habit to be made for me. which is a < oat
edged with white and Indian girdle. The English are
building here a very spacious church. The Catholics h:
likewise a temple in which they cross themselves. I have a
pleasant old Woman for my landlady and though 1 do
not fare very well, still 1 am pretty well situated. My love
to my relations and friends and likewise to the family and
BROTHERS.
"Your sincere and affectionate Son
"J. S. Van Kinssi lai
" Montreal, Septemr. iS, 1805.
"Dear Papa and Mama.
" I again write you by Mr. Knny that I am making some
progress in French and hope to return home by next spring
a compleat Scholar. Mr. Laconia pays particular attention
to me and his willingness to teach me is astonishing. My
general dietat present on which I live is French, Latin, Greek
and Milk. Madame Lavandery is very attentive. I have an
excellent bed with good sheets and my situation is comfort-
able. I am in fine health and spirits. Tell
Brother William I wish he would answer my letter as I have
enclosed one for him. Give my Brothers each a kiss for me.
Mr. and Mrs. Cuyler send their compliments to you. My
Love and Respects to all.
" Your affectionate Son,
"J. S. Van Renssei.akr."
" Montreal, October 3d, 1805.
" Dear papa
" I now answer your ever welcome letter by the oppor-
tunity which offers itself to me. The tidings you informed
me of were indeed distressing and I shed a few tears to the
memory of the late respected John Wendell but worthy now
only of our sincere pity. The happy day has approached
on which I entered the second class in College. I have
been examined as to my latin and was declared fit to enter
with honor; although 1 was not perfectly well skilled in the
french still I had made considerable progress. Papa can
never repay Mr. Laconia for the trouble and anxiety he has
1 13
experienced on my account. He has taught me to read the
french with fluency and to understand it. I have been ex-
ercised through the vacation in translating the English into
french which I find to be rather troublesome at first. Con-
struing the French into English is not very difficult. In-
form mama if you please that she has nothing to fear as to
my turning a Roman Catholic and I am well convinced
their religion is mere show. 1 find the eyes of all minutely
turned upon me. I hope they may never have a just reason
to blush for an American the second time. Mr. Laconia
sends his respects to you and hopes I shall be able to write
you a french letter in two months. Mr. Cuyler's family re-
quested me to remember their Eove. My love to all. Adieu.
" Yours sincerely,
" J. S. Van Rensselaer."
"Montreal, Novemr. yth, 1805.
" My dear papa,
" I received your kind letter of the 13th of October, and
the good news with great pleasure and hope to profit by
your good advice as my greatest desire is to please my par-
ents. * * * The priests are all my friends and I profit
by them much. * * * Tell mama I study hard, am a
fine healthy lad and shall never forsake my religion. Inform
William, Richard and Bernard that if they are good boys
and Learn well I shall send them something very hansome
and they must likewise love mama and obey her or I will send
them nothing and mama has only to say but " Crapau ! "
which is the name of a monstrous shocking hairy man who
will immediately appear by my order and take them and skin
them alive ; but he is very kind when they are good and
Loves good boys."
What effect this threat to introduce the French
child's especial terror " Monsieur Crapaud " among
the hobgoblins which were the stock in trade of the
Dutch negro nurses in managing their charges, his-
tory does not record. It may very well be doubted
whether so prudent and sensible a " Mama " availed
herself of the friendly suggestion.
114
"Montreal, December 14th, 1S05.
" My dear mother
" I begin to long to see our family and exert all my en-
deavours to learn the language soon thai I ma) have the
pleasure of coming home in the spring to see my friend
I live principally upon soup and good beef and my land-
lady is an excellent woman of a good disposition and I en-
deavour to merit her affections as well as all my a< quaint
ances and friends. [ study very hard and lake good 1
of my health. The climate agrees with me perfei tly and I
hope mama and brothers enjoys the same health which I do.
I receive likewise many kindnesses of the Cuyler family
with whom I join in wishing you a happy Christmas and
New Year. I pray every morning and evening to God that
he may protect you and my brothers from all evil whilst my
father and me are absent. Read my Bibel and atend < hurch
every sabbath day in the English. I see nothing thai 1 in
induce me to change my religion as I plainly see the people-
are blinded by the machinations of the priests the greater
part of whom look more like beasts than men occasioned
by their good living. Write me whom you have to attend
you whilst I am gone and if the servants behave better than
last Winter. Does Richard behave as a good boy and does
he take care of mama? I believe so and will send him
something worth seeing. No doubt William takes example
after the industry of Richard and little Bug* carries wood."
The " french letter in two months," which was
promised October 3d, came as a New Year's greeting
for 1806, and its originality was exhibited by several
mistakes which M. Laconia had judiciously left un-
corrected. The following is a specimen :
" Tout les pretres me payent 1' attention particulier et je
m' efforce de meriter leur estime. Je trouve que savant un
peu de la launge Hollondoise je fais quelque progress, et la
prononciation d' alphabet est le merae excepte deux lettre.
A present la saison est bien douce et nous n' avons point de
neige.
" Je reste votre fils affectueusement,
' ' J E A N V A X R E NSSELAER."
*The nickname of Bernard.
115
" Montreal, January 4, 1806.
" My dear mama
* * * "I find the New year very dull being used to
more ceremony than the English have. I expected to see
cakes handed out as in Albany but behold what was my sur-
prise when finding it to be a dry compliment of a happy
new year."
" Montreal, January 31st, 1806.
" My dear mother
"In what language shall I express my feelings for your
kind attention in sending me those things which I so little
expected. I can only say I have received the box contain-
ing a jacket, a great number of cakes, raisins, figs, cocoanut,
I can't mention them all, with a letter of 25th Instant, in
which was inclosed two others. I likewise received one of
my father dated 17th In. for which I thank you and papa
kindly. * * * I have this day delivered to Mrs. Cuyler
the present which you desired me to give her; she was very
well pleased as she had not seen a New year's cake in some
time. I am determined always to remain firm to that re-
ligion in which I was christened although I am much tempted
by the priests. Their prayers seemed to me first more like
an act than a worship to God, and they are continually
whistling I shall be darned if I do not turn."
The following exhibition of " older brother "
authority undoubtedly produced an effect; but we
are not told whether it was exactly what was intended :
" Montreal, February 18th, 1806.
" To Master Richard Van Rensselaer, Albany.
" My Dear Brother — I received your letter of the 29
January inclosed in one from William for which I thank
you. William's account of Richard does not agree with
me very well. He says you are stubborn and disobedient
to mama. You must not be so or I shall not love you very
much ; instead of giving you the share of the good things
which I shall bring home for your brothers you shall have
nothing. I hope the next letter will bring me better news,
as I am very much ashamed of you. I find you study,
which is one consolation, and you must still continue so and
116
be a better hoy. I am very happy you write me so often.
I shall always be glad to receive your letters if you arc a
good boy. I am sorry little Barney has burnt his feet, but
I hope they are well by this time. My love to all the family
and give mama a kiss for me.
" Your affectionate Brother,
" J. S. Van Ki n elm k.
" P. S. — I likewise thank you with great sincerity for the
good things you have sent me."
"Montreal, April 17th, 1806.
"To Master William Van Rensselaer, Albany.
"My DEAR BROTHER — Without doubt you are making
great progress in your studies. Write me in your next what
books you study at present and whether you have begun
Ovid. I daresay Richard has begun the Latin Grammar
by this time. Does he take care of mama? Is he dutiful,
and does he mind his books? All those things I wish to
know, as I am delighted when I hear that my dear brothers
are in health and study well. I don't really know what is
become of Bernard. It is a long time since I heard from
him last and I am very angry because he don't write me a
little letter. If you please tell him I shall hope to retourn
home in four months more, and I shall be very happy, as I
long to see you all at home.
" I felicit you for having seen another happy birthday.
As for me it made me think of home, and 1 suppose you
had a fine time of it. Give my love to mama and to all our
friends and acquaintances.
" I remain yours affectionately,
"J. S. Van Rensselaer."
"Montreal, March 29th.
" My Dear Mother :
" My reason for writing to you by this post is that Madame
Lavandrie, my Landlady, has informed Captain Cuyler that
she means to give up boardingdiouse on account of her old
age. As this circomstance might make some difficulty to
my getting in a French family in this City, the Captain has
wished me to inform papa or mama that if they have no
objection he will place me in the country with a priest. 1 [e
has likewise informed Mr. La Saulnier of his design, who
approves of it, and has written to a priest, his friend, at
Point Clair, fifteen miles distant from here. If this priest
117
cannot take me there is likewise one at Chamblee at the
same distance, and fifteen miles nearer Albany."
His Mother's Reply.
"April 14th, 1806. I am sorry to hear by your letter of
the 29 March that you have to change your quarters in May.
My mind was quite easy at your being at Madame Lavan-
dre's on account of her being so kind and attentive to you,
and if you remove to a priest's in the country no doubt
you will find a great change in being again entirely amongst
strangers and new teachers. Your papa is not returned yet,
nor is there any prospect of his coming for the first month.
I have been now five months alone on the 22d instant, and
I believe Congress has been doing very little as yet. I sent
on Mr. Cuyler's letter to Washington the same evening I
received it ; I trust your papa has received it by this time,
and I believe he will send you an answer in time how to fix
yourself in May. Should he not inform you in time how
to act you must advise with Mr. Cuyler and family and
Mr. Saulnier. I would not approve of your going in the
same family with Mr. Cuyler's son on account of speaking
the French; you might speak the English with him, which
would retard your making progress in the French language.
" My sincere desire is, my son, that you may complete
your French studies and return to this side of the Lakes,
where I may now and then see you; once in six months I
would willingly comply with. I hope, my child, after you
have received your Papa's directions you will let me know
how and where you are fixed, and who you board with, and
who are your teachers, as I shall not feel easy until I hear
you are with some careful person. Write to me often, as it
is the only pleasure you can give me to let me hear from
you that you are well.
"I trust, my son, you continue to read your Bible, and
do not neglect that precious book amidst your other studies,
for in that is true wisdom to be found, which shall not fade
away, but shall last through eternity. Do you remember
your mama, Papa, and brothers at the throne of Grace
morning and evening? Your mama never forgets you, and
do you offer your sincere prayers to your Maker and Pre-
server for His mercies and kindness to you. To the LORD'S
care I commit you. My love to you. Your brothers send
you a kiss. My son, remember thy Creator in the days of
thy youth, and the LORD will be with you wherever you be.'
Il8
Mrs. Van Rensselaer to her Husband.
" Jany. 13th, 1807. I do not doubt, my dear K., your
anxiety to be with me and your little Hock, but 1 know >;
that your duty to your Country and family < alls you from
me. I trust I shall be enabled to bear your absence with
fortitude, and flatter myself this is the last winter I shall he-
separated from you."
My grandmother had never regained her health
and I remember her as always being an invalid. This,
however, did not interfere with her duties to her family,
nor with an annual visit which she and my grandfather
made to her brother and his family at Scotia (pro-
nounced by them Scote-ya), generally in the winter.
The end of her useful and valuable life had been
long expected and prepared for by her, and as it
approached she told my mother that she had been
troubled with doubts about her acceptance, but that
they had been mercifully cleared away, and she was
" rejoicing in hope," and ready to depart. There was
a touching and beautiful congruity between the man-
ner of her life, which had been passed in doing good
to others, and the scene at its ending. It recalled the
death-bed of the Patriarch Jacob surrounded by his
children. The evening before her departure she had
all her children and grandchildren of sufficient age
summoned to receive her last blessing. We found
her lying in the back room of the old house, which
had been her living room, in a large cradle which had
been made to soothe her pain and restlessness during
her lingering illness. One by one we were called to
sit down beside her and hear the words which she
and we knew surely would be her last on earth.
When my turn came I remember that I was taken
and placed in a chair beside her, and she took my
119
hand in hers, looked up into my face, and spoke to me
slowly, tenderly, solemnly. I have no recollection
of what she said ; but there was only one subject of
which she could have spoken, and I am sure the
impression remained although the words may not
be remembered, and they will surely come back at
some time. I recall that some female relative put a
pocket-handkercief into my hand, taking for granted,
I suppose, that I must weep. But I did not weep ;
perhaps I did not feel as I ought to have felt, which
is very likely, as it was all very strange to me, and I
could not realize its full import and its awful solemnity.
Perhaps it was better in the end that I showed no
more emotion than I really felt, since the impression
which was really made might have been dissolved in
superficial tears. But I do remember her calm and
untroubled manner, the firm assurance of what she
said, and the undiminished love and tenderness in her
leave-taking and benediction. May their sweet in-
fluence remain with me forever ! It would be a
poignant grief to me to doubt that her intercessions
are still heard for me and accepted through the
Mediation of our Great Advocate with the Father ;
as for her I must ever continue to pray — " May she
rest in peace, and may perpetual light shine upon
her."
I20
CIIA1TKR NINTH.
JOHN SANDERS VAN RENSSELAER TAKES HIS DEGR] I
AT UNION COLLEGE — LETTERS FROM THE ARMY —
MARRIAGE.
Union College had begun to thrive under its new-
president, Dr. Nott, and my father entered it in 1807
in the Sophomore class, at the age of fifteen. Among
his classmates were Judge Alfred Conkling, Samuel
W. Jones, and Peter R. and Philip P. Livingston. Dr.
Thomas T. Dewitt, Marcus T. Reynolds, John J. Van
Rensselaer, Dr. John Dewitt, Judge Samuel A. Foot
and John Howard Payne were in college at the same
time. His class had numbered fifty-two, of whom
twenty-seven received the degree of B. A. at com-
mencement, which for some reason was delayed till
181 1, when two of the classes graduated together.
He had the honor entitled the " Uranian Oration."
He was president of the Philomathean Society, then
the leading literary society of the college. After his
graduation he entered the law office of John V. Henry,
who was one of the leaders at the bar of New York,
and in due time was admitted to practice as an attor-
ney in the courts.
The war between the United States and Great
Britain had brought nothing decisive to either side,
but many disasters to us on land. An expedition was
planned in 1813 for the capture of Montreal, and was
placed under the command of General Wilkinson,
121
who was to advance down the St. Lawrence. Gen-
eral Wade Hampton was put in command of a sup-
porting army stationed on the border beyond Pitts-
burgh, and ordered to join Wilkinson on his advance.
This he never did. and it was charged that he never
meant to do it, from jealousy of Wilkinson, whose
success would have given hinvnb'pleasure. Another
suspicion prevalent at the time was, that the war hav-
ing been brought on by southern politicians, they
were willing that the north should bear the heaviest
burdens without reaping the benefits of it, of which
the possession of Canada would have been the great-
est. However that may have been, Hampton stuck
to his tents, and enraged his troops by his delays in
a wilderness filled with lurking savage enemies, and
by his arbitrary and overbearing treatment of them.
My father's regiment, of which he was appointed
quartermaster, was ordered to join Hampton, and the
following letters were written during the march and
the campaign :
" Waterford Cantonment, Sepr. 16, 1813.
" Dear mother,
■• It is with great regret that I am obliged to quit this
place without bidding you once more adieu, but the claims
of duty are now paramount to those of filial affection and I
must bid you farewell by letter. If it had been possible I
certainly would have been down ; but you must, mother,
reconcile yourself to our separation for a time without it.
To-morrow morning we march ; and before this reaches you
we will have gone over many wearisome miles.
" The troops are in fine spirits and healthy, and they
anticipate not only a pleasant time of it but a glorious one.
" Be assured of my good conduct and that prudence will
dictate every part of my conduct on this expedition.
" Give my love to all and I remain sincerely yours,
"John S. Van Rensselaer."
1 22
"Sandy Hill, Monday Evenii
" September 20, 1 .s 1 3 .
" Dear Parents,
" We arrived at this place this afternoon at four o'clock
after a fatiguing march of twenty-one miles, and encamped
for the night in a very eligible situation. The men are in
good spirits, the officers generally healthy ; my own health
extremely good beyond my most sanguine expectation.
The indisposition of Col. Talmadge unfortunately continues,
and we were obliged this morning to comment e our mar< h
without him at our head ; he may literally be 1 ailed the head
of our regiment, Col. Hardenberg the arms and legs
" An express reached us to-day from General Hopkins,
who is in advance of us, to hasten our march and reat h
Plattsburgh as soon as possible. Some decisive operations
against the enemy may be expected on the part oi ( ieneral
Hampton. Remember me to all.
" I remain sincerely your dutiful son,
"John S. Van Rensse] \).k.
" N- B. — To-morrow we reach Skeensborough. The troops
will embark for Plattsburgh; I probably will go with a de-
tachment by land."
"Cumberland Head, Septr. 28, 1813.
" Dear Parents
" To-morrow morning we march by order of Gen. barker
for Chataugui to join Hampton's army. Hampton is in-
clining to the west, and it is impossible to conjecture where
he means to strike a blow ; he may eat his Christmas dinner
at Montreal.
" A detachment of our regiment under the command of
Major Koon marched yesterday, another under Col. Ilar-
denbergh marched this morning for the Grand Army. This
afternoon we visited the fleet off this place ; it has received
an addition of one sloop carrying three long guns; it at
present consists of five sloops and two row gallies. Two
more gallies are building at Plattsburgh to be in complete
readiness in 3 weeks. We are far superior to the enemy on
this lake. Our seamen are very healthy and extremely well
disciplined.
" Our regiment is uncommonly healthy ; we have not lost
'a man, and very few are on the sick list.
" I am under the necessity of following the regiment, and
it may be my fortune to see Montreal before I see you.
i2<:
You must give yourselves no uneasiness about me. I shall
in no case unnecessarily expose myself, and it is my desire
to see some service before my tour of duty is ended.
"If anything particularly occurs I shall inform you of it
by every opportunity. My business as Quarter-master is
arranged and all necessary vouchers taken ; my duties here-
after will be light ; my opportunities to observe and improve
by my observations will consequently be greater. My hair
trunk I have deposited at Plattsburgh with Mr. Wm. Gilli-
land, Assistant Commissary.
" Do not write to me till I inform you that I am station-
ary. My health is excellent. Give my love to all. I remain
" Yours sincerely,
" John S. Van Rensselaer."
" Morestown, Roberts' tavern,
"Thirty-two miles from Plattsburgh, Octr. 5, 1813.
" Dear Parents
" In my last letter I stated that we were on the march to
join Hampton's army; a different distribution of our force
has since taken place. We left Plattsburgh on the 1st
Instant and marched to Pomeroy's tavern, about twenty-six
miles west of Plattsburgh ; where an express overtook us
from Gen. Barker ordering the force under the immediate
command of Gen. Hopkins to return with the greatest pos-
sible haste to Plattsburgh, an attack from the British on that
village being apprehended. Our march was commenced at
seven o'clock in the evening for Plattsburgh, and continued
till ten o'clock thro' a continual rain and the most obscure
darkness I ever witnessed. The next morning I was ordered
to this place to take charge of three companies which were
stationed here to keep up the communication between
Plattsburgh and the four corners where Hampton's army is
stationed.
" I am informed from a credible source that in a few days
Hampton will take up his line of march for Montreal. He
means to cross the St. Lawrence at LaPrairie; he is very
sanguine of success, and his troops are in fine spirits. The
Indians are hanging about his piquet guard and picking off
the sentries. Two days ago at 4 o'clock in the afternoon a
party of Indians attacked the advance guard, killed a Lieu-
tenant and one private and shattered the thigh of another;
last night one sentry was wounded ; no Indians on the part
124
of the enemy were killed in these attacks. A large body of
our troops are this evening to enter the woods for the pur-
purpose of scouring them and to ferret out the savages.
About eighty Indians are attached to our army. A Fren< h
man by the name of Mayeau commands about two hundred
Indians on the part of the British ; they arc said to he in
the woods adjacent to the army.
"A deserter entered our camp at this place this morning
with a passport from Gen. Hampton. lie states that he
belonged to a force of four hundred British and foui hun-
dred Indians who were sent to cut off our advance posts,
but were foiled in their design by a premature atta< k on and
brave resistance of the advance guard, the commanding
officer of which, a Lieut., was killed, as above stated.
"The rifle corps under the command ol Captn. Deforest
has refused to cross the lines, to the great vexation of Gen.
Hampton. The unreasonable severity and arbitrary con-
duct of the general regular officers have occasioned the
refusal to volunteer. It is pretty generally understood that
our brigade will not cross ; I am sorry for it. VVe will, it is
said, be stationed at Champlain ; Hampton says he will
make us fight.
"The war bears heavy on the inhabitants of this frontier ;
provisions of all kinds are scarce; the army, however, is
pretty well supplied. Fatigue parties of regulars and militia
are out daily to open and improve the roads leading to the
army from Plattsburgh, in this respect the war is beneficial
to this part of the State.
" My health is extremely good ; I never enjoyed better;
Charley is in tolerable order, considering the scarcity of
forage. Remember my best respects to Ik Sanders and
wife, Mr. and Mrs. Fonda, brothers, Jane and family. My
letter, I find, is growing unusually long.
" 1 remain sincerely
"your affectionate son,
"John S. Van Renssei \i.r."
"Fort Hampton, Chatauquei, Octr. 15th, 1813.
" Dear Parents,
" I embrace the opportunity offered me by Lt. Taylor of
the Schenectady Flying Artillery, who leaves the Four Cor-
ners three miles from this place to attend the Court martial
about to convene at VVaterford, to inform you that our
brigade reached this place four days ago. We now com-
125
•
pose the advance guard of Hampton's army ; we are about
two miles and a half from the lines. We anticipate no
danger from an attack ; our encampment is strongly laid out
in the form of a square, our rear supported by a strong
breastwork and some blockhouses.
iC Last night the Indians paid us a visit, and within gun
shot of the sentries of our piquet guard without being dis-
covered, carried off a Mr. Smith and a young man about
seventeen years old. Mr Smith effected his escape about
five miles from home, and as soon as possible alarmed our
camp. The drum beat to arms about daybreak in the
morning, and three companies with a small corps of dra-
goons were detached in pursuit of the enemy ; but the hunt
proved unsuccessful. At night the neighborhood seems to
be much invested with owls, wolves, bears, &c. ; but we
understand Trap. Our regiment is very healthy ; we have
not yet lost a man by sickness, and very few are on the
sick-libt. Xo inflammatory disorders are prevailing among
the troops. My health never was better.
" From our encampment we have a distant view of Canada
and the St. Lawrence. Our situation is a very healthy one on
rising ground, rather too much exposed to the north-western
winds very prevalent here at this season of the year. The
cold is already intense ; we however have wood enough,
and are not sparing in the use of it.
" Gen. Hampton yesterday issued his order for the troops
under his command to be in readiness after to-day to march
within two hours notice; every team that enters his line of
sentinels is pressed to transport baggage ; officers and men
are ordered to carry with them two blankets and one spare
shirt to a man. Something decisive is intended.
" I have formed a mess with Dr. Ten Eyck, Adjutant
Griswold, and Chaplain Foster; the agreement is in writing ;
they promise to pay me ^ of the cost of stores and kitchen
furniture. My horse proves to be sound in wind and limb
beyond my most sanguine expectations ; he has not been
shod since I left Albany, nor has he wanted till now ; he is
worth more than $125 ; should he be killed or stolen while
in service the United States will remunerate me for his loss ;
he is in high order. My waiter is a faithful fellow ; I like
him much.
" I have received the package of papers you sent, but
your letter has not reached me. Pray do not write by mail
till I request it ; I have reason to believe that letters are
126
broken open and suppressed in the Postoffices about here ;
take advantage when you can of a private conveyance.
Give my love and respects to all the family; to Brother
Barnard in particular ; tell him to make himself a man,
which experience lias taught me can alone be done by mak-
ing himself learned and wise. Remember me to Mr. and
Mrs. Fonda, Major Beeckman, Mr. and Mrs. Sanders, &c.,& .
" I subscribe myself your sincerely affectionate son,
" John S. Van Renssei w
"P. S. — By Mr. John Verner, Junr., living in I. ion Si'
Albany, I sent you my public receipts."
The sentinels of the camp were incited to watch-
fulness by the following authentic anecdote:
" A British army, in the old French war, was en-
camped on a plain in the autumn when the nights arc
long. One morning the sentinel at a particular post
was found dead with an Indian knife in his back.
The next night the same thing occurred ; and the
same the next night, although a picked man had been
put on the post. The fourth night the sentinel was
ordered to fire at anything that approached him, no
matter what it might be. Nothing however appeared,
till between two and three o'clock he observed some
hogs coming out of the darkness, grunting and root-
ing up the ground. But that was no unusual sight in
that region, and not thinking it worth while to waste
powder and lead on swine he kept on up and down
his beat watching their movements. Presently he ob-
served one larger than the rest not more than twenty
yards off, and when he looked at him again he had
come nearer and was apparently working towards his
rear. He remembered his orders, levelled his musket
and fired, and lo ! the hog reared itself and a painted
Indian sprang out of the skin with a wild yell, and
127
fell dead at his feet." That was what they meant by
"Trap."
" New York, May 6, 1814.
" Dear Father,
" Yesterday I arrived here after a pleasant passage of 33
hours; and this afternoon I will pay my respects to Mr. and
Mrs. Beekman if the weather will permit.
" An express from New London reached this place this
morning with information that the British 74 Bulwark had
arrived oft" that port, and Drought out new instructions to
blockade rigorously all the American coast from Eastport to
New Orleans, and to sink, burn and destroy every thing
along the American coast. An armistice was concluded on
the 5th of March last between Bonaparte and the Allied
powers on the Continent ; and that a Congress was sitting in
France for the purpose of settling a general peace. The
above information is also contained in a letter from New
London dated the 4th inst., after the Mail closed. The re-
peal of the Embargo is thus rendered abortive and of no
avail. Write to Judge Talmadge respecting Machin's com-
mission, and I will bring it up with me on Saturday next.
My love to Mother and family.
" I am, dear Sir,
" Yours sincerely,
"J. S. Van Rensselaer.
'' K. K. Van Rensselaer, Esqr."
" New York, Augst 30, 1814.
" Dear Father :
" Our friends at this place are in health, but apprehensive
of an attack by the enemy. Yesterday I dined with Col.
Varick ; O my degraded country ! was the general exclama-
tion at table He considers our country as irretrievably
ruined ; nothing but the miraculous interposition of Prov-
idence can save us.
" The resistance made to the enemy at Washington and
in its vicinity was trifling ; a few choice spirits fought and
fell. We fought them in detachmejits ; they fought us in
column ; the fight w r as not general ; our main body fled at
the noise of their own fire. Com. Barney and his brave
seamen made a noble stand near Washington and disputed
the entrance of the city. The navy yard and shipping were
destroyed by ourselves; the capitol, palace, cannon foundry
128
and other public buildings were blown up or burnt by the
enemy. Private property was respected ; the press and
printing materials of the National Intelligencer have been
carried on board of the British fleet, [nformation lias
reached us that the enemy are retiring from Washington
towards the Patuxent to re-embark; they will no! man h to
Baltimore, as was dreaded. It is now a .< ertained, and i o
stated in the morning papers of this day, that the e ire
not more than 6,000 in number; but such a panic have they
struck in the inhabitants of Virginia and Maryland thai they
are able to cope against 60,000 militia. My opinion that in
proportion as the militia arc numerous so arc they liable to
be defeated, will be found to be correct.
" 1 have renounced the pride I once took in being a cit-
izen of the United States ; in my country I feel dishonored ;
I now am anxious for the honor of my native State ; the
Capitol of the State of New York will 1 trust prove itself
invulnerable. I now believe that Albany may be taken if
Lake Champlain is in possession of the enemy. It will be
attempted if adequate preparation be not made. Let us
swear effectually to defend our Capitol or be buried in its
ruins. The time has come when the arts of peace must be
banished for a while ; we must all become soldiers ; the Con-
scription law in full operation, in preference to submission
to an invading foe.
" On Friday I will reach Albany. My respects to Mother
and family.
" I am, Sir,
" Your obt. son,
"John S. Van Rensselaer.
" K. K. Van Rensselaer, Esor."
An allusion in the previous letter explains bow my
father became acquinted with my mother. His favorite
cousin, Catharine Sanders, had married Mr. Gerard
Beekman of New York, and her sister-in-law, Mrs.
James Beekman, had a beautiful niece named Ann
Dunkin. She was the only daughter of Robert Henry
Dunkin of Philadelphia, and Elizabeth, daughter of
John Watkins of Harlem Heights. Her father was
dead, and, although her home was in Philadelphia,
129
where her grandmother, Mrs. Ann Dunkin, resided,
she spent much of her time with her grandmother,
Mrs. Watkins, at Harlem, and with her great-aunt at
the same place, the widow of Lieutenant-General
Maunsell. Her aunt Beekman lived near them in
"The Vale" under "Breakneck Hill," before Mr-
Beekman succeeded to " The Mount." The circle of
relatives and neighbors was large, embracing the
Watkinses, the Bradhursts, the Schieffelins. . the
Hamiltons, the Moores, the Clarks and others who
have passed away. The intercourse between the
country and the city was frequent, and during one of
his visits to his cousin in town the acquaintance was
formed which ripened into an attachment and engage-
ment, which gave great satisfaction to the kindred on
both sides. My mother was a great favorite with all
for her amiable disposition and engaging qualities.
Being the only granddaughter of Mrs. Ann Dunkin,
after whom she had been named, she was especially
cherished by her, and had been given the best advan-
tages which her native city, Philadelphia, afforded —
and they were not small even at that day — including
instruction in the mysteries of the housewife and the
arts of the pastry-cook. She wrote a remarkable dis-
tinct and lady-like hand, and her letters were models
of clearness, sincerity and good sense. In these
qualities they reflected her own character; she was
so sincere and guileless that she could not understand
insincerity in others ; and she was so filled with good-
will and kindliness to all that she could not appreciate
the malice and ill-will of some. They were married
in Philadelphia, March 12, 1816, and took up their
residence in Albany in a two-story house on the north
I30
side of Washington street between Hawk and Swan
streets, where their first child was born August I,
1 817, and christened Dunkin Henry, causing great
joy in all the branches of the family, and awakening
a wide-spread interest amongst their numerous friend
"New York, 10th April, i.srs.
"Dear Sir,
I beg leave to say to you that I have been called to strict
account about seeing my Friend John S. Van Rensselai
promising Son, and the only two good excuses I could ol
were that I did not dare to be out at night : this was avail-
able. The next, that you detained me at the bottle until it
was too late, and here I failed in my Justification. So you
must not be disappointed if the ladies should go to Albany
to see for themselves. Will they travel without me, do you
think ?
"Accept the best wishes of your friend
"and affect. Hble Servt.
" Kh llh. V \kl' K.
" Killian K. Van Rensselaer,
"Albany."
The same year in which this friendly letter was
written they took their first born to visit his venerable
great-grandmother, Mrs. Ann Dunkin, in Philadelphia.
She was the widow of Lieutenant Roberts Dunkin of
the British navy, who had died on service in 1776,
leaving her with two sons. His brother, Sir William
Dunkin, was one of the justices of the King's bench
at Calcutta, and corresponded frequently with his
nephew, my grandfather. She was a woman of
remarkable character and intellegence, filled with
Irish humor and vivacity, goodness and kindness, an
earnest Christian, without cant, and passionately fond
of her granddaughter and her children. It is need-
less to remark that a hearty welcome awaited them.
m
"Philadelphia, May 13th, 18 iS.
" Dear Father,
•• After a pleasant passage of 19 hours we arrived in good
condition at New York, and after breakfast proceeded to
Mr. G. Beekman's. Mr. Beekman and wife with little Jim we
found in good health ; they regretted that you and mother
were not of the party, and expressed in strong terms their
wishes to see you in Xew York. From Broome Street we
bent our course to Harlem, saw Mr. and Mrs. James Beek-
man, and dined with Dr. S. Watkins, who was more than
glad to see us and the boy. Mrs. Dunkin remained at the
Doctor's; Ann Dunkin, and myself returned to town that
evening, and started for Philadelphia at 1 1 o'clock Monday
morning in the steamboat line to Brunswick. There we
were furnished with a commodious hack, and reached Tren-
ton at ten o'clock at night. Dunkin soon became accus-
tomed to the jolting of the carriage, and after the first ten
miles slept very quietly the greater part of the way. He
grumbled at one time a good deal, but we discovered it was
owing to hunger, and after being fed at the first stopping
place he amused himself with looking at the horses until he
dropped asleep on my lap. He has not suffered in the
least from the jaunt, has been all the time in the best possible
humour, and looks heartier than ever, and is the admiration
of all who have seen him ; his legs in particular are con-
sidered wonderful. Our passage down the Delaware was
delightful; we reached this city at ten yesterday morning.
•• Mrs. A. Dunkin is in fine health, and looks better and
younger than when I first became acquainted with her; she
desires to be remembered to you and Mother and the boys.
Make our love to mother and the boys, and believe us truly
your affectionate children,
" J. S. Max Rensselaer."
■• Xew York. 18th June, 18 18.
" My dear Sir,
'• I saw my friend John S. Van Rensselaer at Philadelphia.
His son and your Grandson was asleep ; so that I did not
see him ; and the good lady was from Home.
" Remember us to Mrs. K. K. Van Rensselaer and her
132
Sons; also to Cherry Mill Family. Accept my best wishes
and the respects due to a Friend
"from yours,
" Richd. Vark k.
•• K-ilian K. Van Rensselaer, Esqr.,
Alby."
It was on this visit, so full of happiness and hope
for the young parents, their kindred and friends, that
Mrs. Dunkin sat for the portrait to Sully, one of the
most celebrated of the Philadelphia school of artists,
holding the dear little babe in her lap, which is
in my possession. The likenesses are speaking,
that of the child having re-appeared in some of tl
grandchildren.
'■ New York, June 24th, 1818.
" Dear Father,
" We arrived at Mr. J. Beekman's at 10 o'clock yesterday
morning after a pleasant journey from Ph ihia, which
place we left on Monday at noon. Dunkin stood the
fatigue of travelling extremely well, and never was in higher
spirits than when the roads were bad and the carriage jolt-
ing in all directions; he is in fine health. Ann still nurses
him ; she is thin in flesh, but enjoys good health, and is
very much benefitted by travelling.
" The old lady, Mrs. Ann Dunkin, was very loath to part
with us ; she prevailed on us to put off the evil hour for
several days ; at last it came ; she accompanied us to the
boat, and left us in tears.
" We shall remain a few days at Mr. Beekman's, and shall
then pay a visit to Dr. Watkins, who expects us.
" Mrs. E. Dunkin has not yet seen us.
"Our love and compliments to Mother, brothers and
friends, and believe us as usual yours affectionately,
" J. s. Van Rensselaer."
Was there a presentiment of coming evil in the
tears of the venerable grandmother when she bade
them farewell ? There might have been. She never
133
saw her pet and pride again in this life. He was
taken the next year, September 18, 1 8 1 9, by a dis-
tressing accident from boiling water. I do not believe
that his mother, whose affection for her children was
obsorbing, ever entirely recovered from this blow;
she could not bear to look at his likeness, and I do
not remember to have heard her mention her lost
babe's name.
I was born in the Washington street house April
15, 1819, and the first daughter, Margaretta Sanders,
January 1, 182 1. This year my father made the
journey to Philadelphia by land, driving mother and
the two children in his own carriage.
" Philadelphia, May 18th, 1821.
" Dear Father,
" We arrived here on Wednesday evening in the carriage.
The children stood the fatigue of travelling extremely well
and are in the best of health. I need not mention how
rejoiced their great-grandmother was to see them. They
are now perfectly at home and have the full range of the
house. The horses appear as well as when we started, and
travel considerably better ; we came from Princeton to this
city on Wednesday. We staid a few days at Dr. Watkins' ;
who treated us very kindly.
" The old lady, Mrs. Dunkin, expresses great regret that
you and mother have not been able to come on this Spring;
it would give her great pleasure to see both or either of you
or brothers.
" Maunsell is standing near me and begging me for my
pen '•to 'ite to ganpa,' as he says. Our love to Mother and
brothers.
"Yours affectionately,
"J. S. Van Rensselaer."
134
CHAPTER TENTH.
LIFE AT "99 STATE SI l:l l I," ALBANY.
My grandfather had conveyed a lot to my father in
State street next to the Capitol grounds, and there
my Grandmother Dunkin built a spacious dwelling,
into which we moved when I was about three years
old, and where my second brother was born [anuary
29, 1823, and named Charles Watkins, alter my grand-
mother's second brother. After him came the second
daughter, named after her grandmother and great-
grandmother, Ann Eliza, April 5, 1825 ; then I.ydia
Beekman, May 25, 1827; Harriet Letitia (after her
great-grandmother. Harriet Schuyler, and Lady Mac-
naghten, cousin to her grandfather Dunkin), January
19, 1830; Samuel Watkins, Eebruary 28, 1832; Cath-
erine Sanders (from Mrs. G. Beekman), November 16,
1834; and Louisa ("the baby"), March 17, 1838,
whose arrival was announced by my grandfather in
his humorous way as " a present from St. Patrick."
We were brought up in the strictest affection for each
other, which time only served to strengthen. I re-
member being greatly disturbed for the safety of my
baby sister during a thunder storm at night, and being
rebuked by my mother for asking her whether God
would not be wicked to kill "little Ann Eliza" with
the lightning? Perhaps, however, a thought of being
protected myself under the shield of the baby's inno-
cence may have prompted my anxiety for hcr's.
One of my mother's most pronounced traits was
generosity and self-forgetfulness. When my grand-
oD
mother Van Rensselaer died she declined to take the
full portion of her clothing which fell to her, and
shared it with my Uncle Richard for his children, as
she thought them much more in need of them. This
explains the allusion in the following characteristic
letter of dear Aunt Beekman, who even then was suf-
fering from the painful disease of dropsy which took
her away :
"Mount Pleasant, October 21st, 1830.
" My Dearly beloved Sister,
" I have received many entertaining Letters from you,
which proves your great affection and interested feelings for
me and my dear Mr. Beekman, who often exclaims, ' I
would give a Dollar if dear Betsy Dunkin was here ! '
Thank heaven '. he is much better ; and as for myself, I
eat a little, sleep a little, sew a little, snuff a little, and read
a little ; and so, little by little, I am getting up hill, as the
poor Pilgrim did when he wrote his Progress, and I do sin-
cerely hope that I may die as good a Christian as he did
without having the -world on my back. Doctor AYatts ex-
pects to make a cure of me ; he is very ill, and Doctor
Kissam attends us now.
"Mrs. Maclvesson had a private wedding; they pro-
ceeded the same day to Boston, where she as well as Mr.
Field was delighted. They are now at Washington, and
will make a great display of beautiful clothes made for the
jaunt. Mrs. Bradhurst is happy beyond description. The
Bride sent me a large Plum Cake, which I shall keep for
you to eat of next Spring, and my dear Ann and her good
Husband, whom I admire very much. Elizabeth Moore is
no better.
" Your amiable Daughter has got great credit in giving a
certain part of her Mother's clothes to Mr. Richard's child-
ren. I am delighted at the improvement you are making
by adding a retiring room, and your family will be so com-
fortable sitting at meals that I really should like to take a
peep and say, ' How do you all do ? ' Thank my very
dear Ann for her beautifnl letter, and a thousand thanks for
the stockings, which I am delighted with. Mrs. Gerard is
far from being well."
136
She was taken August 29, 1833, and her death de-
prived us of a most amiable, affectionate, and devoted
kinswoman and friend. Her carl}' life had been
clouded by a great calamity in the loss of her hus-
band, Captain Drew of the British navy, who perished
with his ship, the De Braak, off Cape Henlopen, May
25, 1798. (Notitia F.)
My beloved great-grandmother, Ann Dunkin, d
June 20, 1832, having my dear Mother witli my sister
Ann Eliza and our baby brother Sam, to comfort and
soothe her in her last hours. Her remains lie and r
a large marble slab in the " Old Pine Street Presby-
terian Church " burial ground at the south-west cor-
ner of Fourth and Tine streets in Philadelphia. She-
was born in Colcrainc, county Dcrry, Ireland, (of
which she never tired of talking), June 4, 1740, and
retained to the last her clearness of intellect and men-
tal vigor and vivacity.
For upwards of twenty years God had graciously
withheld the dreaded visitation of death from our im-
mediate home circle, but at last it came upon us in
the sudden calling away of our dear little Sam, No-
vember 17, 1839. It came like lightning from a clear
sky. It was my really first sharp and painful expe-
rience in the death of those I loved, and the impres-
sion has not been effaced after a lapse of forty-seven
years. He was a remarkably sweet, affectionate and
amiable boy, to whom we were all fondly attached,
and in whom my mother and grandmother took es-
pecial delight, as they showed in their pleasure in
describing his qualities to me.
•'Little Sam," my mother wrote, "is the most devoted
child to the Bible ; he spends an hour at a time, and that
137
several times a day and almost every evening reading it, and
learns all the pretty hymns he can find, and can repeat most
of the prayers he learns in the Bible. When he was so ill
he could hardly hold up his head he would not go to bed
without saying his prayers, and requested me to read the
prayer for a sick child. I am in hopes he will be a minister;
he already has influence enough to make Charles read the
Bible on Sunday evening. "
■&■
A few months after, while at the Seminary in New
York, I received the following grievous tidings by
the hands of a special messenger:
"Albany, Sunday morning, Novr. 17, 1839.
" My Dear Maunsell,
" I have sad news to communicate to you — I hope you
will have fortitude to bear it with proper resignation. It
has pleased the Almighty Disposer of events to take from
our arms your blessed brother Samuel. He died this morn-
ing of congestion of the viscera, which set in on Friday
night with vomiting, which excited no alarm until he became
delirious on Sunday morning.
" We purpose to have the funeral obsequies on Tuesday
next at 3 o'clk P. M. ; this will enable you to reach Albany
early on Tuesday morning. Ascertain if your uncle Barney
is still in New York, at the Pacific Hotel, and apprise him
of this most afflicting event. We are all in the deepest
grief, but otherwise well.
" Very truly
"your afflicted father,
"J. S. Van Rensselaer."
The effect of this second blow upon our poor
mother can only be described in her own heart-broken
words :
" No time or circumstance can ever efface from my mind
the heart-rending occurrence in our house ; at every step,
indeed every look, I miss my darling boy. The stroke that
took him sank deep in his Mother's heart, and left a void
never to be filled. Oft in the still hour of night the ques-
tion enters my mind, Where is my Samuel ? is his blessed
spirit near me ? or has it lost all recollection of his earthly
friends ? are we never to meet again ? or, if we meet, are
U8
we to recognize each other ? These are anxious que itions,
and I fear cannot be satisfactorily answered. In the Banner
of the Cross of Novr. 2d there is a beautiful piei e on the
Snowdrop, which is very agreeable to those who have b<
bereaved of young children. Old Dorr. Vates spenl a day
with us ; he is the most perfect believer I ever met with.
He said, if our little boy had been his sou, with such a dis-
position, he thought he should jump up and sing Hallelujah
to GOD for taking him, as his happiness mu I be
without the trials awaiting other Christians of mimic mature
age. But for all I cannot cease to mourn my loss. 1
dear little fellow was placed last week beside his belo 1
brother Dunkin at Cherr) Hill; 'they were lovel) in life,
and in death they were not divided.' Do nol particularly
refer to this letter when you write, as I do nol wish youi
Grandmother to see it ; she grieves so much for our little
darling that I do not wish to have her feelings aroused by
what 1 have written."
This thoughtful consideration for the feelings of
others was one of her strongest characteri . which
not even her own sufferings could overcome. Her
grief at the bereavement was fully shared by her
affectionate mother, who wrote :
"The tribute of affection you pay to the memory of your
dear departed brother truly accords with our feelings. For
myself I am a constant mourner at the hard dispensation of
Providence in snatching him away in a few hours without
any apparent disease. I try to comfort myself by thinking
that if there was any communication from the dead to the
living, he would say to me, ' Grandmama, don't mourn for
me ; I am better off than you ; I have passed my short
journey on earth, and had an easy passage out of it. and am
at rest and free from all the troubles of life.' I can't look
around without seeing something to remind me of his lovely
and happy disposition, always more ready to bestow pleasure
than receive it.
"I send you Doer. Yates' sermon on Thanksgiving day,
towards the end of which you will see an allusion to your
dear departed brother. The book you sent your Mother
written by Doer. Dorr is the most comforting I ever met
with on that most important subject, the recognition of
139
departed spirits in the realms of bliss. How it will ease the
bed of death by me to be welcomed by my little dear and
perfect boy ! But his state of bliss must be more exalted
than any adult can aspire to."
My mother's throne was in her nursery, and her
delight in watching her children and their ways was
unbounded, while her distress when they were ill,
unruly or unhappy was painful to witness. Her let-
ters always contained some fond or lively allusion to
their health, sayings or doings, and thus give a vivid
and accurate picture of our home life. The young-
est, it is needless to remark, were the chief objects of
her care and observation. Thus she wrote December
14, 1841 :
•• Harriet and myself are both indebted to you for a letter.
Harriet was perfectly delighted when her letter reached her
hands ; she requested to open it herself, but then had not
courage to break the beautiful seal ; which operation I was
permitted to perform, on condition not to look into the con-
tents until she had read it herself; ' for only look,' said she,
' how nice and large brother Maunsell has written on purpose
for me to read it.' But her agitation was so great that I
doubt much if she could have read it had it been printed.
She however learned it by heart, and then read it to Eliza
and the two Catherines."
And so after a dangerous illness of " the baby,"
January 30, 1845 :
" Here I am sitting by the fire, with a thankful heart that
I can inform you that your beloved sister Loue is recovering
from the most dangerous attack of croup I ever witnessed.
On Saturday last Doer. Wing told me he had not the least
expectation of saving her. Doer. J. F. Townsend (his
father was ill) urged leeches to be applied to her throat in
addition to a blister which had been applied to her throat
early in the morning ; which, under Providence, saved her
life. Your aunt Matilda sat up with us, and about two
o'clock on Sabbath morning Louisa became very restless,
140
complained of great pain all over, and said she was choak-
ing ; we feared she was dying. Matilda applied mustard
plasters to her chest and feet, which i i perspiration,
and she fell asleep and awakened much relieved; but she
was not considered out of danger until ye terday. She
her voice for five days, and could not speak above i ••. hi
but today she speaks quite distinctly, and is .it this moim
playing with her dolls on the bed. She is too weak to sit up
long, but has a good appetite, and I hope will be quite w
again. I asked her what message to brother Ma
She says, 'Tell him I send him a hundred kissi
arrival of her dear little nephew gives her greal joy, althoi
she has not been well enough to see him yet, ...
Mrs. Russell's, where he arrived with his parents on Tui
day; in a few days they are coming to sta) with us. Ann
Eliza received a letter from Lydia to-day, written in hei u ual
style of animation : she says little Gerard Beekman has been
very ill, but is better."
The engagement of her eldest daughter was nat-
urally a subject of the greatest interest to her as to
all the family.
"Albany, March 15th, 1843.
" Dear Maunsell,
"Your Father has informed you of your sister's engage-
ment to Mr. Russell; as you are unacquainted with the
gentleman 1 will introduce him to you by a short description.
In person he is tall, fine complexion, black eyes and wears
spectacles, fine teeth, and in manners quite the gentleman,
and very lively ; is a member of the Temperance Socic
and last, though not least, attends the Episcopal Church
when at home. He owns and occupies a splendid place a
few miles below Hudson, which is very handsomely fur-
nished. The engagement meets the approbation ot both
families; but your sentiments are yet to be learned, and he
has expressed an anxiety as to what that will be. He is
really a fine fellow, you cannot help liking him, and is a most
devoted lover. I wish you knew him ; but as that is not the
case you must take it on trust that you will be happy to
receive him as a member of our family, as all of us are.
Do not delay to write immediately."
141
How thoroughly she cultivated mutual affection
and self-forgetfulness in her children is illustrated by
this little incident :
'• The other day I asked the three little girls if it would
not be better for us to give up going to Whitehall this sum-
mer, and send you the money to come here ? They all agreed
at once, but on second thoughts Louisa said she wanted to
go, and she thought we might go if she sent her Xew Year
money to brother Maunsell, for she wanted him to come
home too. I told her it would not be enough, so she went
and consulted Kate, and Kate came into the measure at
once, provided no other svay could be thought of. They
will let you have their New Year money ; so you see you
are a. pet with your little sisters. Poor Hatty is so generous
she can never keep a cent, and has none to offer."
All her heart went out to her first grandchild ; the
only one, alas ! in whom it was granted her to renew
her maternal happiness.
"Albany, July 9th, 1844.
" Dear Maunsell,
■• We shall not be able to visit you this week ; Kate's eyes
are no better, and I fear we shall have to go to Xew York
to consult Doer. Rogers about them. Dear little girl ! she
is very patient, and willing to submit to any thing to be able
to go to Whitehall; but I do not believe she will this summer.
•• Margaretta and her dear little boy and Joseph, after
spending a week with us, went home yesterday ; her babe is
a lovely little creature ; we miss him very much."
My brother Charles had shown a predilection for a
seafaring life, and my father had secured a position
for him on a Boston ship sailing to China. Her forti-
tude was never more clearly shown than on this
occasion. It was a final leavetaking; she did not
survive to welcome him home.
"Albany, Xovr. 7th, 1844.
" My dear Maunsell,
" I am now sitting up in bed to answer your letter just
received. I have had the rheumatism for more than a week,
142
being attacked the day after your Father took ( hades to
Boston, which was the 27th ult. The vessel, which is called
the Vumchi, was to sail to day or to morrow. < harle has
behaved with a manliness and noble and generous spirit whi< h
does him great credit, and has raised him in the esteem of
every one. It was necessary to raise $^00 to pay Capt.
Steele to instruct him in Navigation, and give him a footing
equal to Captain's clerk on board the ship; your Grandma
advanced the money, and he signed a paper thai she n
repay herself out of his income. After he left the
she thought she would make him a present of it, and wr<
him a letter to tell him so. lie wrote an answer which
would move a heart of stone, returning her letter and thank-
ing her; at the same time declining to receive it, as he said
it was more than his brother or sisters had had; and that
he wished it given, if she pleased, to Kate and I. one. who
were not so well provided tor by Aunt Beekman as tin- re t.
"Poor Charles sailed last Saturday. He wrote a most
elegant feeling farewell letter to us all, which none of us
could read aloud. He said, although he left home with
saddened feelings, he would not return, as here he u
nothing, and he felt that a bright career was opening before
him, where he could be useful to himself and others. You
will have much to hear about him, and the advantages he
has gone under."
Under a quiet exterior mother had a keen sense of
humor, and liked a good joke, which was undoubtedly
clue to her Irish descent. She was fond of repeating
the amusing mistakes in the prattle of the little on*
such as little Loue's saying that a certain likeness
made her " a perfect fight, 1 ' that her teacher had had
" a tooth distracted, which made her nervous," and
that she " was so 'elighted with budder Maunsell's
sermon that she fell asleep." This was one of the
means by which she made our home bright, and
attached us to it. She was quite apt and ready in
turning a passing incident into an amusing channel
and drawing out merriment, as in the following:
143
" We like the idea of having you nearer very much, as
we understand by your letter you think favorably of Mrs.
Mancius' invitation to Stillwater; as long as she lives I sup-
pose the church will be able to support a minister, and after
you may have a better situation. 1 read that part of your
letter in a way to excite considerable alarm, in which you
state the correspondence with a young widow ; pausing long
enough to give time for your Grandma to lay down her
knife and fork (as we were at dinner), and exclaim : ' Oh
dear, every other day ! What I always feared ! He will
be taken in yet ! Some designing widow, older than him-
self, I dare say ! ' ' Yes,' says I, ' a great deal older ; ' and
soon dissipated her fears by telling who it was ; and no one
stands higher in her esteem than Mrs. .Mancius, for getting
you from Whitehall. There is another widow who is very
jealous that you did not call to see her when you were at
Albany — no less a person than Mrs. P. S. Van Rensselaer
of State Street. She told Miss Angelica VR., formerly you
called on her, and she did not know why you neglected her
now."
The following amusing description of a visit to
Scotia after an election is in the same vein ; alas ! all
mentioned in it are gone but one :
" Last Saturday Margaretta, Harriet, Samuel and myself
took a ride to Schenectady, and found our friends in high
spirits in consequence of the result of the Election ; but
particularly on account of Theodore's election, who you
know ran in opposition to Ue Graff. Each individual of
the family is very much elated, and full of self-congratula-
tion on account of the various methods of either fixing their
friends, or outwitting their opponents; indeed your cousin
Peter has been carried on the shoulders of the populace into
the committee-room (as he says.) Mrs. Theodore, expect-
ing a general congratulatory visit from all her husband's
political friends, removed the furniture from the first floor;
and it was well she did, for the next day they had to take
the hoe to get the mud off the floor. All the students from
College went over ; they had a band of music and a cannon :
in short, such things were never witnessed before at Scotia.
We called on Mrs. Hersey; as usual she was talking all the
time of you. I asked what I should write you from her ?
She replied, Give my love, and tell him I am very well, and
144
so is Mr. Hersey, and Sally, who I am sure made an ex.
to go to Albany when he had sore eyes to see him, for
think all the world of him ; and Mary is well too; and I
remember him every night in my prayers, and Mr. \\ ashbon
too, for he is another good young man."
Relatives and friends visited each other more
frequently in those days than they seem to do now,
and a cordial, if informal, hospitality prevailed, which
took pleasure in welcoming the coming guest. This
was one of the great delights of our home, and as
the heads were favorites with their kindred, it was
often enjoyed. My mother had a peculiar gift in
making her visitors happy, and the circle was a large
one. In her minute account to her absent children
of everything which took place at home she did not
omit this feature.
" We have had the pleasure of seeing some of our good
friends from New York, Schenectady, and (den this week.
To commence with New York : On Monday afternoon we
were agreeably surprised by a call from Mrs. Field, who
came with her husband to lobby for the New York and
Albany rail-road. On Tuesday morning Mr. fames \V.
Beekman called and accepted an invitation to dinner to
meet Mrs. Glen and Mrs. P. Sanders and Margaretta and
Mrs. Russell, and last, but not least, Master J. Russell, who,
by the way, is improving every day; I do not know how
we shall spare him to go among the Anti-renters. In the
evening Mr. and Mrs. Field took tea here. Lydia was well
last Saturday, but did not know that Mr. Beekman was
coming up the river, or, I presume, would have made a bold
push to come with him "
My grandmother, Elizabeth Dunkin, was a very
interesting character, with marked traits which could
not fail to make their impression on a household of
which she formed so important a part as ours in
Albany. Her father was John Watkins, merchant at
St. Christophers, West Indies, where she was born ;
H5
and her mother was Lydia Stilhvell, youngest of " the
six beautiful sisters," daughters of Richard Stilhvell
and Mercy Sands. While she was a child her parents
made the voyage to England, of which she retained
some recollections ; after which her father bought land
on Harlem Heights, overlooking the Hudson and Har-
lem river, where he established his family in a dwelling
which stood on the Kingsbridge road at what is now
the corner of Avenue St. Nicholas and 153d street,
which was destroyed by fire only a few years ago-
This was the ground on which was fought September
16, 1776, the battle of Harlem Heights, in which Wash-
ington was successful.* They were driven from this on
the occupation of New York by the British in 1 yy6, and
took up their abode at Paramus, New Jersey, till the
close of the war, when they returned to their dwell-
ing, where they had the signal honor of entertaining
George Washington at dinner, an event of which my
grandmother never ceased to speak with all the
dignity which it deserved. She was married Decem-
ber 20, 1792, at the house of her uncle, Major-Gen-
eral John Maunsell, British army, by the Rev. Benja-
min Moore, D. D., of Trinity Church, New York,
afterwards the second Bishop of New York, whose
wife was her own cousin. When my mother was
married she went with her to reside in Albany, where
she passed the remainder of her life. She was a
woman of great intelligence, much information and
large experience. Her affections were warm, her will
vigorous, and her prejudices strong. Her devotion
to her kindred was ardent and persistent ; she was a
most devoted mother and grandmother, and took no
♦Mrs. Lamb's History of the City of New York, Vol. -1, pages IIS, seq
I46
-£. t^- sS?
C^\a— i^z^^T^g^Z i^-^^eas^.^?: ^c-r^L<2^^ s^-j2- ~^oL*<_
f
/77?
5%*e. Ja^S. sc^*>~?
thought of herself in aiding her daughter in the car
and labors of her family. Her sense of justice and
truthfulness was very keen, and she could tolerate no
violation of them. Her maxims were derived from
the wisdom of the ancients, and her illustrations from
the examples of the fathers, while " modern instam
held but a small place in her esteem. Her recollec-
tions of famous characters whom she had met were
abundant, and her memory was stored with anecdotes
of their sayings and doings which made her coin
sation alike instructive and entertaining.
Her manners were very dignified and decidedly of
the "old school," which permitted no unseemly
familiarities. In reply to the question, how old she-
was? put by a discourteous visitor, she said, holding
up the member, " Just as old as my little finger." She
cherished with great reverence, and committed to me
the following correspondence :
" To Genl. Washington,
" Camp at Morristown.
" Miss Watkins' compliments to Genl. Washington, hopes
he will excuse the liberty she has taken in arresting one
moment of his attention by presenting him with a Laurel
Wreath* of her own cutting, a faint emblem of those which
the General has so lately reaped on the Plains of Monmouth.
"Miss Watkins presents her best Compliments to Mrs.
Washington.
" Paramous, June 28, 1778."
The reply of the Commander-in-chief is opposite.
As we developed from infancy to childhood we
were regularly graduated from the nursery to " grand-
ma's room," to give place to the new-comers ; where
each morning opened with a refection of gingerbread
* The " Laurel Wreath " was a watch paper surrounded with a laurel wreath, worn
in the outside case of old fashioned watches used then.
147
to prepare us for the day's work. The affection be-
tween her sister Lydia Beekman and herself was very
strong, and they never passed a year without visiting
each other. In 1827, I remember, Uncle and Aunt
Beekman took the journey to Niagara in their coach-
and-four, with " Phil" upon the box, in great style;
and on their way back stopped to visit her and the
family in Albany.
Grandmother Dunkin was a good correspondent,
and kept the absent members of the family fully in-
formed of all important matters occurring at home.
Her chirography was distinct and antique, her style
that of the Spectator, and her letters marked by affec-
tion and thoughtfulness, simplicity and shrewdness,
and filled with quaint expressions. If I make copious
extracts from them it is that our successors may have
a clearer idea of the inner life in which we grew up.
The two first were written to me at college.
"Sept. 21, 1835. I thank you for your two acceptable
letters, and feel very glad you are suited in a room Com-
panion, which I considered a matter of great importance
when you left home, because in some measure your present
and future standing in life depends greatly on associates of
good principles and good morality, without which all the
learning in the world is but secondary. Your
Mother sent Elizabeth out to purchase the callico for your
comforter and get it quilted, and we are all much pleased
with her choice. So that you owe her a good will, for she
did the best she could."
"June 25, 1837. Your Father arrived safe here early this
morning, and brought us the pleasing information that you
would be up in a few days : your room and bed is all ready
for you, and I think you will be pleased with home, for I
have had the lower halls painted, which together with other
things, makes the house look well, as it ought to do, you
148
will say. I am recovering my health and rode to Church
the day before yesterday, the weather being fine. Saml.
went for the carriage ; he is a surprising fine boy, and as in-
telligent as a man."
\^ v
" Open rebuke is better than secret love " was one
of Solomon's proverbs followed by her on all occa-
sions, and the following, though written hastily and
on imperfect information, is a good illustration of it;
while the interest for her grandson's character and
reputation and its quaint language make it too good
to be lost. I had been to New York to get sonic text-
books for our junior class ; gone to a hotel where 1
thought I would meet my father, but did not, entered
my name on the register, taken breakfast, paid for it
and departed; out of which came the following:
"May 8, 1837. 'The Gentleman who keeps the York
House in N. York has called upon your father, and pre-
sented him a bill for you of a Dolr. and a half, which he
said you had never paid. The dollr. was for the room you
engaged, which is the price by the day. used or nol after
engaging; and a half a dolr. for your breakfast.
"Unless it is a man of great consequence, such as the
Governor, who must have a place for his papers and to see-
people on business in, no one says anything about a private
room, which is included in the board at every public house.
"I am very much mortified (and so is your Mother) that
a Grandson of mine should go to a Hotel, leave the City,
and not pay for his fare; and flatter myself there is some
mistake and you have paid the wrong person, and wish it
may be so. Otherways you are not fit to travel, and es-
pecially as you had money of me, and hope you will never
undertake such a commission again without having money
in hand from your employers to bear your expenses. Ex-
plain this as soon as possible."
The feelings of the chief victim of this small black-
mailing were expressed five days afterwards as fol-
lows :
149
" If on any occasion you find a Connecticut man at the
bar of a hotel, look out in future for trap; for my experience
has taught me that a Biped of that species requires close
watching, for he is sure to turn everything, especially a small
one, to the best account, and is generally on the lookout to
better himself by taking every advantage. J. S. VR."
Her cousin, the venerable relict of Bishop Benja-
min Moore, had died at an advanced age at her home
in Chelsea. She had a countenance of angelic sweet-
ness in her old age, which is faithfully preserved in a
portrait in the possession of her grandson, Benjamin
Moore, Esq., of Sing Sing, just, alas ! deceased. (See
Notitia H.)
"Deer, nth, 1838. Your two last letters one 5th and
the other 8th instant I sincerely thank you for, and consider
it a great mark of your affection in giving me the particulars
of the death and funeral of my dear Cousin, who has been
to me from the early stages of life until the final close of it
like an elder sister. She has been a most exemplary charac-
ter through her whole course of life, which seemed entirely
devoted to Piety and good acts ; and to her, death must
have been desirable, and I am much gratified its approach
was without much anguish.
"Always remember me most affectionately to Cousin
Bradhurst and all the family. And be on your guard
against the morning and evening dews, which is apt to
bring on a hoarseness, then a cough, which ends in Con-
sumption, which N. Y. is remarkable for from being so much
surrounded by water.
"Your Mother is well and with all the children unite in
love to you. Catharine is as lovely as ever, and Louisa
grows a fine child and like her. Your Grand Papa is well,
and for a long time in the fall when the fine weather lasted
was bent upon making you a visit. He is very proud of
you, as well as
"Your Affectionate Grand Mother,
"Elizabeth Dunkin."
"Feby. 1st, 1839. I am pretty well, but very careful of
myself and only go down stairs to dinner when the house is
warm, so that your poor mother has a double duty ; but she
150
has been uncommonly well this winter, notwithstanding the
severe cold.
" Mr. Vermilye's great powers of Eloquence and sympathy
has shown forth on the occasion of the l'atronn's death,
which occurred very suddenly last Saturday, lie was at
the table at dinner, and said to his family, ' I can't swallow,'
which were the last words he ever spoke. 1 [e was removed
to his room and died without a struggle. The next day
being Sunday, Doer. Vermilye in announcing the painful
event to the Congregation was solemn, Eloquent and impres-
sive, and was thought by all to say more in about a dozen
lines than another would in a sermon. But to-morrow the
funeral sermon is to come, which no doubt will he great in
displaying the virtues of so good and distinguished a charac-
ter. The Patroon's body was taken to the Church, and
after a short exhortation and Psalm the procession formed,
which your Father thinks consisted of one thousand People.
Many no doubt have been benefitted by him in some way
or other. There were no scarfs or any ostentation, not even
carriages. An invitation was given for the followers to call
at the Manor House and take refreshments, but few went.
"The Children are all well. Saml. reads the Bible every
evening with a prayer which he shuts his eyes when saying.
Catharine and Louisa are as lovely as they can he; the
latter understands every thing and walks a few steps alone."
"Monday. Mr. Vermilye shone out last evening with
all his great powers in a funeral sermon for the I'atroon.
He took his text from Genesis, where Jacob after providing
for his family in the promised land, and settling all his
worldly affairs, says, 'And now I wait Thy Salvation, my
GOD.' After describing the Character of a good man, he
then made the application, and twice mentioned the name of
Stephen Van Rensselaer as the one. I hope the sermon will
be in print, for then I will get one. Your Father, Margaretta
and Lydia were there, but the Church, large as it is, was full to
overflowing; but with great difficulty they pushed on, and
got seats by crowding on a bench. 1 thought you would
like to hear what is going on here respecting the death ot
this distinguished man, who is a public loss as well as a
private one."
She always'retained a great affection for the old
family servants, and never visited New York without
I5i
going to see the survivors of them. I had written
her the remarks of the Rev. James Richmond in St.
Mary's Church, Manhattanville, commending Jenny
to the imitation of the congregation because she had
taught her great-grandson the whole catechism before
he could read, so that he said it perfectly.
"May ioth, 1839. Your letter of the 6th instant was a
cordial to me. I have read it over and over again, because
in doing so I am reminded of most of the years of my life,
and that I have a Grand Son of so much feeling as to regard
merit even in a humble garb. Jenny was born in my
Father's house about the time my Sister Beekman was, and
was our playmate, and when my Father, agreeable to the
English mode, hired a teacher in the house to instruct us,
she was instructed with us ; which laid the foundation for
her after respectability. She was for more than fifty years
the main stay of the family in every way, and may almost
be said to be a Revolutionary Character ; for from Gen.
Washington down to all the Great Officers in the American
Army whom she has waited upon, she was noticed more
than in a common way by a shake of the hand, and, 'How
are you, Jenny?' She was also a great enthusiast in the
cause of Liberty. I think very much of Mr. Richmond for
his kind attention to her; and so did she, for I never saw
her without her praising Mr. and Mrs. Richmond ; and
concluded Mrs. Hamilton must have mentioned her to them;
for before the church was built at Manhattanvill she used to
walk to the one at Bloomingdale, when Mrs. Hamilton
would take her up and let her sit by the side of her driver.
She felt a secret pride in always being noticed by the first
people; but always knew her duty and her place."
"May 20th, 1839. ^ ou are always on my mind, but you
are in the hands of the Almighty, and He will take care of
you, through time and Eternity, I am sure."
'•March 18th, 1840. Your uncle Doer. Watkins arrived
here yesterday and leaves us to day. I asked him if he
would let me have for you Two large Histories of the
Bible with comments by Stackhouse, which I knew were of
no use to him. He said you should have them, and they
were at Harlem. Genl. Maunsell sent to England for them,
and read them every night with our dear Aunt in their room."
152
"Octr. 6th, 1840. Your letter has just come to hand and
reminds me of the old saying, that if a man will not attend
to his own business he will not have much to attend to long.
I have so often spoken to your Father and you on the sub-
ject of attending to the payment of the tax on your lot,
knowing what a man Tone was; and he has always said,
'It is paid, and Maunsell is on the spot and oughl to go to
the office and satisfy himself as to the certainty of it."
" Deer. 31st, 1840. Altho' my day for writing is passing
over, still I cannot resist the pleasure of wishing you a happy
New Year. With respect to happiness in this house, it is
gone forever, now the charm of it is removed to the realms
of bliss. This season of the year, with the exception of
the last, has been the most agreeable of any, but now is Un-
reverse. There is a constant weight on my spirits which
I think never will be removed while I mourn as 1 do fom
dear departed one. We think of you constantly and wish
you here. Louisa, who begins to talk every thing, often
speaks of brother Maunsell's coming to see her in the
steamboat, and then looks out of the window.
" You wished your Grand Father to give you an outline of
Historical reading, which he says he has done already ; and
I feel inclined to give you my ideas upon that subje< t. I irst,
the History of England, from whom we sprang with our Re-
ligion. Second, our own Country. And Third, the History
of Rome, because their history is connected with the historj
of the World whom they were forever at war with. The
above studies together with Theology will embrace a life
time."
"April 5th, 1841. Your letter to Ann Eliza was very ac-
ceptable, and has been read over and over again. With
respect to the creation of the world, it is now a subject in-
troduced in society, and brought forward by Geologists in
Lectures, and from what I can learn treated of much as you
do ; but being an interesting subject altho' involved in great
mysteries, has become a subject of conversation."
" Deer. 28th, 1 841. 1 have received a letter from Maun-
sell Bradhurst dated Deer. 15th, in which he announces the
death of his Mother, my dear and much loved cousin. She
had ever from my earliest recollection been to me like a kind
bd
Sister, and our love was mutual and fervent. She was not
confined to her bed at all, and only three days previous to
her departure to her room with a cough. She sat up the
evening before until eleven o'clock, then went to bed. But
her maid, who slept in her room, hearing a strong breathing
about five o'clock, went to her bedside, when she insisted
on her returning to bed and not disturbing the family ; which
she did ; and rose again about six, when the spirit had flown
to its immortal rest, where she was desirous of going, and
departed in full confidence of the mercies of God, which
she has often told me, with lifted hands, she never could be
grateful enough for ; and was fully sensible of all the bless-
ings she had received through a long course of life in her
husband, children, and their connections. Naturally of a
happy and placid disposition, beloved by everybody, she
departed in peace with God and man. I stand now the
only female representative of my Grand Parents' house and
large family, which the Almighty has singularly prospered."
BEAUTIFUL GRANDMAMMA.
Grandmamma sits in her quaint arm-chair;
Never was lady more sweet and fair ;
Her gray locks ripple like silver shells,
And her own brow its story tells
Of a gentle life and peaceful even,
A trust in God and a hope in Heaven.
Little girl Mary sits rocking away
In her own low seat, like some winsome fay;
Two doll babies her kisses share,
And another one lies by the side of her chair;
May is fair as the morning dew,
Cheeks of roses and ribbons of blue.
" Say, Grandmamma," says the pretty elf,
" Tell me a story about yourself.
When you were little, what did you play ?
Was you good or naughty, the whole long day ?
Was it hundreds and hundreds of years ago ?
And what makes your soft hair as white as snow?
" Did you have a mamma to hug and kiss?
And a dolly like this, and this, and this ?
Did you have a pussy like my little Kate ?
Did you go to bed when the clock struck' eight?
Did you have long curls and beads like mine,
And a new silk apron, with ribbons fine ? "
154
Grandmamma smiled at the little maid,
And, laying aside her knitting, she said :
"Goto my desk, and a red box you'll
Carefully lift it, and bring it to me."
So May put her dollies away, and ran,
Saying, "I'll he careful as ever I can."
Then grandmamma opened the box, ami lo !
A beautiful child, with throat like snow,
Lip just tinted like pink shells rare,
Eyes of hazel, and gulden hair.
Hand all dimpled, and teeth like pearls,
Fairest and sweetest of little girls.
" Oh, who is it ? " cried w insome May,
" I low I wish she were here to-day!
Wouldn't I love her like everything;
Say. dear grandmamma, who can she be ? "
" 1 'ailing," said grandma, " that child was me."
May looked long at the dimpled grace,
And then at the saint-like fair oh I fai e :
" How funny," site cried, with a smile and a 1.
" To have such a dear little grandma as thi '
Still," she added with smiling /est,
" I think, dear grandma, I like you best."
So May climbed on the silken knee,
And grandmamma told her history;
What plays she played, what toys she had.
How at times she was naughty, or good, or sad.
" Rut the best thing you did," said May, "don't you see?
Was to grow a beautiful grandma for me."
6
It must not be supposed from what has been stated
and set forth that there was any weak, easy-going
negligence in the manner of our bringing up. The
very love which ruled prompted fidelity in discipline,
and obedience, truthfulness and honesty were exacted.
Disobedience or viciousness enjoyed no indulgence,
and we had before our eyes the wholesome fear of
the "taws," an ancient weapon of schoolmasters — a
leather strap about two feet long and two inches
broad, cut half-way into thongs — famed in Ramsay's
line, " Never use the taws when a gloom (frown) can
do the turn." It ought to be said that our taws were
used as the poet prescribed — as the last resort.
155
CHAPTER ELEVENTH.
THE END.
On Easter Monday, April 7, 1845, I found the
following awaiting me in the post-office, where it had
been lying through Easter day, leaving me to perform
my duties undismayed by its alarming tidings.
"Albany, April 5, 1845.
"Friday Evg. 7^ o'clock.
" My dear Sox,
"On Monday last I took Lydia to N. York, leaving your
mother quite unwell with a bilious attack under the care of
Dr. March. On my return this morning I was met at the
door by your aunt Matilda with the intelligence that your
mother was alarmingly ill, and at death's door, and so I found
her; all this day life has been sustained by gentle stimulants
and chicken broth most carefully administered, and I am
happy to be able to say she is a degree easier, but so feeble
that she can scarcely be heard when she speaks and cannot
turn herself in bed, or raise herself without assistance. We
hope for the best, but she is in great danger, and the
Almighty alone can forsee the result. Mr. Russell has this
evening gone for Lydia, and we all think you had better
come down with the first practicable conveyance."
When I reached home that evening, after a day's
drive of sixty miles from Whitehall, she could not
speak to me, although apparently perfectly conscious,
and I never understood the accents of her loved and
loving voice again, though she lingered till the next
evening, when her sufferings ceased, and she "slept
in the LORD." And we were bereaved beyond all
156
power of language to express, but with the sweet' I
recollections to console us ; for all the poet Cowper
wrote on the portrait of his mother we could say of
our mother :
"Thy constant flow of love, that knew no fall ;
" Ne er roughen'd by those cataracts and brei
"Thai humour interposed loo often maki ;
"All this, still legible in memory'
"And still to be so to my latest age,
" Adds joy to duty, makes me glad to pay
" Such honours to thee as my pour words may."
From an Albany newspaper, April, 1845.
To the Memory of
MRS. ANN DUNKIN VAN RENSSELAER.
" For 011 the seal
" When I saw the solemn Yew,
" Keener was the pang than steel,
"'Twas a heart-string snapt in two."
We met her in life's early dawn, when earthly scenes are fair;
While yet the bridal-wreath she wore without a shade of care:
Maturer years saw youthful hearts surrounding her with love,
Whose minds she taught to know those truths that lead to realms above.
No duty was left unfulfilled of daughter, wife or friend;
The heavenly and the earthly seem'd within her soul to blend;
Tho' now departed from our sight, how oft do we recall
Her kindly and endearing ways of gentleness to all.
Altho' the home that knew her once will never know her mo
Remembrance will her presence keep, and every look restore;
The welcome smile that gladdened us, the tearful parting hour,
The heartfelt traits of tenderness — these are affection's dower.
The poor have lost a valued friend, on whom they long relied,
'Twas but to know their misery when she their wants supplied;
When pain and anguish were their lot, and grief the heart had riven,
She cheering bro't the balm of hope, and raised their tho'ts to Heaven.
Her many charities of life were never done for show,
But as the talent lent to her, all to the wretched owe.
Can we forget that such things were, and one so truly loved,
Who's every act on Memory's page some sweet memorial proved ?
Or shall we, with a Stoic pride, restrain the falling tear,
When lie, Whose precepts are our guide, wept o'er a human bier?
His power is now the same as then, and timely aid will give
Those who have put their trust in Him ; tho' dead yet shall they live-
To join the friends they mourn on earth in happier realms on high,
Where sorrow is unfelt, and tears are wiped from every eye.
Anon.
157
My venerable grandfather followed my mother,
after a lingering illness, June 18, in the same year,
having just completed his eighty-second year. Gen.
Jackson died in the same year, 1845. The following
is from the Albany Argus :
DEATH OF HON'. KILLIAN K. VAN RENSSELAER.
This venerable and much respected citizen expired yester-
day, at his residence in State street.
In the early part of the present century, Mr. Van Rensse-
laer was for many years prominently and honorably connected
with public affairs. Few citizens were more actively engaged
in political and public duties. He was frequently a repre-
sentative in the city councils, and for five successive terms,
a period of ten years, represented the city and county in
congress.
For more than twenty years, he has lived retired from
public pursuits; retaining the esteem and respect of his
fellow-citizens, and of a large circle of friends and family
connexions. He died full of years, having attained the
advanced a^e of 82.
*& x
Our master was, indeed, taken from our head that
day. He was a man of high character and unblemished
reputation, of elevated principles and exemplar)' life*
and a communicant of the Dutch church for many
years. Prof. John Nott used to say that he was the
most perfect gentleman he ever met. He was very
handsome, as the profile likeness at the beginning of
this volume, copied from that on pink paper by St.
Memin, in my possession, witnesses. As I remember
him in advanced years, he bore a striking resemblance
to a likeness of Archbishop Sumner, given by the
Archbishop to Bishop De Lancey, and by him to his
sister, Miss Martha A. De Lancey, at whose house I
used to see it whenever I entered the door. He was
tall and dignified in his appearance, courtly in his
M8
manners, and entirely unpretending and unobtrusive.
He was most punctilious in all matters of etiquette,
and quick in noticing any breach of it. Among
other good lessons, I learned one from him when he
criticised a member of a leading family as "no
gentleman, 7 ' because he cleaned his nails when making
a call on him. He was very hospitable, and alwa
expected his kindred and friends when they visited
Albany to lodge, or at least to dine with him, in the
fashion of the ancients. Every year his children and
grandchildren were gathered to a feast, where they
came at last to fill up the large dining-room. The
recollection of those feasts, and of the viands and
delicacies under which the table groaned, is enough
to make the mouth water. But more- potent yet to
start " the liquid fountains of the eyes" is the memory
it recalls of all the love and kindness, literally un-
bounded, outlasting all ingratitude and waywardne
of which they were the outward and visible sign.
What a brightness that love and tenderness shed upon
our childhood and youth, and what would our present
life have been without them? Alas! all are gone
whose memory those scenes recall, and nothing re-
mains to us but the recollection of them ; with grief
that we did not repay them more dutifully, and strive
more vigorously to realize their ideals for us.
He was rather taciturn, except when called out by
some historical question or reminiscence. His ac-
quaintance with history was so extensive that Solomon
Southwick, who was a proficient in it himself, men-
tioned him in one of his works as the best informed
authority on the subject with whom he was acquainted.
At his own request he was interred in the family
159
cemetery at Scotia by the side of my grandmother,
in the midst of kindred who had " always been," as
he expressed it, " his kind friends through life, and
with whom he wished to rest in death."
Our beloved grandmother, Elizabeth Dunkin, was
taken from us October 17, 1846, a bereavement which
severed our last link with the elder generation.
fc> v
" Albany, Nov. 5th, 1855. Uncle William is very ill,
and has been for some time. The family have tried to think
he would recover, but now Dr. March and Dr. Hun pro-
nounce the case as hopeless, and do not think he can live
but a few days at the longest. Papa, Uncles Richard and
Bernard feel very sad. Aunt Matilda thinks he has been
ailing for a year or more, but has not said anything about it.
Dr. March says he has never in his life seen any one so
patient as uncle William. Your affectionate sister,
" M. S. Russell."
He expired four days afterwards, " a devout man
and one that feared God" from his youth, and was
laid in the Albany Rural Cemetery.
On September 12, 1857, the Central America
steamer, of which my brother Charles was first officer
under Captain Herndon, was lost off Cape Hatteras,
with four hundred souls on board, after saving all the
women and children on a passing vessel. The inci-
dent caused a profound sensation throughout the
whole nation and the world. The terrible catastrophe
of the Arctic, September 27, 1854, in which so many,
including my wife's only brother, James Beloste Tay-
lor, M. D., her surgeon, perished in mid ocean, chiefly
from want of discipline, had so affected him that he
declared to my father that in a similar emergency his
first care would be to rescue the women and children.
We little thought then how soon he would be called
160
on to fulfill his purpose at the cost of his own life.
Of the many articles which appeared in newspaper-.
and periodicals in reference to this event I subjoin a
few in Notitia G. The following is from the Albany
Evening Journal :
CHARLES W. VAN RENSSELAER,
FIRST OFFICER OF THE CENTRAL V.M1 RI( A.
I.
He stood upon the wreck,
By gallant Herndon's side;
Fear brooded darkly o'er the deck,
Death stalked upon the tide;
Around him, strong men wept, or cursed, or prayed;
But he was one of few
Among that fated crew,
Who, to their duty true,
Felt not afraid.
II.
Whatever man could do,
He had done, his ship to save;
His toilsome labors now were through,
Beneath him yawned his grave;
There was nothing left for him — hut to die —
Yet, though all hope had lied,
Unfaltering was his tread
Nor paled his face with dread,
Nor dimmed his eye,
III.
What thoughts rose in his breast,
As he stood and gazed below ;
What holy memories un repressed,
We now can never know .
But that a fervent prayer he there breathed out,
That Heaven the hearts would cheer,
And wipe away each tear,
Of all at home most dear,
Oh, who can doubt ?
IV.
There are many here who mourn
That they cannot see him more ;
They sadly weep that he is gone,
That hope for him is o'er ;
161
But midst their hitter tears they yet can boast,
That no blush of recreant shame
Can sully his fair fame ;
For he, to guard his name,
Died at his post.
Though the billows o'er him wave
And his face is no more seen ;
Yet those whom he has died to save,
Will keep his memory screen.
Those rescued ones will ever hold most dear
He, who, midst storm and strife,
To succor child and wife,
Gladly laid down his life,
Van Rensselaer!
Five years afterwards, October 19, 1862, our
beloved Louisa was taken from us, leaving a babe a
fortnight old. She had been married to Charles
de Kay Townsend, December 18, i860. She had
been our pet and care, especially since the death of
our dear mother, and her sudden and untimely death
was a great affliction to us all.
March 19, 1868, we lost our father, three weeks
before attaining his seventy-sixth year. It was my
great privilege to be able to minister to him, during
a sickness in which he suffered much, with unyielding
firmness and patience, and to receive his affectionate
acknowledgments for it, as his" prop" and "sup-
port." The Association of Veterans of 181 2, who
had made him their General-in-chief, requested the
family to allow them to bury him with military honors ;
but it was the wish of all, including his surviving
brothers, that the family custom of private funerals
shound not be departed from. The following notices
appeared in the public prints :
162
DEATH OF JOHN S. VAN RENSSI I . .
Another of our old citizens, and one in the lineage <>l
our Knickerbocker ancestry, has, in the fullne s of time,
passed from us. After a brief illness, John S. Van Rei
selaer died this morning. To within ;i very brief period, he
had been in the enjoyment of that good health and bodily
vigor which had always characterized his hie.
Mr. Van Rensselaer was tin- eldesl son oi Killian Van
Rensselaer. He is the lineal descendant <>t the brother of
the first "Patroon" of Rensselaerwyclc, who became the
proprietor of the Claverack patent. The decea ed thus
fully inherited the characteristit ; ol the early Dutch ettl
of our city and the country hereabouts, and whose impn
still, to some extent, gives tone to our character as a people.
He was born in 1792. He received an education quite
fully up to the standard of his day ; he graduated at I Dion
College; he studied the law, and for some years pui sued its
practice. His youthful ardor and patriotism led him to
take part in the war of 181 2, in which he served in the army
under Hampton in the vicinity of bake Champlain.
Mr. Van Rensselaer held but few public offices, his ambi-
tion not leading him in that direction. He lias been an
alderman of the city, and in that capacity evinced his pub-
lic spirit, his prudence and wisdom.
He leaves behind him a memory of that solid good sense,
that sterling integrity, and warnidiearted nature which so
eminently distinguished the stock whence he sprang.
DEATH OF GEN. JOHN S. VAN RENSSI I U.K.
In the death of Gen. John S. Van Rensselaer, Albany
loses a citizen who has been conspicuous in its society during
a long life time — a representative of one of the old Dutch
families that founded our city and State. His father Killian
K. Van Rensselaer, represented this county for five succes-
sive terms in the House of Representatives. Three of his
uncles served in the Revolutionary War. Nicholas Van
Rensselaer was an aide to Gen. Schuyler, Phillip was Quarter-
master, and Henry K., Colonel.
Gen. John S., just deceased, though a young man, not
yet of age, served in the war of 1812, and rendered some
valuable services. His identification with this period of our
national history made him in later years the representative
and champion of the surviving veterans when their claims
163
for services came before the country. He was Military
Secretary and Confidential Aide of Gov. De Witt Clinton
during his administration. He was educated to the bar, and
was appointed Judge of the County, but he did not closely
pursue the profession of the law. For a while he edited the
Advertiser of this city, an influential paper; and took a
prominent part in the political struggles of the day. But
he was never led by party attachment to forget his obliga-
tions to the country. He was a warm-hearted patriot, and
loved the Constitution and Government of his fathers, and
dreaded the perils to which they were exposed and allied
himself to those who defended them. He was a public
spirited citizen, and warmly identified himself with whatever
would add to the fame or progress of Albany.
He had in his composition none of phlegm, which is
supposed to characterise the people of Holland; but was
remarkable for vivacity of expression and manner, and a
generous impulsiveness.
His well-stored mind, and his wide communion with men
and active participation in events, made his conversation as
instructive as agreeable. And he retained to the close of
his life the animation, and joyous and gallant spirit of his
youth.
Having returned from a three years' absence in
Europe in May, 1879, I found my oldest sister, Mar-
garetta, hopelessly ill. She expired June 16th, leav-
ing a sad void in her family and circle of relatives.
She had been my earliest playmate and companion,
and I cannot remember time which was not asso-
ciated with her. She had passed over thirty years of
an exemplary widowhood, devoting herself to the care
and education of her two children, who grew up to
reward her affection and labors by an unfaltering love
and a ready fulfilment of her desires and aims for
their welfare.
My venerable uncle Bernard followed her on the
25th of the same month at the advanced age of sev-
enty-eight years, five months, thirteen days. He was
164
always the kindest and most affectionate of men. and
sincerely devoted to his kindred of all d<- I
am under the greatest obligations to him for a host
of services and kindnesses done me in childhood and
youth, continued through his whole life, and not end-
ing with his death. He honored my sons, as well
benefited them, by making them his inheritors, and
his memory should be reverently cherished by them
and their descendants.
DEATH OF B. S. VAN RENSSELAER.
Our citizens were startled yesterday afternoon by the an-
nouncement of the death of Mr. B. S. Van Rensselaer,
which took place between twelve and one o'clock, at his
residence, No. 112 State street, where he has lived for a
good many years. Mr. Van Rensselaer was a descendant
of the old family of that name, and while yet a young man
was appointed to a position in the office of the Surveyor-
General of the State, and continued to hold the same through
the several changes of politics until within a few months of
his death, and he, without doubt, served the State a greater
number of consecutive years than any person ever in its em-
ploy. The title of the office was changed by the Constitu-
tion of 1846 from Surveyor-General to that of State En
gineer and Surveyor, and Mr. Van Rensselaer continued to
hold the position under the most accomplished Engineers
who have filled the place, viz.: Charles B. Stewart, II. C.
Seymour, W. }. McAlpine, John T. Clark, Silas Seymour,
Van R. Richmond, Wm. B. Taylor, J. P. Goodsell, S. II.
Sweet, J. D. Van Buren, Jr., and lastly under the present
incumbent, Horatio Seymour, Jr.
Mr. Van Rensselaer was known from one end of the State
to the other as the well-posted Land Clerk of the office, and
many an intricate case in which there was a dispute as to
title and location has been worked out by him.
About a year since his health began to fail, and last fall
he was obliged to give up office work, and for the past three
or four months has been out but little. Yesterday morning
early his lower limbs became paralyzed, and in a \cw hours
he expired. He was in the seventy-ninth year of his age.
165
He has been a widower for many years, and leaves surviv-
ing one brother — Richard — who is the President of the
Merchants' National Bank. The deceased Mr. Van Rens-
selaer was known for his many deeds of charity and benev-
olence, and will be sadly missed by many partakers of his
bounty. Albany Argus.
AT A MEETING OF THE HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS AND CLERKS
OF THE STATE OFFICES, HELD JUNE 27, 1879, AT THE
OFFICE OF THE STATE ENGINEER AND SURVEYOR, THE FOL-
LOWING WAS ADOPTED, VIZ. :
The former associates of the late Bernard S. Van Rensselaer
in the various departments of the State Government, being
assembled together in the State Hall on this 27th day of
June, 1879, do unanimously agree upon the following:
Resolved, That we have heard with unfeigned sorrow of
the death of our old associate and friend, than whom, we
believe, a more honorable or kinder hearted man never lived.
Resolved, That we point with pride to his long, eminently
useful and pre-eminently honorable connection with the
office of the Surveyor- General and of the State Engineer
and Surveyor, extending as it did over a period of upwards
of forty years ; a connection which he maintained under all
parties and administrations, which is not marred by a single
blemish, and which was severed only by infirmity and death:
Resolved, That we who knew him so well, some of us so
intimately, bear quick and cheerful testimony to his kindness
of heart, his undeviating courtesy of manner, his strict and
faithful attention to duty, and to his unswerving honesty of
purpose and action.
Resolved, That as he goes down to the grave full of years,
lamented by all his associates and acquaintances, and at the
end of a long and most honorable career, we feel it a priv-
ilege no less than a duty to draw public attention to his
many virtues, and to publicly express the deep sensibility of
the loss which we have sustained in a friend, and the State
in an old and faithful servant.
Resolved, That as a mark of respect we attend the funeral
in a body.
Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be forwarded
166
to the surviving brother of the deceased, and that they be
published in the daily newspapers of the city of Albany.
W. G. M. Phelps, W. McGourkey,
Secretary. Chairman.
And, " to end this strange, eventful history" of two
generations, Richard, the only survivor of the brothers,
passed peacefully away March 29, 1880, at the good
old age of eighty-two years, three months and five
days, thus severing the last link which connected us
with the elder generation. He was remarkable for
great personal beauty, a quiet demeanour, invincible
firmness and resolution, unbending integrity, a high
sense of justice, large hospitality and kindness, and
a strong and enduring attachment to his kindred. I
saw more of him and learned more of his excellent
character in the last few months of his life than ever
before, and it was my privilege to receive from him
marks of confidence and affection which it is a great
happiness to remember. His death was felt to be a
loss to the community in which he had been born
and spent all his days.
RICHARD VAN RENSSELAER.
The old landmarks of Albany are rapidly passing away.
The truth of this statement is given peculiar and added
force in the fact that last evening, at his residence, 112 State
street, passed away the last of his branch of the Van Rens-
selaer family in the person of Richard Van Rensselaer.
The deceased had been, during all his long life, an honored,
upright and public-spirited citizen, and his death, in the
maturity and ripeness of old age, gathers to his fathers the
oldest and, most singularly, the last surviving member of the
family.
Mr. Van Rensselaer proceeded yesterday morning, as
usual, to his office with his servant, but he had no sooner
taken off his overcoat and shoes than he complained of a
sharp and severe pain across the chest, and was obliged to
167
lie down. Dr. Ward was immediately summoned, and
directed that he should be taken to his home, which was at
once done. He grew rapidly worse, but remained perfectly
conscious and rational until a few minutes before his death,
which occurred just before nine o'clock last evening. The
immediate cause of his death is not definitely known, but it
is supposed to have been from an affection of the heart.
Richard Van Rensselaer was born in this city in State
street near the Old Elm Tree corner, December 24, 1797,
and was therefore in the eighty-third year of his age. His
father was Killian K. Van Rensselaer, who, it is a notable
fact, was the first Representative in the Congress of the
United States from this district; and his mother was
Margaretta Sanders, great-grandaughter of Robert Sanders,
famous in the annals of this city for his knowledge of the
Indian languages and his influence over the Five Nations.
He graduated at Union College in 18 16, in company with
his brother William, was admitted to the bar, and made a
Master in Chancery by Chancellor Kent. His disposition
was always retiring, and his manners plain and unobtrusive.
He never sought nor would accept public or political place,
but was content to spend his long and honorable life in a
private station, and to the very last he set an example of
industry in his business and fidelity in every trust committed
to him.
It is a fact worthy of note that his death follows so close
upon that of another of Albany's oldest and most respected
citizens, Mr. Thos. W. Olcott, whose funeral on Wednesday
last Mr. Van Rensselaer was quite desirous to attend. By
reason of the inclement weather and advice of his friends,
he was obliged to forego the solemn duty. Mr. Van Rens-
selaer was, at the time of his death, President of the Mer-
chants' National Bank of this city, and a director in the
Albany & Schenectady Turnpike Company and of the
Albany Gas-light Company.
Albany Argus, March 30, 1S80.
168
^fa^AfJtUc-
REMINISCENCES OF BOYHOOD.
" SCOTIA."
Scotia was the home of my great-uncle, Judge |'>lm
Sanders, who maintained the reputation for unbounded
hospitality which it had enjoyed ever since its settle-
ment by his maternal great-great-grandfather, Alex-
ander Lenderse Glen, in 1661. ( Vide Wei e's His-
tory of Albany and Notitia to this paper.) It is on
the left bank of the Mohawk river about three-quart'
of a mile above Schenectady. The existing mansion
bears on its front " 17 13 " in antique figures, its pre-
decessor having been carried away by the encroach-
ments of the river, which has often threatened to
undermine the present one. It had escaped destruc-
tion by the French in their sack of Schenectady in
1692, in consequence of the kindness of my -rand-
mother's great-grandfather and his brother in saving
a French priest whom the Mohawk Indians were going
to torture to death, as I have narrated in a paper
printed in the publications of the New York Histor-
ical Society for 1846. My frequent visits there from
my earliest childhood mingled the charm of romance
with present pleasures, of which I never grew weary.
My uncle had a large family, and almost all of his
children were about him or near him. His grand-
children were mostly of my own age, and they all
shared in the hospitable feelings of their head. The
house was always full, and there was plenty of good
169
cheer. In the winter we had sleighing and coasting,
and home-made sausages and headcheeses and buck-
wheat cakes, with oileykoeks and crullas, and the
great open fireplace filled with logs, and no fear of
frost. In the summer we had all the enjoyments of
country life without stint. My uncle had much land
which he cultivated, and, like Boaz, he went out into
the fields among his reapers, and did not disdain to
handle the pitchfork and the rake in haying and har-
vest times. There had always been a large retinue
of black servants, some of whom remained to my
time, and they were not among the least interesting
peculiarities of Scotia. They used the Dutch lan-
guage, and were as saucy as privileged negroes are
wont to be. The sable cooks especially were absolute
in the kitchen, and " Oar out dar now, or I'll gib yer
de broomstick ! " was often a welcome for us young-
sters when we intruded into their domain when they
were getting dinner ready. At other times they were
full of affection and kindness, and made us happy
with nuts, cakes and apples, and other enemies to
health and sound sleep, and entertained us with ghost
stories and the music " ob de fiddle," in which par-
ticular instrument some one of them was sure to be
accomplished for the benefit of the dancers, white as
well as black. They had their superstitions, of course,
and a venerable coachman, Pietje by name, was firmly
believed to have the gift of second sight ; a belief
which was not confined to his sable companions, since
remarkable traditions of his predictions were long
preserved in the family. Their loyalty and fidelity
to their masters was unimpeachable and unassailable,
of which my uncle had an amusing instance to nar-
170
rate in connection with the same Pietje. A neighbor,
evidently taking for granted that a negro could not
be more honest than himself, offered Pietje a dollar if
he would bring him one of his master's she< p dressed
for a feast which he was preparing in connection with
a " husking bee." Pietje agreed, and at the appointed
time carried the meat to him, which was thai ol one
of his own sheep which Pietje had taken from his own
flock, and carried away the dollar. When he di cov-
ered the trick and saw how he had outwitted himself
he took Pietje to task for stealing his sheep ; to which
the old darkey, with his ready wit, replied : " O ! it's
all de same ting, sah, it's all de same ting;" it w;
white man thief calling black man thief. And thi n
he added, " Did he tink he could make me steal from
my master? "
My uncle was emphatically a " gentleman of the
old school," " modern degeneracy had not reach
him." In his dress he adhered to the customs of the
last century, and never abandoned small clothes, ^ilk-
stockings, and shoes with silver buckles. He v.
grave and dignified in his manners, and expected the
respect due to elders from the young. After one
of my visits at his house, when not very large, he
told my father, to my great confusion, that I
" laughed too loudly," which was undoubtedly disre-
spectful in his view, although entirely unintentional,
for it was impossible not to respect so upright and
dignified a man. I do not remember, however, to
have entertained any dread in his presence, and it
must have been from the kindness and friendliness
which were habitual with him towards his kindred.
He was noted for his courage and resolution, of which
171
he had given proof on notable occasions. There
was a tradition that a bear, forced by hunger in a
severe winter, had raided upon his domain and been
slain by him in " the camp," which was handed down
in popular legend as the spot where the French en-
camped before their attack on Schenectady. Before
the canals were made through the State, goods were
carried to and from the west either in " batteaux " on
the Mohawk that flows by Scotia, or in huge covered
wagons or sleighs along the turnpikes, one of which
passed through his estate. During the season of
navigation the river was alive with the passing bat-
teaux, illumined at night with hundreds of lights,
and lively with the music of bugles and the songs
and cries of the boatmen poling their boats against
the stream. In the winter long trains of baggage
wagons or sleighs filled the roads, and, especially
when snow covered the ground, made passing diffi-
cult. The teamsters were a notoriously hard lot, made
bolder by the numbers in which they pursued their
journeys. On a winter's day he was driving home
alone in his sleigh, when he met a train which com-
pletely filled the single track in the snow, and com-
pelled him to draw aside to let them pass. Sleigh
after sleigh passed him quietly enough till at last a
ruffian driver, as he passed, lifted his long whip and
gave Judge Sanders a severe cut across the shoulders.
He said nothing, but when the last had gone by he
turned his horse into the track and followed them,
knowing that they would stop at the first tavern
beyond. When they had all assembled in the bar-
room he appeared among them, horsewhip in hand,
and said, " I am John Sanders, and a magistrate.
i 72
One of you has committed a brutal and cowardly
assault on a peaceable traveller on the highway. If
he is not given up I shall commit all of you." They
knew him well enough to know that he would be as
good as his word, and that he was a dangerous party
to trifle with. So after a little deliberation tin-
aggressor presented himself and confessed his offence.
My uncle, feeling that the dignity and authority of
his office, as well as the safety of his person, had
been outraged, gave him the choice of instant arrest
and commitment or summary punishment then and
there. He chose the latter, and submitted with the
best grace he could to a severe castigation which the
judge inflicted on him in person, thus saving the cost
of imprisonment, trial and fine, and securing immunity
for himself and all travellers in his bailiwick, from
that time forth, from rash or drunken teamster^.
My recollection carries me back to the time when
the family at Scotia consisted of my uncle and aunt
(his second wife), his widowed daughter, Mrs. Ander-
son, " Cousin Betsy," whose scape-grace of a husband
had died at sea and she could never be convinced
that he would not reappear, which was the last thing
that her kindred wished for; "Cousin Jacob,"
"Cousin Robert," "Cousin Peter, " "Cousin Theo-
dore." "Cousin Barent," the eldest, lived near by
with his family; and "Cousin John" lived on the
''Sanders Patent" on the upper waters of the Hud-
son, but afterwards married Jane Livingston and went
to live at Clermont, Columbia county. All had some-
thing to do; Mrs. Anderson looking after the domes-
tic affairs, and the stalwart sons finding plenty to
occupy them in the care of " the flats," or the mill,
173
or the outlying farms. After the change from slave
to free labor the difficulty in getting along with
laborers had led my uncle to attempt an heroic
remedy by procuring through our Consul agricultural
people from England. The experiment was emi-
nently successful, and relieved him from all anxiety,
three or four respectable families having been brought
over by him and settled on the place ; their children
taking their places, and becoming useful and reputable
citizens. They represented the best class of English
farm hands, and I never heard of one of them becom-
ing discontented or giving trouble. Besides the home
circle there was "Cousin Sail}-," Mrs. Peter S. Van
Rensselaer, mentioned before, and " Cousin Caty,"
Mrs. Gerard Beekman, who lived in New York. These
all were wont to make an annual pilgrimage to the
family nest, and in my childhood they would often
meet there at the same time, and we among them. As
long as my grandmother was able to endure the fatigue
she and my grandfather took advantage of the earliest
sleighing to order the family sleigh to be put in order,
provided with buffalo robes and the indispensable foot-
stove, and with my grandmother protected against
the cold by the furs of finest texture presented to
her mother by Sir William Johnson, drive over across
the sand plains, cross the Mohawk on the ice, and
settle down for a good quiet visit with the kindred,
who were never more happy than when welcoming
them. O how I have wished, when seeing the com-
fortable old sleigh start off with its precious freight,
that I was going with them ! I know how those
visits were prized on both sides, and how they served
to bind each together " in the bundle of life."
174
Every year Mr. and Mrs. Beekman spent a part <>f
the summer with her father, bringing with them their
only son, James William, and it was our meetin
there that produced the affectionate intimacy which
made him my dearest friend. He was between two
and three years older than I, hut my first recoil ction
of him is that of a sickly snd delicate child, anxiously
watched over by his mother, whom no one expect
to live long. A heartless relative once told his mother
so, and she only replied, " But he may live," ami per-
severed till her love and faith were rewarded by his
growing up a health}' and active youth. I recall with
shame a mean feeling of superiority over my sickly
cousin inspired by my own robust health, but, thank
God, I outgrew it, to find him one of the most charm-
ing of companions and truest of friends. The inter-
course between the families was close and frequent,
as we were connected on both sides, his uncle James
having married my mother's aunt. As a boy and
playmate, he was full of humor and good nature,
ready for a frolic and appreciating a good joke, es-
pecially if played off on his worthy uncles and aunt-,
the former, sooth to say, being quite read}- to repay
in kind, and rather difficult to find napping, alwa;
excepting " Pappy Piet." Pleasant were the rambles
we were wont to take along the banks of " the lake, - '
through the woods, and to " East Scotia," the home
of his bachelor uncles after their father's death. He
brought from New York a " stub and twist " fowling
piece, which was my envy ; and he had a book of
flies, and we essayed the babbling brooks for trout,
but the trout were remarkably indifferent to our ap-
proaches and gave us no encouragement to speak of.
175
In the style of my grandfather's Harvard correspond-
ent, H. G. Otis, we could say :
" Libet jacere, modo sub antiqua ilice,
Modo in tenaci gramine.
Labuntur altis interim ripis aquae,
Queruntur in silvis aves,
Fontesque lymphis obstrepunt manantibus,
Somnos quod invitet leves." Hor. Epod. ii.
" Free to recline, now under aged ilex,
Now in frank sunshine on the matted grass,
While thro' the steep banks slip the gliding waters,
And birds are plaintive in the forest glens,
And limpid fountains, with a drowsy tinkle,
Invite the light wings of the noonday sleep."
Lord Lytton.
Our re-unions at " the old Hive," as he called it,
continued up to my graduation in 1838, when I en-
tered the Seminary at New York. Then he went
abroad for a year, and not long after his return was
married. But our correspondence was never given
up, lasting up to within a short time of his ever-
to-be-lamented death — forty-three years. If inter-
mitted at times it was only to be revived with in-
creased earnestness. His letters which I have pre-
served give an exact idea of his rare character. They
abound in wit and humor, of which he had a great
store, in good advice, in thoughtful observations about
men and events, and in enduring affection. He had
a fine intellect, which had been carefully cultivated,
keen observation, a sound judgment, and great prac-
tical wisdom. His opinion on any subject was sure
to be valuable, and his counsel sound, because he
took pains in informing himself. This has been sig-
nally illustrated in the history of the affairs of Union
College, which is indebted to his fidelity and courage
for whatever endowment has been preserved to it.
He had a taste for natural science and mechanics,
176
and the invention of an electrical motor was one of
our divertisements at " East Scotia," of which two
large copper disks are the surviving mementoes. 1 le
had a good literary taste, and read the old authors
with unabated pleasure. But all this was nothing in
comparison with his exalted idea of right and truth,
his high principle, his stern integrity, and the sacred-
ness of his word. Reverence for sacred things seemed
an instinct in him, and religion was always, even in
his gayest moments, a most serious thing. He wa
humble, devout, child-like, cheerful in his religious
character, making God the beginning and the end of
all things, referring all things to Him, receiving every
event as from Him, and full of gratitude for His mer-
cies, and submission to I lis chastisements. There
was a peculiar tenderness in his prayers to the " Dear
Father," and he abounded in charity and in tender-
ness and love for souls, which was a perpetual incen-
tive to those who knew him well. The Holy Scrip-
tures were his especial delight; they were the guide
by which he fashioned his life, the counsel that in-
structed him, and the comforter that consoled him ;
and he read them constantly, reverently and devoutly.
I might fill pages with specimens of wit and wisdom
from his letters; but the extract below will serve to
show his inmost heart under a most trying ordeal, and
reveal his affection, his courage and his faith.
"New York, November 21, 1853.
" My dear Maunsell :
" How naturally do we think of old tried friends in times
of trouble ! I know not why, but my heart has been think-
ing of you all day, and I must let you know by paper of the
dire calamity which has been impending over me for a fort-
night past.
177
" My dear wife was suddenly attacked on Sunday morn-
ing, 6th Now, with a terrible malady, so violent that within
two hours she was brought to the verge of the grave. And
now, after 15 days, she still lingers in bed, with three phys-
icians attending twice a day, and oscillating between life and
death, from the fact that she had been twice at the Quar-
antine dock, Staten Island, on the Thursday previous to her
attack, and from the extreme malignancy of it, there is rea-
son to believe that she had the Asiatic Cholera. Certainly
it is not easy to conceive anything more frightful than her
sickness. After lingering a week, on the next Sunday she
relapsed, and the doctor staid with her all that day and that
night. About midnight he told me that she could not live
more than an hour. I asked whether the shock of telling
her would endanger her life. He replied, nothing could
make her more ill than she then was. I first told the sad
news to her brother William and to her sisters, Mrs. Graham
and Mrs. Brett; and then I had the hardest task which man
can well be called on to perform — the duty of telling my
best beloved that she must soon die. Kneeling by her side,
I told her the sad message. Without the least change of
countenance or tremor of voice she replied, ' I thought I
was getting well ; but God's will be done ! I have not left
the preparation for death until now.' Then she calmly took
leave of us all. ' James,' said she, ' promise me that you
will no longer give so much of your time to other people,
neglecting your own children. Promise me to attend to
them first. See that they are well educated ; a good educa-
tion is the only thing they cannot lose. Bring them up in
the fear of the Lord.' She blessed her little ones — too
little to comprehend their bereavement — and said, 'The
Lord will take care of my children.' Then she spoke
kindly to each of the servants, and made requests of some
of them ; then composed herself to die. At her request
I read some passages of Scripture and some hymns, and
after some time prayed with her. Her voice was calm and
unshaken, and her intellect clear as I have ever known it.
Indeed she seemed buoyed above not only the fear of death,
but all earthly passion. Affection was strong, especially for
her brother William ; but no tear of sorrow or word of re-
pining fell from her. It is the Lord — He doeth all things
well.
"Another week has passed — a week of strife between
prayers and medical skill and the disease. She does not
178
improve as we hoped. A new malady (intermittenl
showed itself yesterday, and all day she has remained ve
sick, indeed. Imagine the distress and anxiety we all
suffer — our hopes and fears. Whom the l.< >RD loveth
correcteth. Pray for me and for us all, my friend and
Christian brother — pray that Grace may be given to 1
what He may send, and that she may be spared, if possible,
to her little children and husband. Whatever maj be the
issue of this affliction, I trust it may be san< tified to U .ill.
"I have withdrawn from public business, and declined
some honorable advances made toward me 1
Judaeus) Thurlow Weed himself touching the Se< "t
Stateship. I wished the opportunity and leisure to prepare
a memoir of Dr. Milledoler, but so far there i- no leisure
for anything so lime-taking as literary studies. Man
appoints, GOD disappoints, when it is for our good; for
we know that must be plain to us hereafter which is obs< U
and even impossible now. How can thus or so be right?
'Be still, and know that I am GOD,' says the Word — the
Book — and my heart responds, Amen!"
It was our lot to spend the winter of 1S7S-9 at the
Villa Lomellini (Grand Hotel), Pegli, Italy, in com-
pany with Dr. Campbell Stewart, the physician of
Mrs. Beekman on this occasion, and he comfirmed
our impressions of the severity of the disease, and
the unexpectedness of the recover}-. On July 1 . 1 S76,
Mr. Beekman came down from Oyster Bay to sec us
off on the City of Berlin, ami bade US farewell with
his usual good spirits and kindness. It was the last
time I had the privilege of seeing him. On landing
at the same pier, the same day and hour, the next
year, the first tidings I received were of his lamented
death a fortnight before. May he rest in peace, and
max- perpetual light shine upon him!
" Multis ille bonis flebilis occidit :
Nulli flebilior quam mihi."
"James W. Beekman, for many years known for his 1
nection with New York's public and private charities, died
179
at his residence, No. 5 East Thirty-fourth street, in
the sixty-second year of his age. He was born in
this city on the 2 2d of November, 181 5, and with the
exception of the time spent in late years at his country seat
at Oyster Bay, L. I., and one or possibly two trips to Europe
and the Mediterranean shores of Asia and Africa, he has
lived here continuously. He was an only child, and a direct
descendant of William Beekman, one of the first town offi-
cers of New Amsterdam under its first town charter in
1652, when Cornelius Van Tienhoven was chosen the first
'schout.' Another of his ancestors, Gerardus Beekman,
governed the colony in 17 10, after the recall of Lord Love-
lace. He received a good education as became the estate
of his family, and won in early life the esteem of all those
who came into contact with him. On the demise of his
parents he found himself the inheritor of a handsome prop-
erty as yet but partly developed. Mr. Beekman always took
a quiet interest in political affairs, but only once did he hold
a political office ; this was in his young days, when he was
chosen one of the city delegation to the State Senate. For
very many years he was one of the most active members of
the Governing Board of the New York Hospital, and more
recently became one of its vice-presidents. At the same
time he was President of the Woman's Hospital and a di-
rector of the Xew York Dispensary and of several other
charitable institutions. His time was mainly occupied in
attending to the various duties which devolved on him in
managing his property, most of which consisted of real es-
tate. He was one of the most cordial and polished and at
the same time one of the most retired and unostentatious of
men. Mr. Beekman naturally took a great delight in old
New York, its families and its history. He was one of the
most prominent members of the Historical Society, and also
of the St. Nicholas Society, and at the time of his death he
was the president of the new club which bears that name.
While not exactly what is vaguely known as a ' society '
man, he did not live the life of a recluse, but always endea-
vored to strike the ' golden mean ' in this as in other things.
He married when quite young. Four children survive him
— two sons and two daughters.
" The Executive Committee of the Historical Society held
a meeting when it was voted to attend in a body the funeral,
which will take place on Tuesday morning from the Re-
formed Dutch Church, corner of Fifth avenue and Twenty-
180
ninth street. The St. Nicholas Society and Club will both
meet to-morrow at the offices of the Lorillard [nsurance
Company to take suitable action.
" Mr. Beekman's disease was an aggravated form of pneu-
monia induced by exposure. It first showed itself some four
weeks ago, but the news of his death yesterday was a sur-
prise to all his friends."
"CHERRY HILL.
"Cherry Hill" has passed out of tin- po ion
of its hereditary owners, and begs a kind word of
grateful remembrance from me. It used to be a pleas-
ant place to visit in the old days, and I recall many a
happy hour spent there, especially when the cherri
were ripe, and we could have all that we wanted.
It was built by my uncle Philip in 176S, the year of
his marriage with Maria, daughter of Robert Sanders,
who was my grandmother Van Rensselaer's uncle.
In my possession is an ancient leaf from a memo-
randum book, on which is inscribed in faded ink the
following record of the marriage, apparently in the
handwriting of a clerk of my great-grandfather Van
Rensselaer :
"Philip Van Rensselaer — Maria Sanders, June 1 \.
176S."
"The rose is red, the violet blue;
Crow-nation's sweet, and so are yon."
He had an extensive correspondence, and the fol-
lowing, endorsed by him, " March 20, 1765. A letter
not signed, but supposed to be off Mr. Richard
Yates," gives a curious picture of the period just
before the Revolution.
1S1
"New York, March 20, 1775.
"Mr. Philip Van Rensselaer,
"DrSir,
"There are many people in this City who sell tea, Clan-
destinely, altho' it is recommended by the late Congress that
none should be made use of — which is not much attended
to. The people who have tea in this city intend to Petition
the next Congress for Liberty to sell what they have on
hand, so that when you receive this, you will be pleased not
to sell any that you have of mine, under 4s. for cash or
4S.6d. for barter.
" I am, Dr Sir,
" Your Friend &c."
" N.B. — Be pleased to keep the above as secret as possible.
With his father and two brothers he joined the
Continental army, and was appointed to the import-
ant and responsible post of Military Storekeeper at
Albany. The following are from the correspondence
connected with his duties :
"Albanv, 17 July, 1776.
"Sir:
" Inclosed you have a letter for Major- General Gates
which you will be pleased to forward to him, as also all the
stores which you will receive from me, to Ticonderoga. The
bearer will deliver you two Hhds of Cartridge paper and 2
Tierces of Shoes, one containing 125 prs, and the other
containing 140 prs, for which you will be pleased to send
me a receipt. The shoes must be sent to Benjamin Egberts,
Storekeeper at Ticonderoga.
" I am, Sir, your
" Most Humble Servt,
" P. V. Rensselaer.
"To the Commanding Officer at Fort George."
"Tyconderoga, Nov. 21, 1776.
"Dr. Sr.
" I do enclose you a Letter for Colo Day which you will
be pleased to deliver to Colo Dayton. Be pleased to press
Watson for my Clothes, and send 'em to me, by the hands
of Mr. Egberts at Fort George.
182
" I suppose you have heard of Colo White's attempt to
murder me. He is too much of the Dastardly Poltroon to
challenge a Gentleman. I shall pursue him as a cat would
a Mouse, till he is dismissed the Army with [nfamy.
"My Compliments to all.
"I am yours very sincerely,
" Richd. Varick.
" Mr. Ph. V. Rensselaer."
The following shows how the distinguished writer
was equipping himself for the approaching campaign
against Burgoyne:
" Albany, March 10, 1777.
" Dear sir :
" I am informed that you incline to part with one of your
Negroes. If so, I should be glad to have the refusal of him.
Please to send out a Saddle that is come from Boston for
me.*
" I am, Dr. Sir, Yours sincerely,
"Ph. Schuyler.
" Philip V. Rensselaer."
Extract from a letter from Doctor Francis Fagan,
Senior Surgeon, to Doctor Potts, Director-General of
the Northern Department, dated "Bennington, 18
Augt, 1777."
"The following is the truest acct I can collect of the Ac-
tion of the 1 6th. Our people discovered that 1,500 of the
Enemy were posted within 6 miles of this Place. The Ma-
litia immediately assembled, rushed on with the greatest in-
tripidity, drove them, and took the following prisoners, vizt.
— 1 Col., 1 Maj., 5 Capts., 12 Lieuts., 4 Ensgs., 2 Cornets,
1 Judge Advocate, 1 Baron, 2 Canadian Officers, 3 Sur-
geons, 32 Offs comm'd, 37 Brit, rank and file, 398 Hessians,
38 Canadians, 151 Tories, 80 wounded; dotal, 736. 41b.
Brass Cannon. 200 killed, from the best accts. Our num-
ber of wounded is about 50, and 31 killed. Our numbers
were about 2,000, and only abt half engaged, to the immor-
tal Honor of old Yank^. I saw the Prisoners and Cannon
with both my Eyes."
* The " Saddle " was sent, and a receipt therefor duly returned, but even the dili-
gence of Mrs. Bonney has not been able to discover anything about the " Negro."
l8.3
Good luck, and not his own skill, with the patriotic
and magnanimous aid of Gen. Schuyler, had made
Gates the captor of Burgoyne and his army. This
makes the following letter, written nearly a year after
his triumph, interesting.
"Camp at Bedford, 14th Sept. 1778.
"Dear Sir,
"I thank you for your obliging letter by Quin, and for
the locks, Szc, which were in much request, as I had no se-
cure place for the public papers, not a lock being to be had
for Love or Money. I have in the strongest manner recom-
mended the Armory at Albany to the protection and en-
couragement of His Excellency General Washington; and I
am confident he will upon your application comply with
every reasonable request. Your letter to the General, and
that to the Board of War, with the Return, were immediately
forwarded to Head-Quarters. I have desired that more of
the unrepaired arms now at Fishkill may be sent to your
Armory, as there they will be made serviceable; if you
want a recruit of Armorers, I advise you to apply immedi-
ately to General Washington, who will, upon your point-
ing out the means of obtaining them, give directions
accordingly. The Xews here is that the Enemy are pre-
paring to evacuate New York, and some apprehend they
will fall in a Body upon the Eastern States; but I think the
season of the year too far advanced for such an Enterprize;
upon the whole I am full of Opinion They are preparing to
Quit the Continent; a very little Time (a fortnight perhaps)
will decide the matter. Mrs. Gates joins me in Affectionate
Compliments to You, Mrs. Rensselaer and your Fireside,
being with much Esteem,
" Dear Sir,
"Your affectionate humble Servant
"Horatio Gates.
"P. S. — You had better apply to General Washington
for his letter to Govr. Clinton to have Mr. Shepperd
Exempted from Militia Duty. I think it unreasonable it
should be required of him.
"(Philip Rensselaer, Esq.) "
184
Peace and Independence came at last, after eight
years' contest and suffering, and the two following
letters are interesting as showing the different effects
it produced on opponents who were agreed in
respecting and confiding in their correspondent.
FROM COLONEL VARICK.
" Poughkekpsif., April ioth, 1783.
"It gives me infinite Pleasure, my Dear Sir, to congrat-
ulate you on the Confirmation of a General Peace and the
establishment of our INDEPENDENCE upon the most
firm footing. The news arrived by Packet at New York,
and Sir Guy wrote to the General that he would issue his
Proclamation declaring it to all the King's Subjects as of
Tuesday the 8th instant. So that the Exiles of our State
will once more return to their adored City, altho' not under
such pleasing Circumstances as they would wish. As for
my own Part I had become so involved in public and pri-
vate Concerns as almost to forget that my feelings would so
sensibly apprize me of my attachment to any particular spot,
till touched by the pleasing Information.
" Make my respects to Mrs. Rensselaer and congratulate
her most heartily for me on an event that will allay her
Apprehensions for her Person, family and property from the
merciless Savages, who are perfectly in our power.
" Remember me also to the dear Girls, for one of whom I
beg Leave to trouble you with a Letter in answer to a friendly
favor, and a debt for a great obligation conferred.
"I shall try to be absent some days to attend the first
week of April Term, and set out for Albany on Monday the
14th, provided nothing interferes from Head- Quarters, where
I mean to make my appearance on Saturday the 12th.
"With Esteem and Attachment I remain,
" Dear Sir,
"Your friend and Obedient Servant,
"Richard Varick.
"Phil. Van Rensselaer, Esqr."
from stephen de lancev.
"New York, June 28, 1783.
"Dear Sir
"As I intend for Canada it will be necessary for me to
iS;
impower some person here to sell my lands and settle my
affairs in your neighborhood. If agreeable to you I must
beg the favour of you to act for me and lett me know im-
mediately on what terms. Could you come down yourself
it would be most agreeable. I have received some things
from Albany by Mr. Wan Schaack, who I am informed is
in your employ. He has been very unjust in his demand
for' freight my brother John has pd. him 15 pounds 14s. and
8d., which is full one half of what the things would fetch
here. If you agree with me in this you will be pleased to
speak to Mr. Van Schaack, and make me restitution. This
I submit entirely to your determination and shall be satisfied
with it.
" Lett me hear from you soon. From, Dr. Sir, your sin-
seer friend and Hble Sert.,
" Stepn. De Lancey. *
" Ph. Van Rensselaer."
With the young Patroon, Uncle Philip had always
maintained pleasant and friendly relations, as the fol-
lowing from the lord of the Manor evinces :
" Dear Sir
" I am sorry that I was not at home when you last called.
The sloop of Messrs. Robison & Hale is returned and I
have not yet received the ballance due ; as soon as I receive
it shall well siive vou notice.
'• I am Dr. Sir
"Your Hble Sent,
" Stephen Van Rensselaer.
" Watervliet, July n, 1786."
But a difference arose between them from the delay
made by the Patroon to execute certain papers as he
had stipulated, and the old soldier, feeling that he
* Stephen De Lancey was Lieutenant-Colonel of the ist Battalion, New Jersey Volun-
teers (Royalist). It does not appear why he accepted a commission in a New Jersey
regiment, but he was commissioned as such September 5, 1776, while he was a prisoner.
On the evening of June 4, 1776, he was celebrating the birthday of George III, and
being loud in his expressions of loyalty, he and his party were arrested by the patriotic
citizens of Albany, and given into the safe keeDing of Governor Trumbull of Connecticut,
who seems to have taken charge during the war of such tones. After his release he
was again commissioned Lieutenant-Colonel of the ist Battalion. New Jersey Volunteers,
December 2;. 17S1, and so continued to the close of the war. After peace was de-
clared he removed to Nova Scotia. [Adjutant-General William S. Stryker's " The
New Jersey Volunteers (Loyalists) in Uu Revolutionary War."~\
I 86
was treated with neglect, felt himself bound to make
him understand that he could not be trifled with, even
by the lord of the Manor. Stephen Van R.< er
was young. He had graduated at Harvard in 1782,
at the age of eighteen. The next year he was mar-
ried, as I have told before, t>> Margaret Schuyler, but
it was two years after that before In- attained hi- ma-
jority, and entered on his patrimony, Ili- '-tat'- had
been in charge of his guardians since his father's early
death in 1769, and as he was not particular]}' apt at
business, the misunderstanding between him and my
uncle Philip referred to drew out the following remon-
strance, which is interesting as illustrating the sturdy
spirit of independence in the writer, combined with
the deference due to the lord of the Manor, which
was a strong feeling among the Dutch even in my
time. It is also interesting as bringing into light the
peculiar feudal privileges enjoyed by the Patroon up
to the present generation.
"Sir:
" It is with Great Reluctanee that 1 am under the ne<
sity to give you any more Trouble on this Subject. I have
not had an answer of you to Either of my two Last Letters,
which you and your Lady did promise to send me. I am
at a Loss to know for what Reason I am treated with so
much Contempt. You would not pay me any Compliment
if you was to consider me in every Respect as your Equal,
fortune and Title only excepted. If I know myself I wish
not to have anything of you out of Reason. I have bought
ami paid for my place ; 1 have a just claim for my I .ands, of
your Ancestors, without any Exceptions hut the Tenth ac-
cording to the Custom of the Manor; by your Order my
claim was surveyed; by your Order the deeds was drawn.
which you on perusal declin'd to execute, for Reason that
no Exceptions was made of the Mines and Stream-. &c.
Since which we have agreed to except them, and Build a
Grist Mill together ; for which I have your word and your
187
Letters in my possession, to Confirm it. I did afterwards
ask it as a favor to indulge me to build a Saw Mill, meaning
"According to the Custom of the Manor;" which you
grant to everybody; and a Malt Mill, which would be only
for that use, and no other, as it is not possible to make good
Clear Beer when Malt is ground in Grist Mills, and it was
with you only to Grant or Refuse. However you ought not
to Violate your word or promise to the meanest of your De-
pendents, nor even to your worst of Enemys, and as you
cannot consider me in Either Light, how much Less to One
who can with Truth assure you to be your Real and Sincere
friend and Humble Sevt.
" P. Van Rensselaer.
" S. V. Rensselaer, Esqr., "August 20, 1788.
Watervliet."
But the young Patroon was neither haughty nor
unjust — he had only been careless, and having no
trouble about his own estate, did not appreciate the
anxieties of others with smaller means, to the same
extent that he did when he had gained more expe-
rience in practical life. It is needless to say that this
manly remonstrance and appeal drew from him a
speedy apology and explanation, and a full satisfac-
tion of all the requests made by his older corre-
spondent.
"THE .MOUNT."
Among the most charming recollections of my
childhood and youth are the visits to Mount Pleasant,
the home of my Uncle and Aunt Beekman, situated
on the East river where Fifty-second street ends. It
is described so fully, in Mrs. Lamb's History of New
York, that there is no need to say more about the
house except that it was delightfully situated upon
rising ground which sloped down to a rocky and pre-
cipitous bluff at the the foot of which ran the river.
188
It was a quaint old house, built before the Revolution
by James Beekman, who was a prominent Whig, and a
member of the Provincial Congress, and was of course
obliged to leave New York in 1776, and removed
with his family to Esopus. It was taken possession
of by the British and occupied first by General Howe
and then by General Clinton and other officers of rank.
In a room, near the head of the stairs, Major Andre
slept the night before departing on his mission to the
treacherous Arnold. The original decorations of the
grand receiving-room of General Clinton, in blue and
gold, were preserved.
It had a wide central hall and pleasant varandahs,
which were always filled with singing birds, in which
my uncle greatly delighted. It was entirely secluded
from the noise and heat of the city, and as much in
the country as if it had been in the center of West-
chester.* It was a delightful summer home with its
grand old trees, its prim garden, its well-filled orchard,
its beautiful views, its pleasant drives, and its refresh-
ing breezes. The songs of the birds, the fragrance
of the air, and the bright sparkle of the river have
always lingered in my memory. The room in
which Major Andre was said to have slept, was
allotted to me whenever I visited " The Mount," as it
was always called. Of course it had an uncanny
reputation and was reputed to be haunted, but this
reputation interfered with no one's happiness or en-
joyment in it, as far as I ever heard. My aunt was
lovely and affectionate, and full of spirits, and made
every one about her happy and bright like herself, so
* An excellent view of it is given in Mrs. Lamb's History of the City of New York,
Vol. 1, p. 569.
I89
that my visits passed away all too radidly. She
honored me above the rest with a special affection as
her adopted son, never having had children, and it
was a great bereavement when she died, August 29,
1833, universally lamented by all who had ever
known her. R. I. P.
Upon the death of my Uncle Beekman in 1838,
"The Mount" became the property of his nephew,
James W. Beekman, my kinsman and especial friend.
He lived in it after his marriage for a couple of years,
and then was compelled to abandon it by the miasma
which had infected the whole region. The opening
of Fifty-second street required the removal of the
mansion, and after that the place lost its charm. On
March 14, 1843, ^ ie wrote me:
"The old Mount House, in which both of us have
spent so many days, and which we shall have in mind as
long as we live, has safely arrived at the end of its journey ;
for you know it has been slowly travelling on timbers all
winter towards a new site, about 140 feet south of its old
one ; where the pump and fowl-yard used to be. The in-
terior is somewhat racked, and the famous ' Blue Room ' to
my great regret is so injured that I fear re-plastering will be
necessary, and so the charm is gone. But for an untimely and
unexpected thaw, long before the regular ' torow taw ' of
January, we should probably have preserved even - thing ex-
actly as it was. However, it might have been worse ; and
as I can scarcely expect to reside in the old place again,
'tis perhaps as well that the face of things should be wholly
changed there."
"A SUMMER RAMBLE."
My grandfather was a great pedestrian, and so was
" Uncle William,"' and so it was not a surprise to me
to hear him say, " To-morrow William and I are go-
ing to walk over to Uncle Nicky's, and you shall go
190
along." This was in the summer vacation of 1^34,
the year before I went to coll- Nbthii ild
have pleased me better, for that was a place whi< h I
was very fond of visiting. It was a quaint old hom
stead, situated about three miles below ( iivmbu-.h on
the hillside just under the Boston and Albany Kail-
road, from which there is an excellent view of the
whole place with its little cemetery, where all my
venerable kindred whom I saw there and their am
tors are resting in the Lord. It was a country
" bouwerie " inhabited by quaint and old-fashioi
people, who were very kind and hospitable, all which
awakend delight in a city-bred child. Everything
about it was of the past generation, and delightfully
antiquated and simple. An ancient spinster nan
"Annie Aunije," formed part of the household, .u\<\
she was always found knitting, the usual occupation
of the venerable dames of the period. The language
of the family was the ancestral Dutch, which the old
generation never gave up. We started on a bright
summer's afternoon. The old gentleman was a de-
lightful companion on a walk, and being familiar with
every inch of ground, every point, and every house,
his conversation was like a discourse on history.
Opposite the door of his house, from which we
emerged, had been the hill on which stood Fort
Frederick, founded by Major Andros in 1676, because
Fort Orange had become untenable. Here was sta-
tioned, in 1756, Captain Peter Wraxall, during the
old French war, and here his beautiful wife, my great-
aunt, afterwards Mrs. John Maunsell, visited him dur-
ing a lull in the campaign. On the eastern slope of
the hill under the fort, opposite Chapel street, stood
191
the first St. Peter's church, in which were laid the re-
mains of Lord Howe, killed in a skirmish with the
French near Ticonderoga, and brought there by-
Major, afterwards Major-General, Philip Schuyler.
My grandfather related how he had seen them re-
moved to be taken to England on the demolition of
the church in 1 803, and the hair and nails had grown.
Lord Howe's remains were removed to Westminster
Abbey, where the Colony of Massachusetts had erec-
ted a monument to his memory which was very dear
to Americans. He said that the last rector, the
Rev. Thomas Ellison, who officiated in that building
was so admirable a reader of the service that he used to
attend the church in the afternoon to hear him. Mrs.
Philip S. Van Rensselaer, "Aunt Nancy," who was
very fond of Parson Ellison, told me that when they
were taking down the old church he used to watch
the workmen from their house, which was opposite,
and when the last stone was removed he was so over-
come that he went to his rectory and never left it
again. Our walk took us down State street, past the
"Stevenson House"' the "Old Elm Tree," Bement's
Hotel, and we turned into South Market street, and
passed the old State House, the scene of many stir-
ring and important events connected with the history
of the State and Nation, where was held the first Con-
tinental Congress. All these are now things of the
past. And so we came on our way to an open space,
where is now the steamboat landing, but at first the
site of Fort Orange, the cause and scene of many a
bitter contest between the Directors of Rensselaer-
wyck and the Dutch officers; the place where a
violent interview took place between Petrus Stuyves-
192
ant, "the testy," Governor of Nieuw Netherlands,
and Director Schlictenhorst in 1652, in which the
Governor is said to have displayed his well-known
temper in an excessive degree, ending by " arresting
the aforesaid Director of the Colonie, and so bringing
him to the Manhattans, and there detaining him."
Crossing the ferry in a boat propelled by he:
working a treadmill, or pushing a circular revolving
platform with cogs working on the shaft which turned
the paddles, we took our way along the river road,
which soon brought us to the first house of the Van
Rensselaer family built in America, and undoubtedly
the oldest continuously inhabited dwelling in the State
of New York, if not in the United States. This was un-
questionably "the small fort called Crailo," built for the
protection of the colonists on the east bank of the river
against the hostile Mohicans; Fort Orange affording
a place of refuge to those in the Colonie on the west
bank. It was named after the family estate near
Amsterdam, which remained in possession of the fam-
ily in Holland until the present century. It was built in
1642, as two inscriptions on the basement wall inside
r , K. V.R.i 642
testify: — ^
Anno Dom.
D" Megapolen ;
sis.
which
corroborate each other, as the Dominie came to Bever-
wyck in that year. It was plainly built for defence,
the timbers being eighteen inches square, and the
walls being very thick and pierced with port-holes, of
which two remain in position in the front wall and
others in the cellar, while two others are shown that
have been taken out. The south chimney in the
cellar is so constructed that nothing can be thrown
193
down, nor anybody descend — a needed protection
against the torches of the savages. In 1740, it was
enlarged by my grandfather's uncle Johannes, to
whom it had descended from his father Hendrick, and
lie himself was born in it in 1763, as has been said.
It passed, in course of descent, to one of the best
and noblest of the name, my kind friend Dr. Jeremiah
Van Rensselaer of New York, distinguished among
other things more worth} - , in having been the first
American to make the ascent of Mont Blanc. He
was the last of the name who possessed it, and it has
passed into the hands of a stranger, remaining in
perfect preservation and seeming quite capable of
enduring for another two and a half centuries.
( Xotitia H. )
Xot far beyond the mansion was the family ceme-
tery, where his father and mother were buried, the
latter not long after bringing him into the world.
Soon we came where a few great elms stood on the
river's bank, the relics of a large grove which the
washing of the stream had reduced to its present di-
mensions. This was YVolven Hoek, or Wolves' Point,
belonging to Mr. John de P. Douw, who had married
a niece of mv grandfather's, and had left this ances-
tral homestead to his oldest son, Volkert P. Douw.
At that time the old colonial farm-house standing by
the roadside was the dwelling, since supplanted by
the handsome country seat of Mr. V. P. Douw. Op-
posite the house on the bank of the river under the
old elms were some holes in the ground, to which the
old gentleman called my attention, saying that Lord
Howe's regiment, the Fifty-sixth, had encamped on
that spot in 1758, on its way to the disastrous battle
194
at Ticonderoga, just before which Lord Howe had
been killed in a skirmish. At that time there was
space enough between the road and the river to i
commodate the whole regiment, and these holes marked
the places where the soldiers boiled their camp-ket-
tles. The river has made such inroads since our \
that I believe all vestige of the trees is gone, and even
the road has been washed away. On the opposite
side of the river we had a full view of the venerable
mansion of " Cherry Hill," on the side of a hill, built
by Colonel Philip Van Rensselaer, one of his brother-,
in 1768.
Grandfather, Uncle William and the youngster
trudged along in a most sociable way on that bright
August afternoon without being oppressed with the
heat of the sun, to which indeed we paid no attention.
Nothing can be conceived more beautiful than a walk
along the Hudson at that particular spot; the broad
river with its verdant banks and the " unnumbered
smile" of its ripples and waves, and a might)- stur-
geon suddenly springing from the water dripping
with spray and leaving, as he disappeared in an in-
stant,
"Circles widening round
Upon the clear blue rivet ;
the graceful sloops and schooners with their white
sails, and the swiftly gliding steamers ; the green
fields sloping up into the hills covered with wood
the comfortable mansions and farm-houses with stately-
venerable trees; and the distant mountains, all com-
bine to form a scene of unsurpassed beauty. So it
was on the day of our excursion. As we sauntered
along, our venerable guide and mentor indicated the
scenes of events familiar to him in his childho.nl and
195
youth. Main' years afterwards while reading " the
Excursion," I found our walk aptly described in the
lines of Wordsworth on " The Wanderer":
" What wonder then if I
» # * * a
Look'd on this guide with reverential love!
Each with the other pleased, we now pursued
Our journey beneath favorable skies.
Turn wheresoe'er we would, he was a light
Unfailing ; not a hamlet could we pass,
Rarely a house, which did not yield to him
Remembrances ; or from his tongue call forth
Some way-beguiling tale."
In one old house on a hill-side a soldier had been
murdered in the French war, and it had the reputa-
tion of being haunted. He pointed out the house
where his father, Colonel Killian Van Rensselaer, had
died in 1 782. Near by he had seen " Poor's Brigade,"
in 1777, sent by General Washington to re-inforce
Gates at Saratoga ; the men enlivened their march by
singing Sternhold and Hopkins' psalms, and had no
doubt of going to heaven if they were killed in battle
with the British. This brigade, in fact, rendered sig-
nal service in the campaign against Burgoyne, and
covered itself with glory.
After a sauntering walk of about three miles,
the latter third of which had led us from the road
along the river into one ascending into the hills, we
found ourselves at the homestead whither we were
bound. It was a venerable two-story brick house in-
herited by my uncle with "Aunt Elsie" from his
father-in-law, Major Van Buren. His family con-
sisted of a widowed daughter, Mrs. Whitbeck, with a
son and two daughters, and a son, Cornelius, who had
lately become a widower ; these, with the venerable
couple and " Annie Auntije," made the old house
196
lively. A hall ran through the middle of the dwell
ing, and on the right side of it was that sacred place
in a Dutch home — the best parlor. This was scru-
pulously closed, except on the occasion ofweddinj
christenings, funerals, and family or social entertain-
ments. It was a dishonor for a good Dutch hou
wife not to keep this arcanum in perfect older, and
at the same time keep it secluded from all unhallowed
feet. I do not remember whether the parlor w
opened for us on this visit or not; but I think it
could not have been, as we had come in quite an in-
formal way. My uncle was eight}' years old, and a
hale, hearty old man with a very sweet and kindly
face, and a very quiet and cordial manner. It did not
impress me then as it does now — the sight of those
brothers, one eighty the other seventy-one, who had
both passed through so many stirring scenes and ex-
perienced so many vicissitudes, so like boys in their
affectionate intercourse. Old trees overshadowed the
house, and under these the venerable brothers would
sit after breakfast, and chat about times past, while
" Uncle Nicky" enjoyed his morning pipe — a form in
which my grandfather did not use his tobacco. Be-
hind the house rises a hill, and in front the ground
slopes down to the lowlands through which flows the
Hudson, beyond which are the hills which make tin
lower spurs of the Helderberg mountains, the whole
furnishing a most beautiful panorama. Climbing the
hill one gained a most extensive, varied and charming
view of the valley of the Hudson, with the Cattskill
mountains in the distance, and on the other side, of
the Berkshire hills and the mountains of Massachu-
setts. In the distance we could see the sails of ve
197
sells passing up and down the river, and the smoke
from the funnel of an occasional steamboat; but the
great invention of George Stephenson had not yet
invaded the region, and no echo returned the puff
and roar and scream of the railway train, and as far
as my venerable kinsmen were concerned, truth com-
pels me to admit that they hoped it never would, and
did all in their power to prevent the possibility of it.
In this they certainly had a great authority on their
side, which they would never have suspected in their
seclusion ; for it is well known that William Words-
worth was the barrier that stopped the building of the
railway beyond Windermere !
Among the calls which were made during this visit
was a particularly noticeable one upon a neighbor of
my uncle's of whom I had often read and heard, and
was very anxious to see — Mr. Edme C. Genet. He
was a native of France, and came to the United
States in 1793, as Ambassador from the French Re-
public. He had incurred the hostility of our govern-
ment by attempting to fit out privateers to aid in the
war then going on between France and England, and
President Washington had issued a proclamation to
stop his proceedings, and caused him to be recalled.
His reception on his arrival in New York was thus
described by the venerable Dr. Alexander Anderson
among the recollections of his early life: " He was a
good-looking man, of courteous manners, and quick
in his movements and speech. His head resembled
that of Tom Paine in shape, particularly his forehead.
He had a large aquiline nose and piercing dark eyes.
I saw him land at the Battery when he came from
Philadelphia, a representative of the French Republic.
198
There was a great hubbub at his landing — cannon-
firing, drum-beating and wild hurraing, .\ grand
procession with bands of music received him and •
corted him to the Coffee I louse near th< foot of \\ all
street. I was then eighteen years old and took much
interest in politics. The two parties, Federalists and
Republicans, abused each other most shamefully.
The Republicans blamed Washington for issuing his
famous proclamation of neutrality, for they wanted to
help the French revolutionists. They almosl wor-
shipped Genet. They wore the French tri-colored
cockade on their hats, and that night the Marsi ill
hymn was sung in the streets. My father was a Fed-
eralist, and of course so was I. I went to a gathering
on Broadway, near Maiden lane, and heard Colonel
Troup, a Federalist, make a speech in commendation
of Washington's proclamation, and several resolutions
of the same tenor were adopted." He never returned
to France, having married a daughter of Governor
George Clinton. His place occupied a commanding
site a mile or two from my uncle's, from which th<
is one of the grandest and most extensive views in
the whole region. My great-uncle, General Hendrick
K. Van Rensselaer, whose skill and bravery at the de-
file of Fort Ann had saved the American army in
1777, had lived there before the Revolution, and Gen-
eral Solomon Van Rensselaer was born in it in 1 774-
(See Notitia E.) There we were received by him, a
very dignified and courteous old gentleman, with all
the grace and urbanity of his nation, and the cor-
diality of friendly neighborhood in which they had
lived for many years. Mine. Ney, wife of the cele-
brated and unfortunate Marshal, "the bravest of the
199
brave," as Napoleon had styled his favorite Marshal,
was the niece of Mr. Genet, and her portrait with that
of the Marshal hung on the wall, which was adorned
with many likenesses of distinguished persons in
France and the United States. I never met him after
this call, but I have a very distinct recollection of his
courtesy and agreeable conversation, and, what was
not the least pleasing characteristic in the eyes of a
boy of fifteen, his condescension in conversing with
me so as to make me feel entirely at my ease — the
proof that he possessed not merely agreeable man-
ners but a good heart. Mr. Genet spoke English so
perfectly that no one could have detected his foreign
birth and education. I never met but one other
Frenchman of whom this could be said ; this was M.
le Comte de G. Flamarens, Senateur sous 1' Empire,
anc. Chambellan Honre de Napoleon III, whom we
met at the Hotel Anglo-Americano in Rome, May I,
1877, and who told us that he had visited our country
with the Marquis La Fayette, and had travelled in all
parts of the north and south. He, like Mr. Genet,
spoke English without the slightest accent which could
show that he was a Frenchman. He seemed very
pleased to meet Americans, and behaved to us with
great courtesy, exchanging cards and good wishes,
which was all that we could do, as we left Rome for
Florence the next morning. One of Mr. Genet's sons
afterwards married a granddaughter of my uncle's.
I was so charmed with my visit that I wrote an ac-
count of it to my kinsman and constant correspond-
ent, J. W. Beekman, and have preserved his reply :
" You seem to have had a pleasant ramble there over the
river — and with so agreeable a companion, too — it must
200
have been a real treat. Having more than once had the
pleasure of listening to your Grandfather's tales ol the I Hd
time — about the battle of Saratoga, and Poor's Brigade,
and all that — I know how to appreciate the gi tion
you speak of."
Among the curious customs of the hutch which
survived to my day was that of inviting friends "to
drink punch" after a wedding at the house of tin-
groom's father. Among the MSS. of my grandfather
is a list of " Guests to drink Punch, (833, Barney's
Wedding." They were sixty-six in number, all had
ing State officers and other citizen- of Albany, not
one of whom survives, the last of them having been
Mr. George Dexter, who died in [883, fifty years after
the festivity.
"VISIT OF LA FAYETTE — VETERANS O] Till
REVOLUTION."
One of the most pleasing reminiscences of my
childhood is connected with the visit of the Marquis
de La Fayette to this country in 1824-5. Great pre-
parations had been made for his reception in Albany,
which was the home of many officers and men of the
Revolutionary army who had served under his com-
mand. It had been expected that he would arrive in
the morning, and while the veterans of Saratoga,
Valley Forge and Yorktown were drawn up at the
ferry where he was to be welcomed to the capital,
waiting impatiently to see their beloved commander
after a separation of thirty-three years, the civilians
were occupying every house-top and window and
every " coign o' vantage " that afforded a view of the
point on the river four miles below the city, when
201
he was to land. The upper rear windows of my
grandfather's house were admirably situated for the
purpose, and we all took our stand there, expecting
to see very soon the smoke announcing the approach
of the " Nation's Guest," in whom we all claimed a
share. But hour after hour passed away without any
smoke or steamboat or La Fayette. I remember the
whole scene as if it had occurred yesterday, so great
was the impatience and anxiety. There was no tele-
graph to tell us the cause, and we were left to con-
jecture any mishap or accident that suggested itself
to our fancies or our fears. It was especially trying
to the children as the night approached and with it
" the hour for retiring" as fixed in those orderly times
as the laws of the Medes and Persians. But just as
evening began to draw its sable mantle around us and
before the dreaded order to bed had been given, the
booming of cannon, the ringing of bells and the
shouts of the people announced the arrival of the
great man, who had been carried on shore far down
the river to receive welcomes not arranged for —
spontaneous outbursts of enthusiasm and rejoicing,
and so had come upon them unexpectedly as well as
dilatorily. Then came the procession to the Capitol
and the formal reception by the Governor and State
officers.
The Marquis repeated his visit to Albany twice
before his final departure from the country, and it
was at one of the formal receptions that were given
him at the Capitol that I saw what made an indelible
impression on my child-imagination — the veterans of
the Revolution in their uniform of blue and buff,
buckskin breeches and cocked hats with tall, red
202
feathers towering above them making thru, eem
me like giants as I gazed up at them in their stalwart
proportions. They seemed to my fancy to ha
from the grave, so far back appeared the time that
had made them famous.
On one of these occasions a formal reception
given to the Marquis at the house of < reneral Solomon
Van Rensselaer, who was in command of his escort.
I was taken to this by my mother, and had the honor
to hand to the Marquis a snuff-box which had be-
longed to Marie Antoinette, and which a lad)- present
(Mrs. Clinton, I believe) wished to show him, select-
ing the youngest one in the room as her pa
The Marquis received it with his usual graciousm
and cordiality, and put his hand on my head with a
blessing. Mrs. Bonney has given a very compi
account of the visit of La Fayette, including an
interesting call which he made on her grandmother
at Cherry Hill, who had done him kindness in the
Revolution when he was passing through Albany.
\_Lcgacy of Historical Gleanings, /., 41 1-18.]
In connection with this I must record a pleasing
incident connected with this visit which was told
me by General Hillhouse. His grandfather, Major
Ten Broeck, had been an officer in Colonel Van
Schaick's regiment in La Fayette's division. He was
quite advanced when his old commander came but
was determined to see him. It was known that the
General was to go from Albany to Troy by the canal.
which had just been opened. On the day when he-
was to pass the Major, who lived on the farm between
Albany and Troy, took his hat and cane and said that
he was going to join his old chief on the packet-boat.
2cn
Suggestions that he would not recognize him and
remonstrances could not dissuade him, and he only
replied that he had something to remind the General
of that would make him remember him. So he dis-
appeared and did not return till night. When asked
about his experience he said that he had caught the
boat and was taken on board and found the General.
"And did he remember you ? " was asked in some-
thing of a triumphant way. " Not at first," said the
old veteran, " but when I reminded him of something
at Valley Forge he remembered me perfectly." And
then he told his family that when they were there a
party of distinguished Frenchmen came to visit their
gallant countryman in camp, and he had ordered out
his division to do them honor. Van Schaick and his
officers, on hearing it, waited on the General and
begged that they might be excused because they
were in rags and unfit to appear in presence of such
distinguished strangers. But La Fayette refused, say-
ing, "Never mind your clothes; when I tell them of
the battles you have fought they will not mind your
clothes.'' " When I recalled it to him he remembered
me at once." Ten years after this another cortege
wended its slow and solomn way through the streets
of Albany and all the cities of the nation in honor of
La Fayette, but their banners were draped in crape,
their drums were muffled, and funeral dirges filled the
air with sounds of mourning for the dead, and never
with more sincerity of sorrow than when they bewailed
the decease of the friend of Washington and of
America.
Among the recollections of my early days none is
more vivid and pleasant than the meeting the many
204
venerable and distinguished men who had survived
from a past generation and were in the habit of callii
at the old mansion. Among them was Major Adam
Hoops of "the Maryland Line," who had been aide
to General Sullivan when he matched against the
Senecas and swept them from their strongholds from
the Cayuga to the Genesee, and destroyed their power
to lay waste the frontiers and murder the defenceli
people as in the slaughter at Wyoming and Cherry
Valley. After the war Major Hoops was commis-
sioned by President John Adams in the Second Regi-
ment of Artillery, raised in 1798, of which John
Doughty of New Jersey was Lieutenant-Colonel, lie
was kept in the army ever afterwards, and when he
used to visit at my grandfather's was attached to the
ordnance department and stationed at the arsenal at
Watervliet. 1 le always wore gray and preserved the
old-fashioned military cue. His bearing was always
exceedingly courteous and soldierly, and he has left
on my mind the impression of an excellent specimen
of the old-school style of gentleman.
Different from Major Hoops, and yet remarkable
in his way, was Captain Matthew Gregory, of the
" Connecticut Line," who had served seven years
under the immediate command of Washington, and
esteemed it the greatest honor of his life that he had
been privileged to dine with the Chief four times.
He used to point with especial satisfaction to the sig-
nature of the General attached to the certificate of
his membership in the Society of the Cincinnati.
Captain Gregory's story of his services was, that his
father had taken him from his humble home on a farm
at Wilton, Connecticut, and put him into the army
205
then on Long Island. He took part in the battles of
Long Island, White Plains, the retreat into New Jersey,
and all the principal actions fought by Washington's
army during the war. He spent the terrible winter at
Valley Forge, where, he said, they slept on bean-poles
two weeks. He usedto recall, with especial gratification.
the time when the French army arrived to join ours,
and brought with them new clothing for the ragged
Americans — a luxury from which the}- had been
debarred for a long time. They were stationed then
at Peekskill, and felt greatly set up by their new
clothes. His regiment marched to Yorktown, where
it was attached to La Fayette's famous Light Division,
and his company, in which he was Lieutenant, formed
part of the storming party under Colonel Alexander
Hamilton which carried one of the British redoubts at
the point of the bayonet, and it made a deep impression
on him to see the British soldiers on their knees
begging for quarter. The siege of Yorktown was
noted for the number of diaries kept by different
officers during its progress, among which was one
kept by Lieutenant Gregory, detailing very clearly
and accurately the scenes which he witnessed ; it is
in the possession of his granddaughter, Mrs. Root,
of Geneva, and is marked by the modesty and reserve
about himself and his share in the exploits dis-
tinguishing the soldiers of Washington. Among the
incidents upon which he used to dwell was the anxiety
and care of the officers and men for the safety of I heir
beloved Commander-in-chief whenever he appeared
in the trenches, and their importunity in urging him
to retire from the place of exposure, which it was
their especial duty to keep. In speaking of the
206
contrast between the ragged condition of the Conti-
nentals and the well-clad Frenchmen and British, he
would say that they were " all rag-tag and hob-tail."
After the disbanding of the army he moved to Albany
and became proprietor of the " Eagle I avern," a
famous hotel near the present steamboat landing, which
was the resort of all the leading persons of the time,
and especially because of its being kept by Captain
Gregory, a soldier of the Revolution. 1 [ere he amassed
a considerable fortune, and while I knew him was ac-
counted one of the rich men of Albany, and kept a
carriage and horses. When General La Fayette visited
Albany, as Captain Gregory had served under him at
Yorktown. his house, which stood on the west side of
the Capitol Park contiguous to the General's lodging,
Congress Hall, was chosen for the reception of the
citizens by their distinguished guest, a covered way
having been made from the rear of the hotel to tin
windows of Mr. Gregory's drawing-room. He passed
away June 4, 1848, in the ninety-seventh year of his
age. My grand-uncle Nicholas had preceded him,
having "rested in the Lord" March 29th, in his
ninety-fourth year.
Major William Popham, to whom the letter oppo-
site was addressed by my grandfather in his seventy-
eighth year, was a distinguished officer of the Revolu-
tion, and died President of the New York Society of
the Cincinnati and President-General of the society
in the United States. Like my great-grandmother
Dunkin, he was born in Ireland, which was a bond of
friendship between them. Like her too he reached .1
patriarchal age, dying in 1847, in his ninety-fifth year.
A sketch of his career, with a striking and beautiful
207
portrait, is given in Schuyler's History of the Cincin-
nati. This letter, which, in its language of cordial
affection as well as warm hospitality and paternal
benediction, is a true transcript of the venerable
writer, will fitly conclude this humble tribute to his
memory.
208
Is.
•~> • Jin-
{ w^v/^ fn*? j. . /*&
J6~*t <^Z£7Zl &^r»*3 ^ &****-. <t-
NOTITIA.
The Sources of the Family History.
i. Monuments, tombstones, etc., in Guelderland, and ;i
portrait of Jan Van Rensselaer in the Orphan Asylum at
Nykerk, painted in 1645, with those of the other regents.
2. The Rensselaervvyck MSS.
3. A Family-tree made in Holland in 1763, in my posses-
sion.
4. The records of the different branches.
The following may be consulted :
Holgate's " American Genealogy."
New York Colonial History Documents.
O'Callaghan's "History of the New Netherlands."
Broadhead's " History of the New Netherlands."
Pearson's " Early Settlers of Albany."
Munsell's Historical Collections of Albany.
Weise's "History of Albany."
Schuyler's " Colonial New York."
" Bi-centennial History of Albany and Schenectady."
Mrs. Grant's " Memoirs of an American Lady."
New York Historical Society Collections.
Magazine of American History, January, 1884.
Publications of the Bi-centennial Celebration at Albany,
1886.
A., p. 2.
Genealogy in the line of Killian K. Van
Rensselaer.
SWENE v. IMVCK.
Derykebia v. Lupoei .
Xl T.I K V. YkENOKUM.
Maria Pasraat.
Anna v. Weely.
Maria v. Cortlandt.
Catharine v. Rruggen.
Arian rjE Schuyler.
209
I.
Hendrick Wolters
m.
II.
Johannes Hendrick
in.
III.
KlLIAEN
m.
IV.
Hendrick
m.
V.
Kii.iaen
in.
VI.
Jeremias
in.
VII.
Hendrick
m.
VIII.
Kii.iaen
in.
IX. Killian K. m. Margaretta Sanders.
n Sanders, b. April 10, 1792; d. March 19, 1S68.)
"William, b. April 10, 1794; d. Nov. 9, 1855.)
(Deborah Sanders, b. Sept. 27, 1795; d. Sept. 4, 1796.)
(Richard, b. Dec. 24, 1797; d. March 29, 1880.)
(m. Elizabeth Van Rensselaer, d. Jan. 1, 1835.)
borah Sanders, b. Sept. 25, 1827; d. Feb. 23, 1832.)
I Maria Elizabeth, b. Feb. 27, 1829; d. Dec. 6, 1865.)
Edward, b. Sept. 21, 1830; d. April 29, 1831.)
(Harrison, b. June 9, 1832; d. July 9. 1833.)
(m. Matilda Fonda Van Rensselaer; d. May 9, 1863.)
(Bernard Sanders, b. Jan. 12, 180I; d. June 25, 1879.)
(m. Elizabeth Hun; d. June 25, 1834.)
(m. MarvTargee; d. Sept. I, 1858.)
X. Toiin Sam')ERS m. Ann Dunkin.
XI. 'Dunkin Henry, b. Aug. 1, 1817; d. Sept. 18, 1819.
XII. Maunsell, b. Apr. 15, 1S19; m. Sept. 23, 1847, to Sarah Ann
Taylor.
(24.) 'Caroline Matilda, b. Aug. 30, 1848; m. Nov. 23, 1876,
to Phineas P. Hillhouse; d. Sept. 27, 1878.
(28.) Anne Dunkin, b. July 7, 1853; d. Feb. 21, 1864.
(36.) Maunsell, b. April 29, 1859; m. Oct. 23, 1884, to
Isabella Mason,
(lxii.) Bernard Sanders, b. Jan. I, 18S6.
(lxiv.) Arthur Mason, b. June 29, 1S88.
(38.) James Taylor, b. April 12, 1861 ; m. Sept. 5, 1888, to
Agnes Sarah Bradley.
(39.) Maria Louisa, b. July 1, 1863; d. Feb. 6, 1870.
(43.) Sarah Ann, b. May 18, 1866; d. April 15, 1867.
(44.) Bernard Sanders, b. May 18, 1866; d. Jan. 23, 1870.
XIII. Margaretta Sanders, b. Tan. I, 1821 ; d. June 16, 1879; m.
June 7, 1843, to Joseph IV. Russell; d. Oct. 13, 1847.
(21.) Joseph W., b. June 6, 1844; m. Nov. 15, 1882, to
Frances Clara Brown,
(lix.) Charles Watkins. b. May 6, 1884.
(22.) Anne Van Rensselaer, b. Dec. 7, 1S46.
XIV. Charles Watkins, b. Tan. 29, 1823; d. Sept. 12, 1857.
XV. Ann Eliza, b. April 5, 1825; m. Julv 14, 1847, to Alexander
II . Hoff, -V. D.j d. Aug. 19, 1876. (Notitia H.)
(23.) John S. Van Rensselaer, b. April II, 1848; m. June
22, 1875, to Virginia Day.
(26.) Carolina Clay, b. Aug. 1, 1850; m. March 27, 1870, to
Lieut. Edward Hunter, U. S. A.
(xlix.) Henry Hoff, b. Dec. 31, 1870.
( Ivi.) Jane R., b. July 15, 1SS2.
( lxiii.) Tohn Saunders, b. Oct. 22, 18S7.
(28.) Elizabeth Dunkin, b. June 8, 1852; m. Dec. 15, 1880,
to Thomas Lyman Greene.
(lvii.) Van Rensselaer Hoff, b. Jan 15, 18S3.
( lx.) Anne Dunkin, b. Jan. 12,' 1S85.
(33.) Harriet L., b. April 16/1S57.
XVI. Lydia Bcekman, b. May 25, 1827; m. April 25, 1S49, to
John Sill.
(25.) Anne Dunkin, b. March 24, 1850; m'. April 3, 1877, to
the Rev. William H. Gallagher.
210
( liii.) Elizabeth Dunkin, b. Feb. 23, 1878.
( liv.) Lydia Beekman, b. Nov. 20, 1879.
( Iv.) William Henry, b. Sept. 1, 1 3
(lviii.) John Sill, b. Oct. 20, 1883.
( lxi.) Julia Trinita, 1). Aug. 18, 1885.
(27.) Louisa Griswold, b. Nov. 16, 1851.
(30.) Dunkin Henry, b. Sept. 20, 1853.
(31.) Maria Viele, b. March 3, 1855.
(32.) Kate Van Rensselaer, 1> [an. 31, 1857; d. March 12,
1883.
(34.) John Targee, b. Oct. 30, 1858.
(37.) Lydia Nicoll, b. March 11, 1861; d. Dec. 8, [8
(41.) Margaret Mather, b. Jan 18, [864.
(45.) Richard Van Rensselaer, b. May 20, 1S66.
(47.) Eugenia Thorne, b. March 28, 1868; d. May 18, 1S86.
XVII. Harriet Letitia, b. Jan. 19, 1830; 111. Oct. 26, 1852, to I. rotund
Kip.
XVIII. Samuel Watkins, b. Feb. 28, 1832; d. Nov. 17, 1839.
XIX. Catherine Sanders, b. Nov. 16, 1834; in. > > •. 6, 1857, to
Lieut. Robert Johnston, ('. S. .1.
(35.) Robert, 1). Dec. 30, 1858; d. Sept. 24, [887.
(38.) Dunkin Van Rensselaer, b. Jan. 27, 1862.
(42.) Russell McCaw, b. July 6, 1864.
(46.) Catharine Van Rensselaer, b. March 6, 18 ■;.
(48.) Leonard Kip, b. May 17, 1869.
(50.) James McCaw, b. July 27, 1871.
(51.) Charles Van Rensselaer, b. March 26, 1875-
(52.) Malcolm Sanders, b. July 2, 1876.
XX. Louisa, b. March 17, 1838; d. Oct. 19, 1862; m. Dec. 18,
i860, to Cliarles a'e Kay Townsend.
(39.) Charles Van Rensselaer, b. Oct. 6, 1862.
Stillwell Genealogy.
Stillwell married a daughter of Coke the Regicide.
Their son was :
Richard Stillwell, who married Mercy Sands.
Lydia Stillwell married John Watkins.
Elizabeth Watkins married Robert Henry Dunkin.
Ann Dunkin married John S. Van Rensselaer.
B., p. 1.
I went to Amersfoort, to Nykerk, and to several other
towns in Guelderland. At Amersfoort there is a table in the
church of St. J oris or St. George, on which is mentioned
Harmanus Van Rensselaer as one of the regents of the
church in 1636. Dr. is prefixed to his name, which may
mean either doctor or dominie. There is also a tomb of a
Captain Van Rensselaer, who died from a wound received
at the battle of Nieuport. This is covered up by the wood
21 1
flooring, so that I could not see it, but I am promised the
inscription. In the orphan asylum at Xykerk there is a
very fine picture of the first regents — 1638. The picture is
painted by Breecker in 1645. There are two noblemen in
the picture — Xicholaus Van Delen and Jan Van Rensselaer.
Every one present, while I was looking at the picture,
thought that I looked very much like the Van Rensselaer.
I >f the four others, one is of Rykert Van Twiller, a con-
nection of the Van Rensselaer family. Among the orphans
is one named Van Twiller, and we therefore contributed a
small sum for him. It would be very easy to have a large
photograph taken of this picture. I do not suppose it
would cost over twenty dollars to have a number of copies.
If it should be wanted by any of the Van Rensselaers I
could easily arrange it. The notary at Nykerk was very
kind and gave me a deed signed by Richard Van Rensselaer
Tune 5, 1777. It conveys a small piece of land near
Xykerk. The original manor of the family, from which the
Van Rensselaers took their name, still is called " Rensselaer,"
and is about three miles south-east of Nykerk. It was
originally a Reddergoed, the possession of which conferred
nobility. Two other Van Rensselaers are named in the lists
of regents of the orphan asylum — Richard in 1753, and
Jeremias in 1803.
The last member of the family in Holland who bore the
name was Jeremias Van Rensselaer. He died in Xykerk
April 11, 1819. He married Judee Henrietta Duval, had
no children, and in his will stated that, except his wife, he
had no heirs except the Van Rensselaer family then living
somewhere in America. My friend, Mr. Van Rensselaer
Beusekom, married the daughter of a Van Bowier, related
to Sir George Bowyer, a well-known Catholic member of
the English Parliament. The wife of Van Bowier was a
Miss Van Rensselaer, the last of that branch. Mrs. Van
Beusekom's brothers have now the royal license to assume
the name and arms of Van Rensselaer. The eldest and
head of the family is now the commander of the Dutch
naval forces off Atchin, and on his return this autumn will be
promoted to Admiral.
Mrs. Van Bowier, the mother of Mrs. Van Beusekom,
was born at the Crailo, then in the Van Rensselaer posses-
sion. I am told it is a large estate for Holland, and is near
the town of Xaarden, which is on the Zuider Zee, between
Amsterdam and Amersfoort. It is now all divided and sold.
2 12
It rained so hard that I could not go there. The estate of
Retisselaer, near Nykerk, is now only a farm. All the old
buildings have been taken down. A few years ago there
were gables and weather-cocks, with the arms and < ret, hut
all are now removed. There was s< arcely a church that I
visited in Guelderland that did not have, somewhere, the
Van Rensselaer arms on tomb-stones, either alone or quar-
tered with others. 1 am told that they married with all the
best families, and at one time had much influence. I shall
have inquires made about Richard Van Rensselaer, who
was burgomaster or treasurer of Vianew in 1695. It seems
that Vianew was a town which possessed to a late date the
right of asylum for criminals, and to prevent the privile
from being abused the burgomaster was appointed by the
States General.
The exact arms of the Van Rensselaers are a white or
silver cross on a red ground. The crest is a white basket,
not castle, with yellow flames, above a closed helmet. The
cross is exactly represented in Webster's Dictionary, under
the word " pontine."
Eugene Schuyler.
Richard, youngest son of the first Patroon, came to
Albany, and was one of its magistrates for several years.
He occupied the bouwery called the " flatts," four miles
north of the city, which, on his return to Holland, about
1670, he sold to Philip Schuyler. After his return to
Holland he was employed in public life, at one time treas-
urer of Vianew, and also burgomaster. He died alter 1695,
leaving five sons and three daughters, of whom four sons
and one daughter were married. It will be seen that the
first Patroon had five grandsons married and settled in
Holland, and only two in America. The line in Holland
is extinguished ; none left to bear the name, not even an
heir to Jeremias Van Rensselaer when he died in 1 81 9.
On the other hand, the American line has extended and is
extending almost indefinitely. The heirs of the first patroon
held his estates in common until 1695, nearly fifty years after
his death. At that time all his children were dead except
his youngest son, Richard, and his daughter. Leonora.
In 1695, Killian Van Rensselaer, of Holland (son of
Jan Baptist Van Rensselaer, deceased), came to New York,
and entered into negotiation with his cousin, Killian Van
Rensselaer, of Albany (son of Jeremias Van Rensselaer,
213
deceased), for a settlement of their grandfather's estate.
On the 25th November, 1695, the settlement was complete
and the legal papers executed. The Hollander for himself,
and as attorney for his uncre Richard, his aunt Leonora and
the children of his aunt Susanna, deceased, released to the
Albanian for himself, and as attorney for his brothers
Johannes and Hendrick, and for his sisters Anna and
Maria, all the manor of Rensselaerwyck, "containing
700,000 acres of tillable land." all the Claverack tract of
60,000 acres, except three farms, and all the personal pro-
perty except " 700 pieces of eight." ($700.) The Alba-
nian released to the Hollander all the estate, real, personal
and contingent, in Holland, of which the Crailo estate, and
a tract of land in Guelderland formed a part.
Four of the nine children of the first Patroon had died
without heirs. His widow was also dead. Consequently
the estate was divided into five parts, one for the family in
Albany and the other four for the heirs in Holland. Meas-
uring the whole estate by our conceptions of the value of
that in America we would be likely to form an erroneous
judgment as to its amount. Lands at that time in the pro-
vince of New York were cheap, very cheap. Hundreds of
acres could be bought of the Indians for goods and trinkets
which did not cost as many hundreds of cents. The whole
estate measured by the sum which the Hollander stipulated
to pay to his unmarried aunt, Leonora, 2,000 guilders ($800)
" Holland money, in one payment," could not have been
large in the modern sense. But then a guilder (forty cents)
in solid cash at that time was equivalent to several of our
gold dollars now, to say nothing of the fiat silver dollar.
George IV. Schuyler.
C, p. 14.
The Van Rensselaer Motto and Crest.
Holgate in his American Genealogy is the authority for
" Niemand Zonder : " " The coat-of-arms of the family is
remarkable for a cross bearing the motto, Niemand Zonder,
'no one without (across),'" p. 41. His sources of infor-
mation were original — " the family memorials; " he is very
accurate and does not depend on mere tradition. The
crusader's cross is said to have been granted for services
214
rendered the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, and the
motto agrees with it remarkably. It is in the national
tongue, terse, suggestive, and admirably fitted for a battle-
cry. My grandfather's coat-of-arms bears the motto, "Virtus
est vera vetustas" — " Manliness is true antiquity;" which
is only another form of the Washington motto, " Virtus est
vera nobilitas," and bears no relation to the shield and crest.
I am ignorant what the authority for it may be. 1 ana in-
formed by one of his descendants that the Patroon's motto
was " Omnibus fulgeo " — "I shine for all " — which seems
to be a free translation of the original Dutch. But neither
of them has the terseness, vigor ami ring of " Niemand
Zonder." As for the interpretation given by Hoi te, he
does not say where he got it, but it does not seem to me the
best of which it is capable. "The cross (of Christ) is for
every one" is much more expressive, especially when it
is remembered that it was used when great danger was to be
encountered in battle. And it is pleasant to think that our
forefathers encouraged one another with this cry when they
met the hosts of Alva and Alexander Farnese in defence of
their faith and fatherland. It recalled the famous vision of
the cross with the words " In hoc signo vinces," which Con-
stantine saw before his great victory. I accept " Niemand
Zonder " then as the original and only worthy motto of our
clan.
As for the crest ; — according to the window-pane of Jan
Baptist, 1656, it is a " basket of flames," and not a " burning
castle." But what is a " basket of flames ? " Who ever
saw it? It was always a puzzle to me, and I used to amuse
myself by thinking it represented a beacon light, which for
a border family, as ours was, would not have been inappro-
priate. But I learned the undoubted meaning in Geneva,
Switzerland, where I found in a retired street an ancient
cresset left in its place on a wall from the middle ages ; it
was an iron basket made to hold burning sticks or other
combustibles to light the streets at night. It was unmistak-
ably the Van Rensselaer crest. With this clue I found a
beautiful meaning in crest, shield and motto, perfectly
harmonzing, "The Cross, a light unto our paths — no one
without (it)," " The Cross shines for all."
215
D., p. 26.
Extracts of the Will of Killian Van Rens-
selaer Recorded in the Secretary's Office
of the Province of New York in Lib. Wills,
No. 9, Fol. 167, ETC.
Item, I do give, devise and bequeath unto Rensselaer
Nicolls, youngest son of my Sister Anne Nicholls, and to
his Heirs forever all that Farm at Bethlehem in my said
Manor now in possession of William Van Allaen, with the
Island called Nieffe's Island : Beginning at the south side of
Bethlehem Creek and extending southward to the Bounds of
Barent Pietersen Coeyman's Land and backwards into the
woods from Hudson's River one English Mile ; the Farm on
the North side of Bethlehem containing ten or twelve Acres
as in Fence where the House and Barn of Caysome lately
stood, with the Priviledge of keeping a saw Mill on the
south side of the said Creek where now a saw mill stands,
and with the Liberty of Cutting and Carrying to his said
saw Mill three hundred Saw Loggs yearly for ever within the
Liberty of the said Manor, and also of Cutting Timber,
Firewood and Fencing, with Common of Pasture for Cattell :
Yielding and paying therefore yearly and ever}" year for ever
unto the Lord of the said Manor for the time being the full
Tenth of the said hereby given and Devised Farm and
premises according to the Custom of the said Manor.
PROVIDED always, and this last Devise to the said Rens-
selaer Nicolls and his Heirs is upon this Condition that no
further Claim be hereafter made upon me or my Heirs,
Executors and Administrators or any of them for, of, or out
of my said Manor or any part thereof by any of the heirs
of my said Sister Anne Nicolls, Claiming as heir to her,
or as Executors or Administrators to her for any Estate
which she might be entituled to either in right of her first
Husband or the first Husband's Sister, or of any other Per-
son or Persons in Holland ; this last Devise and Gift being
by me made in that Consideration, as I have often been
Desired and requested to do by my said Sister in her life-
time, and at last I did Consent and promis to her in her life-
time to do. And in case any such claim should hereafter
be made by her Heirs, Executors or Administrators or any
of them Contrary to the true Intent and Meaning thereof
216
then the said Gift and Devise to the said Rensselaer Nicolls
and his heirs to be utterly Void and of none Effect.
E., p. 42.
VAN RENSSELAERS OF THE REVOLUTION.
By the Hon. Killian K. Van Rensselaer.
Whatever prejudice now exists against the Manor influ-
ence in the counties of Albany and Rensselaer, it was fortu-
nate for the American independence that it existed and was
exerted with all its energy at the dawn of the Revolution,
to give impulse to its progress. Whilst some other manors
in the State held back until after the surrender of Ikirgoyne,
the upper and lower manors of the Van Renselaers struck
out at once for American freedom ; and by so doing en-
listed in its cause all their numerous connections of blood,
marriage and dependence ; and thus produced a counter-
poise to the numerous and powerful Tory families residing
in those frontier counties.
The Van Renselaer name in 1776 was borne by 18 males.
During the Revolutionary struggle every adult bearing the
name of Van Renselaer (except two old men, my father's
brothers, John and Henry, and four boys) bore arms at
one or more battles during its progress. My father's family
is an illustration of this. His name was Killian. He was
a member of the Committee of Safety — at one time presi-
dent of it — in the northern district of the State of New
York, whose decrees were law. He held the commission
of Colonel, and was a member of the Legislature. His
son Nicholas joined the 1st regiment of the New York
line as a Lieutenant, followed Montgomery to the walls of
Quebec, and was at the assault upon that place on the
night of the 31st Dec. 1775, where Montgomery fell; and
at the battle of Longueil was shot down and left for dead ;
but recovering, served as Captain in his regiment to the end
of the war. My father's eldest son, Henry, in the early
part of 1776, raised a regiment in the manor, and went to
Fort Independence in the Highlands as commandant;
217
afterward joined Washington at White Plains, followed him
in the retreat through Xew Jersey, was wounded in the
head at the battle of Xew Brunswick, under Gen. Lee,
while endeavoring to prevent the British from crossing the
Raritan. In 1777, when Ticonderoga was abandoned by
the Americans, Gen. Schuyler requested General Washing-
ton to send Col. Henry Van Rensselaer to the Northern
army. Our army retreated from Ticonderoga into Vermont.
The 1st Xew York regiment, with a park of brass artillery,
was at Fort George. To save it was all-important to our
cause. Colonel Van Rensselaer was directed to pick out
of the militia then at Fort Edward four hundred volunteers,
and stop the British advance at a defile near Fort Ann, at
all hazards, until he could remove the stores, etc., from Fort
George. How far he executed this order, the good effect
it had in rallying a new army, you will learn by reference
to Burgoyne's Trial, Wilkinson's Memoirs, etc. In this
affair he was so grievously wounded as to disqualify him
from taking rank in the line, and he became a cripple for
life. The ball, which entered the upper part of the thigh-
bone, was extracted after his death, quite flattened.
A third son, Philip, bore rank as Lieutenant-Colonel in the
ordnance department, and had charge of the United States
Armory in Albany to the end of the war. I was the young-
■ est son, a boy at school ; the late Stephen Van Rensselaer
and his brother being boys also.
In the campaign of 1777. my father, with eight of his
nephews and three of his sons, served together in the
Northern campaign till Burgoyne's surrender. In fact,
twelve of the name served in various military capacities
in actual service during the war. The following were all
of the eastern manor :
1. Robert Van Rensselaer was a commissioned Colonel,
and a Brigadier-General ; also a member of the Legisla-
ture, in the Revolution.
2. Killian, my father, was a Colonel.
3. Henry, my brother, was a Lieutenant- Colonel and a
Colonel, etc.
4. Philip, my brother, was a Lieutenant-Colonel in the
general staff in the ordnance department.
5. Nicholas, my brother, was a Captain in Van Schaick's
regiment. New York line, to the end of the war.
6. James was a Major in the general staff of the army,
inspector, etc., of Montgomery's army at Quebec.
218
•], Jeremiah was a Lieutenant in the 2d regiment of the
New York line, and paymaster to the end of the war.
8. John was a commissioned Colonel, etc.
9. David was a commisioned Major, etc.
10. Killian was a commissioned Lieutenant, etc.
11. Peter was a Captain in the New York line, Living-
ston's regiment, to the end of the war.
12. Henry was a Colonel, etc.
GENERAL HENDRICK K. VAN RENSSELAER.
Reminiscence by the Hon. John Sanders, Jr.
I still remember when I was 11 or 12 years old, that the
old General, having been on a visit to his son at the West,
on his return stayed with my father over night, and a day or
two, at Scotia ; he was lame, but tall, muscular, slim and in
every respect a fine looking old man. I had heard so much
of his fearlessness that I listened with rapture to his tales as
he fought anew his battles before my father and his little
listener, with the glowing fervor of the revolutionary
patriot. One thing I heard the old warrior say, in fighting
his battles over again, " Our charge up the heights was made
a little before sundown. I was shot in the hip downwards
as I mounted up. I cheered my men onward ; and onward
they went. I rolled to the foot of the hill among the dead,
the dying and the wounded, and soon discovered myself
lying within about six feet of a British officer, also severely
wounded. We conversed during the night as friends, were
too badly suffering and wounded to say much. In the
morning we were both taken to the American camp, I as a
victor, and he as a prisoner."
Affidavit made in 1839, by the Hon. Killian K.
Van Rensselaer to secure a pension for the widow of
Gen. H. K. Van Rensselaer.
Early in the spring of 1776, Col. Van Rensselaer took
a command as colonel or lieutenant-colonel, this deponent
does not know which, and repaired with his men to the
Highlands on the Hudson River, and took command of a
post opposite West Point then called Fort Independence.
219
After that he joined Gen. Washington and his army at
White Plains; and served and was attached to the Southern
Army under Washington during the campaign of 1776.
He was wounded in the head by a spent musket-hall at
Brunswick, N. J., when the British Army attempted to cross
the Raritan, following the American Army then retreating.
It was understood without contradiction, that Gen. Schuyler
commander-in-chief of the Northern Army, applied to Gen.
Washington to permit Col. Van Rensselaer to join the
Northern Army; this deponent has a distinct recollection of
his return, and joining the army, from seeing the cocked hat
he had on when he received a wound at Brunswick, which
had an indent or part of a hole on the outside brim of the
hat. rending the retreat of Gen. St. Clair and army from
I iconderoga into Vermont, and his joining Gen. Schuyler
at Fort Edward in the campaign of 1777 — the British
Army then advancing by the route of Skeenesboro and
Fort Ann — it was necessary to make an effort to stop the
British at least 24 hours at Fort Ann, to gain time to enable
the garrison and park of artillery and publick stores at Fort
George to be removed to Fort Edward. Out of the few
Militia and troops at Fort Edward Gen. Schuyler ordered
Col. Van Rensselaer peremptorily to select and take volun-
teers to about 400 strong, and by a forced march to advance
and take post at a defile or pass past Fort Ann, formed by a
ledge of rocks on his left and Wood Creek with a thick
swamp on his right. Altho' the distance was upwards of 20
miles, his movement was so rapid that the defile was taken
possession by his corps before daylight the next day. Gen.
Schuyler's orders were that " he must defend that post at all
hazard till 4 o'clock in the afternoon of the day next to
the day his corps left Fort Edward ; by that time the mili-
tary stores and park of artillery, with Van Schaick's 1st
Regt. of N. Y. Continental troops (enlisted for during the
war) would make good their retreat." He executed his
orders literally, except that he did not order his corps to
quit the ground till dusk, to prevent the Indians pursuing ;
it commenced raining before 4 o'clock and continued to
rain almost all that night. In the several attempts made by
the British 9th Regt. of Infantry and Indians to dislodge
his corps they were foiled and ultimately fell back, and
waited for the German Legion, which the next morning
came down, and then took possession of the pass he held
the day before till night. He received what he considered
220
a mortal wound from a musket-ball in the upper part of his
thigh, which shattered the bone, but refused to be taken off
the battle-ground when his men retired — the loss of blood
and the helpless state he was in, and the great distance thro'
a thick forest, and the only path to Fort Edward blocked up
by trees cut across it, with all the bridges broken up by a
fatigue party sent up for that purpose the day before, in-
duced him to adhere to his resolution to remain on the
ground. After the troops had retired for some time a
British officer crept up to him with a shattered leg, who
made himself known as Captain Montgomery, nephew of
Gen. Montgomery, who fell at the assault on Quebec in the
American service. Capt. M. proposed to him to prevent
the British Indians from scalping him if he would prevent
the American Indians from scalping him. Shortly after a
party of men came back to the field with a resolution to
take him to Fort Edward, dead or alive ; they put him on a
bier, and he prevailed on the men to take along Capt.
Montgomery, who proved to be the kinsman of Gen.
Montgomery, as he had stated, and whom the widow of
Gen. Montgomery aftewards recognized as such, and took
him from Albany to her residence. By common consent at
the time, the defence of the defile at Fort Ann was a mili-
tary achievement of great peril and gallantry, and by saving
the stores and troops at Fort George, which would otherwise
have been captured, essentially contributed to the sub-
sequent capture of the British under Gen. Burgoyne. The
ball which lodged in his thigh on that occasion shattered the
bone and lodged so near the socket of the hip that no
amputation could be made nor the ball be extracted. From
the want of surgical aid his wound could not be dressed
until he was bro't down to Albany (a distance of 56 miles
after a lapse of four days). When he got to Albany Dr.
Stringer, who was then at Barrington, Mass., 40 miles from
Albany, was sent for, the surgeons in the hospital declaring
that nothing could be done for him. When Dr. Stringer
arrived his wound was in a state of mortification, and with
great difficulty his life was saved. He lay in a helpless state
for about a year, when he recovered so far as to be able to
move about in a crippled state, with the wounded leg several
inches shorter than the other, with the foot turned out, to the
day of his death in 18 16.
221
F., p. 137.
She was married to Captain James Drew April 10,
1792, by the Rev. Benjamin Moore, Assistant Minis-
ter of Trinity Church, New York, afterward Bishop
of New York, the husband of her cousin Charity
Clark. He was lost when in command of the De
Braak, a sloop of war taken from the Dutch in 1795,
in the 23d year of his service as a commissioned
officer. His body was recovered and interred in the
churchyard of St Peter's, Lewes, Del., and a mon-
ument erected over it by his widow, which I have
recently caused to be restored. The Gentleman's
Magazine for July, 1798, published the following ac-
count of the sad disaster, as detailed by an eyewit-
ness in Claypoole's American Daily Advertiser, Phil-
adelphia :
" Philadelphia, May 31. His Brittanic Majesty's Sloop
of war DeBraak, Capt. Drew, overset in Old Kiln Roads,
about 4 o'clock last Friday afternoon. She was at the time
under mainsail & reefed topsails, just about to cast anchor,
a mile from the lighthouse, her boat alongside waiting for
the captain, who intended to go on shore at Lewes Town ;
a sudden slew of wind laid her down on her beam-ends;
she immediately filled and went down, with Capt. Drew,
his lieutenant, and 38 officers, seamen, and marines. The
rest of the ship's company, about 25, including the boat-
swain, escaped in the boats, and several were taken up by a
pilot boat. The DeBraak parted with the fleet oft" the
Western Islands in chace of a strange sail, and was unable
to join the convoy. About 25 days ago she fell in with,
and captured, a Spanish ship from LaPlatta, bound to
Spain, with a very valuable cargo, consisting of 200 tons of
copper in bars, a quantity of cocoa, &c. The prize is ar-
rived in the Delaware. 12 of the prisoners were lost in the
sloop of war. The surviving Spanish prisoners, have been
brought to Philadelphia, & given up to the agent of Spam.
The crew of the DeBraak consisted of 83 persons in all,
about half of whom were saved, including those who were
222
in the prize. The officers left alive are the prizemaster, a
midshipman, and the boatswain. This melancholy accident
is heightened by the captain's lady being so near as New-
York, where she was every hour in anxious expectation of
meeting him. The prize lies at the fort."
Capt. John Drew, brother of Capt. James, who
had distinguished himself in command of the frigate
Cerberus from 1795 to '98, by a singular fatality had
been drowned in Plymouth Sound the preceding Jan-
uary with his boat's crew and several officers while
going ashore to report to the admiral, having brought
in safely two prizes. The family was settled at Salt-
ash, Cornwall, not far from where the captain of the
Cerberus was lost. The seal of Capt. Drew in my
possession shows that they were of the Irish branch,
which intermarried in the 17th century with the
Maunsells, which may account for his acquaintance
with my aunt.
G., p. 161.
The Loss of the Central America.
Tittle or no comment has accompanied the narratives
which for several days it has been our painful duty to lay
before our readers in connection with the wreck of the Cen-
tral America. We have in fact preferred to forbear comment,
both of our own and from correspondents, until the painful
feelings and the excitement inseparable from so calamitous an
event had lost something of their acuteness and force. It
would be unjust, however, to the memories of her gallant
commander, Lieut. Herndon, her first officer, Mr. Charles
Van Rensselaer, her passengers without exception, and her
crew, if some tribute were not paid to their courage, their
humanity and devotion to duty even to the latest hour of
that fearful emergency.
The hope which lingered, though but feebly, in the public
mind, that the commander of the Central America, with per-
haps some of his companions, might yet be restored to his
family and to his country, is now gone. The list of the saved
22 3
is beyond doubt complete. It is well that it is so large. It is
sad that it is so small ; but sadder still that the men who
proved themselves so worthy to live are counted among the
dead.
And yet while the widow and the fatherless mourn, and
individuals and familes are overwhelmed with grief, a throb
of grateful pride is felt through the entire community that
their country's honor has not only been untarnished in the
calamity, but has shone with increased lustre through the
ebon darkness of the trying events. An Albany evening
cotemporary has remarked that " if the disaster to the
Central America has coffined her commander and first offi-
cer in uncertain and shifting graves, it has placed over
them monuments which will endure forever. Their man-
hood in first saving the women and the children from the
wreck will not be forgotten." It cannot be. It will be told
with grateful eulogiums to children and children's children
as an illustration of the true seaman's chivalry, and as a
stimulus to emulation ; nor told of Herndon and Van Rens-
selaer alone ; but of all who for those long and dreary
hours toiled with them, and then fitly crowned their heroism
and their generous humanity by giving to the weaker and
helpless the first and only fruit of their exhausting labors.
Noble men were they, not of man's making, but of the
Almighty's creation.
We may not wonder that an educated officer of the U. S.
navy acted as Herndon acted ; or that one who so largely
enjoyed his confidence as to be his first officer, bearing the
honored name of Van Rensselaer, showed equal courage
and self-sacrificing devotion ; or even that the crew serving
under such a commander, had imbibed something of his
heroic, self-denying and chivalrous spirit. But we may
marvel that amid from four to five hundred passengers, nine-
tenths of whom were men who had been eagerly pursuing
wealth away from almost all humanizing and restraining
associations — too often reckless of everything, of life itself,
in their eager clutching of gold — many of them painfully
deficient in morality, social amenities and human sympathies,
even before they went into the rugged associations of the
gold mines — and all of them now almost within sight of
the homes and friends from whom they had been for years
absent, and of the competence for which they had toiled
and sacrificed so much — men who for years had brooked
no restraint, and had known no argument but the revolver,
224
no law but that of might — that these men should at such
a time prove themselves submissive to the severest disci-
pline, should yield an unhesitating and full obedience, not
to force, but to the mildest form of counsel or persuasion,
should manifest the most refined gallantry and the tenderest
concern for women and children, should in a word exhibit
the purest chivalry and the rarest delicacy and generosity,
is a matter of wonder, and of grateful pride on the part of
their countrymen. — JV. Y. Commercial Advertiser.
A Deed for All Time.
A few moments before the ill-fated Central America went
down, and when all hope of rescue was abandoned, the com-
mander, Captain Herndon and his first Lieutenant, Mr.
Van Rensselaer, went below, arrayed themselves in full uni-
form, and having taken their accustomed place on the quar-
ter deck, thus calmly and fittingly met — their last enemy.
There is a deep meaning in the act, which stamps it as true
Christian heroism.
Look forth upon the sea —
A cruel, angry sea!
What meets our gaze — a noble ship
Contending gallantly ;
Contending mid opposing waves,
While round her wind and tempest raves.
Just like a thing of life,
She bends to meet the blast ;
Nor heeds the elemental strife,
Torn sail or quivering mast.
'Tis vain! — nor force nor skill avail,
Unless sweet mercy rule the gale.
Upon her broken deck,
Woman's fair form is seen,
With youth and manhood's sterner front,
And childhood's graceful mien.
Oh, earth! Oh, Heaven! have ye no power
To succor in this fearful hour ?
Fair rose the radiant day,
A smile on every lip;
When from her mooring in the bay,
Sprang forth that gallant ship.
225
With a loyal crew and a leader brave,
Well skilled to guide o'er land or wave.
There was heard the song and dance,
As the gladsome hours flew by,
foy beamed in every speaking glance,
For home, sweet home drew nigh.
E'en the grave, hardy sons of toil,
Grew blithe as they neared their natal soil.
" We have toiled," say they, "for gold,
We have wrung it from the mine ;
But our loved ones will pay us a thousand fold,
When their arms around us twine.
And the weary heart — it will all be past,
When the exile greets his home at last.
Dreams, dreams — delusive dreams !
That home thou never wilt see:
No loving wife will thy neck enfold,
No children climb thy knee.
E'en now the storm spirit's shriek
Is heard upon the gale,
Hark ! how the hollow echoes speak,
Responsive to their wail.
Finally the angry surges sweep,
Danger and death are on the deep.
Then, oh, the wild dismay !
The conflict and the strife,
The deep unfathomed agony,
As they battled for their life.
The vain' appeal, the bitter prayer,
The grief, the madness, the despair !
Yet midst the gathering gloom,
And horror of that night,
Some god-like attribute shone forth
In lines of living light ;
For noble Christian hearts were there,
With martyr zeal to do and dare.
No base, unworthy thought,
Within their breasts had place ;
But generous purpose, high resolve,
Glowed in each manly face.
Oh, glorious hope ! Oh, faith sublime !
That lifts to eternity from time.
And lo ! upon their view,
A friendly sail appears ;
The sight their waning strength renews,
Their fainting spirit cheers.
And first with tender care they seek
The safety of the frail and weak.
226
But scarce their task was done,
When fiercer grew the blast ;
Vain the stout heart, the stalwart arm,
The ship is sinking fast.
And youth and hope and manhood's pride,
Must perish neath the raging tide.
Then spoke that dauntless chief,
To the second in command :
" The way to heaven is just as brief,
Thank God, by sea as land !
i )ne duty still remains — and then,
We'll meet — we'll meet — our fate — like men.
Yet nature claims her dues,
And one heart-burst is given,
One yearning throb for those they'll meet
No more on this side heaven.
Briefly they part : — then midst the wreck
Step forth upon the quarter-deck.
No common garb they wear,
But calm amid the storm,
Their country's badge they have assumed,
Their navy uniform.
I (anger and death can both be met,
But — girt with sword and epaulette!
'Twas on no battle-field,
While gazing crowds stood by,
To bear to future listening worlds
How bravely they could die!
A nobler impulse urged them on,
This was their watchword — duty done!
Sidney and Bayard! — their names
On earth will never die!
But here's a single act which shames
Their vaunted chivalry.
The twain, our hearts' deep founts to stir,
Are Herndon and Van Rensselaer!
Heroic pair! united here,
By friendship's holy tie,
Useless the meed of earthly praise,
Their record is on high.
True to their trust, till latest breath;
Did they not triumph over death?
And all that faithful band!
Who, manly, tender, true,
Shrunk not from duty's stern command,
We yield them reverence too!
Soft be their rest! e'en though no eye
Marks where their sacred relics lie.
227
And woman — is she alone
Regardless of their doom ?
Ah. ii"! an humble wreath we lay,
Upon their honored tomb.
While proud ami grateful tears we shed,
Over our great, our glorious dead.
And ye, Columbia's sons,
A nation's hope and pride,
Would ye exalt the stripes and stars,
Think how your commanders died!
No flag victorious on the sea
Can point to loftier names than these,
And though their work is done,
Their earthly sun has set,
Vet o'er their bright, their high career,
A halo lingers yet.
A heavenly radiance pure and free,
It points to immortality.
The First Officer.
If the disaster to the Central America has coffined her
commander and first officer in uncertain and shifting graves,
it has placed monuments over them which will endure
for ever. Their manhood in first saving the women and
children from the wreck, will not be forgotten. It is in
splendid contrast with the selfishness, the confusion, the
indecision and the cowardice which made the misfortune of
the Arctic a disgrace in part and in part a crime.
The captain of a ship is the source of the authority that
governs her. The executive on board of her, however, is
the first officer. To the courage, the devotion, and the
energy of Charles W. Wan Rensselaer, there are fifty-seven
living witnesses — tender women and their little children.
He superintended their embarkation, accomplished it with-
out loss, and without the disfigurement of a struggle to snatch
from his helpless charge the only means of safety, and then
took his station by the side of his commander, and awaited
in dignity the sinking of his ship. — Albany Eve. Journal,
Sept. 22, 1857.
Tribute to Charles W. Van Rensselaer, First
Officer of the Central America.
The N. Y. Times pays the following tribute to the first
officer of the Central America, Mr. Van Rensselaer, who
went down with the vessel. As we have before stated, Mr.
228
Van Rensselaer was a brother of Rev. Mr. Van Rensselaer
of this city.
" Mr. Van Rensselaer was the son of Hon. John S. Van
Rensselaer, of Albany, a member of a family whose name
is identified with every period of the history of our State.
With a natural taste for the sea, he early adopted it as a
profession. For a while he was ;i Lieutenant in the United
States Revenue Service, but lost his commission by the re-
duction of the number of officers in the service. He then
took the place of first officer on the George Law, and
although a weighty responsibility for so young a man, yet
never had the company any reason to regret the appointment.
As executive officer of the ship, Mr. Van Rensselaer hail
even more care thrown upon him than upon the captain,
and the writer knows, from a voyage with him, how well it
was borne. He has been much at sea, in sailing vessels and
steamers, yet he never saw one sailed so scientifically as the
Central America. Observations were constantly made, and
no expedient of seamanship was untried. Captain Herndon
has often expressed to the writer his warm friendship for Mr.
Van Rensselaer. He had urged, he said, on Mr. Van Rens-
selaer to gratify his taste for the sea in some more pleasant
situation than a California steamer — to purchase a ship for
himself, and thus voyage when and where he wished. " but,"
said Captain Herndon, "Mr. Van Rensselaer will remain in
this line from personal feelings to me." And warmly was
this reciprocated by his commander. He gave him entire
confidence.
A few months since Captain Herndon was confined by ill-
ness on the home voyage, and Mr. Van Rensselaer had the
undivided responsibility of conducting the vessel from Aspin-
wall to New York. In the intricate navigation of the West
Indies he scarcely left the deck at night. The passengers
knew little of him, for he confined himself to his duties,
leaving the captain to discharge the courtesies of the
voyage.
At the sad time of the wreck he proved fully equal to the
crisis. We learn from Mr. Frazer, the second officer, that
everything was done by Mr. Van Rensselaer that seaman-
ship could devise. He aided in helping the women and
children into the boats, and then when the fatal hour came
he and Captain Herndon went to their state-rooms, put on
their uniform and took their places side by side on the
paddlebox, the officer's post. Mr. Van Rensselaer then
229
lighted a cigar and was calmly smoking it when the steamer
reeled down beneath them into the depths below.
Mr. Baston who rose to the surface with them says,
"Mr. Van Rensselaer told me in the water that he should
not leave Captain Herndon." And thus, we fear, they died
together. Yet it was for both a gallant death. The family
of young Van Rensselaer have bled on many a battle field
from the old French wars to Queenstown Heights, yet none
of them died more nobly than this young sailor at the post
of duty. He was worthy of the friendship of Herndon.
While his friends mourn him, there are many who miss his
open-handed liberality. With fortune sufficient for his wants,
his purse was ready for the needy, and there are families
now in Albany whose rent he regularly paid, and ministered
to their wants. He was generous and whole-souled, and
when we first heard of the wreck, we felt that he was lost,
for we knew that he and Herndon would be the last to quit
the ship. And so it was. They died as they should, nobly."
— Rochester Union and Advertiser.
An Incident at Sea — Lieutenant Herndon.
On the most beautiful morning of August 27, as the
Illinois was steaming towards Havana, having got off the
reef the previous night, we met the steamship Central
America, with her myriad of passengers bound for Aspin-
wall. She passed on the port side within one hundred yards.
The engines of both ships were quiet. The passengers
thronged the decks of the Central America, eager to catch
a glance at the unfortunate ship, of whose mishap they had
learned at Havana, and which Captain Herndon, with his
ship was hastening to relieve.
Upon the wheel-house stood Captain Herndon; near by,
Van Rensselaer, the first officer; Purser Hull, Dr. Tennyson,
and a number of gentlemen easily recognized and known.
When directly opposite, Captain Herndon hailed Captain
Boggs in that distinct and gentlemanly tone of voice that so
distinguished him: "Good morning, Captain Boggs! can I
render you any assistance ? " Captain Boggs replied. " We
are all right, and bound for Havana." The wheels again
moved, and the ships separated. We all stood and gazed
after the Central America, as the foam dashed against her
side, and the reflection of white water upon her quarters
and stern, rendered the sight imposing, we exclaimed, how
2^0
beautiful. My friend Church, the celebrated artist of New
York, he who transferred Niagara Falls to canvas, stood at
my elbow. That last sight of the Central America, will not
be lost to him, nor ever effaced from my memory, as it was
the everlasting adieu to a noble ship, and many kind and
respected friends among her officers. — Cars. Boston Traveler.
THE WRECKED STEAMER.
The Statement of Two Albanians — Account of the
Escape of Mrs. O'Conner and Her Son — New
and Interesting Facts.
Having learned that Mrs. O'Conner, and her son, H. T.
O'Conner, had reached their home in this city, we sent our
reporter to glean whatever they might be able to communi-
cate in reference to the great catastrophe — the loss of the
Central America. Mrs. O'Conner is about middle age, of
medium height, and at present is suffering from excitement
and exposure, having been five days in wet clothes without
change. She seems very nervous, and wants quiet, which
her kind friends are reluctant to give her; the house being
thronged with acquaintances calling to congratulate herself
and son on their marvelous escape.
The son is a sprightly, intelligent young man of about
seventeen years, and now appears quite well except a lame
ankle. They went to California three years ago, where the
mother, who is a dressmaker, wrought with her needle,
earning $3 per day, while her son worked in a printing
office. She had but two children ; the son who accom-
panied her and another about six years old. It was for the
purpose of securing means to educate her children she went
to California, where, by the efforts of both, they had suc-
ceeded in saving over $2,000, most of which was lost, they
having escaped with a little more than life. We can but
hope that the object of her solicitude — the education of
her sons — will yet be attained.
Although Mrs. O'Conner and her son had so often given
a narration of their eventful experience on their home
voyage from California, they very kindly consented to
answer any questions ; not much was communicated, how-
ever, which has not already been given to the public. But
231
as the narratives of those residing in our midst will have a
special interest, we give such facts as we were able to draw
out.
Mrs. O'Conner says she felt that the vessel was lost from
the time the fires were extinguished. She heard the engineer
say the vessel leaked above the coppers. She succeeded in
getting off in the fourth boat load, which reached the Marine
at five o'clock, but had to bail for her life.
Previous to leaving the steamer, she says Captain Herndon
came into the cabin, the men at the buckets having given
out, and besought the gentlemen, "by their love for their
homes and fireside, to help keep the vessel from sinking."
A great many of the passengers were so intoxicated, from
drinking freely of liquor and going without food, that they
were unfit to do anything, and betook themselves to their
berths. Among those intoxicated was Mr. , who was
regarded in California as the grestest temperance lecturer
who had visited that country. Xo harsh judgment, how-
ever, should be formed from these facts; being utterly pros-
trated from want of food and rest, they betook themselves
to stimulants as a last resort; but it proved in this case — as
in most other cases — a ruinous alternative, as many, utterly
insensible, perished in their berths, and others on deck and
in their cabins were too far gone in inebriety to avail them-
selves of the means of escape when whelmed in the yawning
abyss of waters.
Xo marks of inebriety, however, were observed in the
officers. Captain Herndon and Mr. Van Rensselaer are
spoken of as calm and self-possessed, and having borne
themselves with great courage.
Mrs. O'Conner speaks in the highest terms of the lamented
Mr. Van Rensselaer, who took charge of the removal of the
ladies and children, and aided in letting them down from
the steamer, and thinks he held the rope which dropped her
safely into the life boat.
The young man also spoke in high terms of Mr. Van
Rensselaer, but when asked in regard to Ashby, with a look
of contempt, replied, " Sir — Ashby is a coward — a coward "
— with emphasis — and added — "I heard the Captain of
the Empire City tell him so to his face, and said, ' If you
had been on my ship, I would have put a ball through you,
or hung you at the yard arm.' "
Young O'Conner was standing on the hurricane deck,
and saw Mr. Van Rensselaer on the wheelhouse when the
232
fatal plunge was made. He says the passengers seemed
reconciled to their fate and uttered no outcry, when the
steamer sank. Before this, however, most of die passengers
were praying to God to have mercy upon their souls; while
some few cursed and swore horribly.
After they had been in the water for an hour, one of
the passengers attempted to get upon another's raft, and
O'Conner heard the occupant swear he would blow his
brains out if he did not get oft". The loss of such a man is
no public calamity. From the time the ship went down, for
several hours there was a continual cry going up from the
struggling mass of human beings, such as no one can
imagine who was not there, and perfectly indescribable.
O'Conner says he was on the point of giving up, when
the light of the Ellen suddenly appeared, and in a minute
after he was picked up. A number of persons died along
side the vessel before they could be get aboard, and he was
himself so much exhausted that he could not have survived
much longer. When the rope was dropped he was unable
to hold on to it, but succeeded in twisting it around his waist,
and it was scarcely done before he was on board. The
sailors were exceedingly expeditious in the work of rescue,
and as kind as possible to the shipwrecked ; opening their
chests and freely giving them supplies from their wardrobe.
O'Conner had on a suit of summer clothes when rescued.
Thinks he had been about seven hours in the water, and
was pretty thoroughly chilled. The first passengers were
picked up by the Ellen about two or three o'clock in the
morning, and the last at nine, when two were picked up
together. At eleven the captain steered for Norfolk.
There was a very fine looking young man on board, who
went by the cognomen of "handsome Harry." He was
from New York. O'Conner did not know his real name;
but thinks he must have been lost.
The meeting of the survivors on board the Empire City
is described as exceedingly affecting. Only four persons on
the Marine found their friends safe. Mrs. O'Conner had
for five days supposed her son lost, and received him as " life
from the dead."
O'Conner confirms the report that Engineer Ashby en-
deavored to rob him of the life-preserver which his mother
had put on him before she left the steamer. Ashby coarsely
ordered him to take it oft', and he refused ; upon which the
engineer drew his bowie knife to cut it off, and would have
233
done so, but for the interference of the young man from
New York, who nobly aided him in resisting Ashby. The
young man thus saved O'Conner, though he was himself lost.
H., pp. 150, 194, 210.
BENJAMIN MOORE.
The death of Mr. Benjamin Moore at Boston, September
6th, brings sorrow not only to his home, but to a wide-spread
family connection and many friends. Mr. Moore died at
the age of sixty-eight yeais, after a very brief illness, of
apoplexy.
He was the eldest child of Clement Clarke Moore, the
distinguished scholar and benefactor of the General Theo-
logical Seminary of New York, whose name is endeared to
all the children of this broad land as the author of " The
Night Before Christmas." Mr. Moore's grandfather, Benja-
min Moore, was the Bishop of the Diocese of New York
from 1801 to 1816, leaving behind him a saintly memory.
Prof. C. C. Moore married a daughter of William Taylor,
Lord Chief Justice of Jamaica, W. I., whose wife, Elizabeth
Van Cortlandt, was a lineal descendant of Stephenas Van
Cortlandt, the first proprietor of the Manor of Cortlandt.
Mr. Moore was born in New York, and became a resi-
dent of this township nearly fifty years ago ; an ardent lover
of Nature, a botanist and ornithologist, he was never happier
than when amid rural surroundings or in the beautiful
home he embellished with such exquisite taste. A man of
marked purity and gentleness of character ; true to his con-
victions and of unswerving loyalty to what he deemed the
right, he was a gentleman in every sense of that much
abused term. Responsive to every appeal for charity, Mr.
Moore's ample means enabled him to give liberally, and
avoiding publicity in his constantly dispensed benefactions,
he followed always the Scriptural rule, " Let not thy left
hand know what thy right hand doeth." By the parish he
so loved and where he long held the position of senior warden
he will be sorely missed. His family have the sympathy and
prayers of the community, and the consciousness that he for
whom they mourn has left a good record and the remem-
brance of a life (to use the words of one who had known
234
him from childhood), "adorned with simplicity and godly-
sincerity."
In 1842, Mr. Moore married Elizabeth, the daughter of
Major John Sing, of this village, who survives him. He
leaves three children, Clement Clarke, Casimir De Rham,
and Katharine Theresa Moore. C. E. V. C.
Tribute of Respect.
BENJAMIN MOORE.
At a regular meeting of the vestry of Trinity Church,
Sing Sing, held on the 10th day of September, 1886, the
committee appointed by the vestry to prepare resolutions
touching the death of the late senior warden, Mr. Benjamin
Moore, presented the following tribute of respect which was
ordered to be placed on the record book of the parish, and
a copy sent to the family of the late Mr. Moore, and pub-
lished in the local papers and in the New York Churchman:
The rector, wardens and vestrymen of Trinity Church,
Sing Sing, desire to place on record this tribute to the
memory of the late Benjamin Moore, whom it has pleased
Almighty God so suddenly to call to his rest in Paradise.
A vestryman of this parish from its organization in 1868,
he was at the time of his death in active, faithful and loving
discharge of his duties as its senior warden.
In these offices he ever evinced a rare love of the church,
and a loyal devotion to her best interests, always among the
foremost in carrying on her work in the community, this
parish will ever cherish with grateful remembrance the in-
valuable services he has rendered, and his care and solicitude
for its prosperity.
As a wise counsellor, a kind hearted friend and a true
Christian gentleman, we mourn his loss ; as a devout and
regular communicant of the church, we revere his memory.
To the family of our departed brother, we tender our sin-
cere and heart-felt sympathies in this time of their great
bereavement.
Geo. D. Arthur, }
Rob't G. Mead, £ Committee.
Wm. H. Barlow. )
235
Dr. Alexander H. Hoff, United States army, died
at Philadelphia, Pa., at two o'clock p. M., Saturday, August
19, 1876, of dysentery. The deceased was well and
favorably known in different parts of the State, having
practiced successfully his profession near Hudson on the
North river, at Mount Morris on the Genesee, and finally
at Albany. Dr. Hoff was Surgeon-General on the staff of
Gov. Clark, in 1854-56, also the attending and examining
surgeon at the cavalry and infantry rendezvous, United
States arm\-, at Albany for many years before the civil war,
and was then distinguished for his prompt and strict atten-
tion to duty. He was among the first to offer his services
at the outbreak of the war, was surgeon of Fred. Townsend's
regiment. On the march to Bethel the head of this regi-
ment was fired into by some other regiment, the two coming
into the common road in the darkness of the night and the
heavy timber, the one from Newport News and the other
from Hampton. On this occasion the doctor earned a
lantern at the head of the column which was shot out of his
hand. He was present the following day at the battle of
Bethel. Entering the army at the beginning of the war, he
served throughout the struggle filling many positions of trust
and responsibility and finally from a most decided taste for
the army, confirmed by years of active service, he entered
the regular service. He accompanied the first troops sent
to Sitka, where he served two years; was then stationed in
the harbor of San Francisco, and afterwards at the recruiting
depot, Governor's Island, N. Y. Whilst in New York, Dr.
Hoff' s high culture as physician and surgeon becoming fully
known to the Surgeon-General, United States army, he was
detailed as a member of the Medical Examining Board, and
in the discharge of this duty when taken sick.
Dr. Hoff was the oldest son of the Rev. B. Hoff, a dis-
tinguished clergyman of the Dutch Reformed church. He
married a daughter of Gen. John S. Van Rensselaer of
Albany (sister of Rev. Dr. Van Rensselaer of Geneva, N. Y.),
and leaves a widow and four children, Assistant Surgeon J.
V. R. Ploff, United States army, and three daughters. —
Geneva Gazette.
Dr. Jeremiah Van Rensselaer, who died at his house
in Forty-ninth street, of pneumonia, on the seventh instant,
at the age of seventy-eight years, was buried from St. Paul's
chapel on Friday last. Among his pall-bearers were the
236
venerable Messrs. H. C. De Rham and William Barnwell.
Mr. Van Rensselaer was born at the " Old Mansion,"
Greenbush, Rensselaer county, on August 4, 1793. He
was a descendant of the early Dutch settlers who, in 1637,
founded the colony of " Rensselaerwyck." After com-
pleting his academical education at Yale College, Jeremiah
came to this city in 18 13, and entered the office of his uncle,
Archibald Bruce, M. I). Here he acquired and cultivated
that taste for the natural sciences for which he, in after life,
was distinguished. After being admitted to the degree of
Doctor of Medicine in 1817, he went abroad and spent
three years in attendance upon the lectures and hospitals in
Edinburgh, London and Paris. On his return to New York
he was extensively engaged in the practice of his profession,
was for a long series of years corresponding secretary of the
New York Lyceum of Natural History, and during the
winter of 1825, lie delivered a course of lectures on geology
before the New York Athenaeum with great success. In
1840, he visited Rome and remained in Europe for three
years. In 1843 he resumed practice. In 1852 he retired
from active pursuits to the care of his estates, again occupy-
ing the "Old Mansion" at Greenbush. In 1867 he again
visited Europe. In October last he returned to this city in
feeble health, and lived here until his death.
I., p. 169.
A Confirmation of a Parcell of Lands at
SCIIENECSTADE, GRAUNTED UNTO SANDERS LEN-
ARDSEN GLENNE.
Richard Nicholls Esq. Governour under his Royal High-
nesse James Duke of Yorke &:c. of all his Territoryes in
America, To all to these Presents shall come Greeting.
Whereas there is a Certain Parcell of Land lying between the
Lake and the River over against the Town of Schanecstade
Containing by Estimation one hundred acres or fifty Mor-
gens, which said Parcell of Land Sanders Lenardsen Glenne
hath formerly Bought and Purchased of the Indyan Pro-
prietors, and given them due Satisfaction for the same ye said
Indyans do acknowledge to have received : NOW KNOW
YEE, That by virtue of the Commission and Authority unto
237
me Given by his Royal Highnesse the Duke of Yorke for
the Reasons aforesaid, as also that the said Lands may be
manured and planted and for divers other good causes and
Considerations mee hereunto moving I have thought fitt to
give Ratify, Confirm and Graunt, And by these Presents do
give Ratify, confirme and Graunt, unto the said Sanders
Lenardsen Glenn, his heirs and assigns the aforesaid Parcell
of Land with all woods, Marshes, Pastures, Fishing, Fowl-
ing and Hunting, and all other Proffits, Comodityes and
Kmoluments to the said Parcell of Land belonging with
their, and every of their appurtenances, and of every part
and parcell thereof: To have and to hold the said Parcell
of Land and pemisses with all and singular their Appur-
tenances to the said Sanders Lenardsen Glenne his heirs
and assigns, to the Proper use and behoofe of the said
Sanders Lenardsen Glenne his heirs and assigns for ever,
rendring and paying or Causing to be Rendred and paid
unto the Governour of these his Royall Highnesse his Terri-
toryes, and unto such Governors his successors as shall be
by his said Royall Highnesse appointed, according to the
Customary Rate of the Country for new Plantacions : The
said Sanders Lenardsen Glenne, likewise doing and per-
forming, such acts and things, as shall be constituted and
Ordained by his Royall Highnesse and his Heirs or such
Governor or Governors as shall from time to time be
appointed and set over him. And the said Saunders Len-
ardsen Glenne, his Heirs or assigns or some or one of them
are to Cause a Convenient part of the said Land to be
manured and planted within three Years after the date
thereof, or hee or they, shall forfeit his or their Right Title
and Interest in the Premisses.
Given under my hand and Seale at Fort James in New
Yorke this 3d day of November in the 17th yeare of his
Maj'tyes Raigne, and in the yeare of our Lord GOD 1665.
RlCHD. NlCOLLS.
" The foregoing is a true Copy of the original thereof
Recorded in the Secretary's Office of the Province of New
York in the Book of Patents No. 1. fo : 40. &c.
" Examd. by me 1st September, 1762.
" G. Banyar, D. Secy."
238
From the Scotia MSS.
By His Excellency Edward Viscount Cornbury,
| l. S.J Captain-Genl. and Governr. in Chief of the
Provinces of New York and Nova Caesarea and all ye Ter-
ritories and Tracts of Land depending thereon in America
and Vice-Admiral of the same &c.
You are hereby Commanded and required immediatly on
sight hereof, to take such measures and make such prepara-
tion for the security of ye Garrison and Town of Schonectady
as may put ye same into a sufficient posture of Defence
against ye Attacks and invations of an Enemy, and without
delay to sett sufficient stockadoes round the said Towne as
has formerly been done, and also to repaire and make good
the deffects of ye stockadoes round the ffort there ; and for
the due and speedy performance thereof, you are hereby
directed to Issue your Warrant to the swoine Assessors of
ye sd. Towne and Liberties thereof, directing them to
appoint and lay upon each ffreeholder and inhabitant of
ye same an equal share and charge of ye sd. worke. And
for so doing this shall be your sufficient Warrant. Given
under my hand and seal at New York this eighth day of
November 1703.
Cornbury.
To Captain Johannes Saunders (Glen) and Adam Vro-
man, Esqre, these to Execute ; and if any p'son shall refuse
to pay his share of what he may be assessed, or to p'form his
part of ye sd. worke, you are hereby empowered to destrain
ye goods of such person.
" New York, December 24, 1711.
"Sr.
" I have, Pursuant to your Desire in your letter of ye 4th
Instant Directed Capt. Matthews to make the Number of
Men in your Garrison Fourty.
" I will order the Acct. you sent me for repairing Your
Fortification to be Examined, and will Direct the Money
Given for that and Albany to be Applyed to those Uses.
I am Sr
" your humble Servant
"To "Ro: Hunter.
" Capt. Johannes Sanders Glen
" Schanectady."
239
Extracts from the Scotia Bible in Dutch now
in the Possession of Jacob G. Sanders, Al-
bany.
1648 — 5 Novr.-Is my father Johannes Sanders Glen
born.
1658 — This place (Scotia) was taken possession of by
Benoni Van K alder, Gander Lendersen Glen and William
Teller.
1684 — 12 August-My grandmother Cathrina Doungen
died.
1685 — 3d October-My uncle Jacob Sanders Glen rested
in the Lord.
1685 — 13th November-My grandfather Alexander Len-
dersen Glen rested in the Lord.
1690 — On the 8th and 9th February was a lamentable
murder committed at Schenectady by the French and their
Indian allies. All burnt but 5 houses. But at Scotia no
harm done by the express order of the Governor, for the
good done by my grandfather and my father to a certain
captive papist (Priest), and other prisoners in the war
between our Indians and the French.
1688 — 5th November-My wife Sarah Wendell born.
1 69 1 — My father and mother were married.
169 1 — 29th December-I Jacob Glen was born in Albany.
1695 — April 16 — My uncle Alexander Glen rested in the
Lord.
1694 — February i8th-My brother Abraham Glen was
born.
1696 — June 8-My sister Margaretta Glen was born.
1697 — January igth-She has rested in the Lord.
1697 — December 28-The Patroon Kilian Van Rensselaer
and David Schuyler have brought the news of peace. God
be thanked !
1717 — 15 December-I Jacob Glen was joined in holy
matrimony to Sarah Wendell.
172 1 — June 9th-Our daughter Deborah was born.
1724 — April ioth-My mother died.
1 731 — November 6th-My father rested in the Lord aged
83 years one day.
End of entries by Colonel Jacob Glen.
240
i ;(>2 — N S. \<> August-Col. Jacob Glen died.
, y6 2 — 19th August-My step-mother Sarah Glen (mother-
in-law?) died.
1782 — September [3-John Sanders died.
ty86 — March 8th-Deborah Sanders died.
Sanders Genealogy.
1 Robert and Elsie Sanders.
(2)-i678, May 8th-Baren1 born
married Maryya Wendell.
(3)-i7i4, July loth-John born
married Deborah Glen.
(4)-i764, June 2oth-Margaretta born
married Killi.in K.Van Reus
selaer.
-4'
