New York (State) -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775 -- Sources
Some weeks after this Miantonimo, principal sachem of Sloops
Bay,<1> came here with one hundred men, passing through all
the Indian villages<2> soliciting them to a general war
against both the English and the Dutch,<3> whereupon some of
the neighboring Indians attempted to set our powder on fire
and to poison the Director or to inchant him by their devilry,
as their ill will was afterwards made manifest as well in fact
as by report. Those of Hackingsack, otherwise called Achter
Col, had with their neighbors killed an Englishman, a servant
of one David Pietersen, and a few days after shot dead in an
equally treacherous manner a Dutchman, who sat roofing a
house in the colony of Meyndert Meyndertz,<4> which was
established there against he advice of the Director and will
of the Indians, and which by the continual damage which their
cattle committed caused no little dissatisfaction to the Indians,
and contributed greatly to the war. The commonalty began then
to be alarmed, and not without reason, having the Indians daily
in their houses. The murderers were frequently demanded,
either living or dead, even with a promise of reward; they
always returned a scoffing answer laughing at us. Finally,
the commonalty, very much displeased with the Director,
upbraided him for conniving with the Indians, and [declared]
that an attempt was making to sell Christian blood;<5> yea,
that the will of the entire commonalty was surrendered to him,
and in case he would not avenge blood they should do it
themselves, be the consequences what they might. The Director
advised Pacham the sachem,<6> who interested himself in this
matter, warning him that we should wait no longer inasmuch as
no satisfaction had been given.
<1> I.e., of the Narragansetts.
<2> "Note C. The English Manifest, Page 2." This means that
now rare pamphlet, _A Declaration of Former Passages and
Proceedings betwixt the English and the Narrowgansets_ (Cambridge,
1645), published by order of the Commissioners of the United
Colonies. See its text, and the particular passage here referred
To, in _Records of Plymouth Colony_, IX. 50.
<3> "Note D. Capt. Patricx letter dated 2 Jan'y, 1642." I have
nowhere seen this letter.
<4> "Note E. The order in the Director's letter and in the
deposition thereupon." See De Vries, p. 215, supra.
<5> "Note F. Resolve of the 12 delegates dated 21 Jan'y, 1642."
See _N.Y. Col. Doc., I. 414-415.
<6> Of the Haverstraw Indians.
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