A History of the City of Brooklyn and Kings County, Volume II. — John Shaqi
A History of the City of Brooklyn and Kings County, Volume II.Ostrander, Stephen M.
History
A History of the City of Brooklyn and Kings County, Volume II.
Ostrander, Stephen M.
Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.) -- History; Kings County (N.Y.) -- History
Effect of the British Occupation on Life and Business in the
County. Brooklyn particularly disturbed. Town Meetings resumed.
The Prison Ships and their Terrible Legacy. Tragedies of the
Wallabout. Movement to honor the Dead. Burial of the Remains.
The Tammany Enterprise and the Removal of the Bones. Further
Removal to Fort Greene. Organization of the Brooklyn Fire
Department. The Ferry. The Mail Stage. New Roads. Planning
"Olympia." Early Advertisements. Circulating Library and
Schools. The Rain-water Doctor. Kings County Medical Society.
Flatlands. Gravesend. Flatbush, the County Seat. Mills. Erasmus
Hall. New Utrecht. Bushwick, its Church, Tavern, Graveyard, and
Mills. The Boundary Dispute. The Beginnings of Williamsburgh.
Rival Ferries. "The Father of Williamsburgh."
During the whole period of the Revolution Brooklyn had been peculiarly
disturbed. More than any other of the county towns, it had been
distracted and prostrated. Farms had been pillaged and the property
of exiled Whigs given over to Tory friends of the Governor. Military
occupation naturally resulted in great damage to property. "Farmers
were despoiled of their cattle, horses, swine, poultry, vegetables,
and of almost every necessary article of subsistence, except their
grain, which fortunately had been housed before the invasion. Their
houses were also plundered of every article which the cupidity of a
lawless soldiery deemed worthy of possession, and much furniture was
wantonly destroyed. At the close of this year's campaign, De Heister,
the Hessian general, returned to Europe with a shipload of plundered
property."[1] While the other towns were receiving pay for the board
of prisoners, and thus being justified in maintaining their crops,
Brooklyn remained a garrison town until the end.
After the evacuation, Brooklyn's farmers and tradesmen at once turned
their attention to the restoration of the orderly conditions existing
before the war. It also became necessary to reorganize the local
government. In April, 1784, was held the first town meeting since
April, 1776. Jacob Sharpe was chosen town clerk, and Leffert Lefferts,
the previous clerk, was called upon to produce the town records. The
result of this demand has already been described in the reference to
the missing records.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account