The Shrieks & Groanes & Woefull Sighs, Our Young Men were so much enrag'd

INDIAN WARS ON THE BORDER, 1662–1713.

The destruction of Schenectady and the uncertainty of future safety of the border settlers in the vicinity of that village, awakened in their minds serious doubts as to the expediency of rebuilding their dwellings and putting seed into the ground. To reassure the courage of the people, the convention at Albany passed the following resolution on the 22 Feb., 1690.

Resolved that for ye p'servation of there maje Intrest in these parts & ye Secureing of there Subjects in this time of war wth ye french, yt all means be used to Perswade all ye maquase to come & live & Plant at Schinnectady lately Destroyed by ye french and there Indians wh will be a means yt ye winter Corn sowed there may be reaped & ye Indians in Readinesse to joyn with our forces upon any occasion if ye enemy should come.Doc. Hist., II, p. 90.

The Five Nations too in a council held at Albany, May 3, spoke encouraging words,

"Brother Corlaer be no wise discouraged but make your fort strong (as we have our castles) at Schenectady and maintain a garrison there, that your Corne may be preserved & reap your harvest, also send for your wifes,* and children from New York and encourage them that we shall be safe, and fear not, * * * The words of Diadorus are ended."t

In April an attack was made on the feeble settlement at Canastagione where eight or ten people were killed by the French Indians, "which has made the whole country in an Alarm and the People leave there plantations."

Of this attack Leisler wrote to Governor Treat of Connecticut, April 19, as follows:

"It hapened yt last Sabeday, at Nistigione, 12 Myle from Albany, ye people there gathered all in one house & keept watch, the said ffrench and in

* Mr. Van Cortland writing to Gov. Andros May 19, says," most of the Albany women are att New Yorke."

Indians, finding in the night the houses empty, & perseving their retreat, went in a swamp, the people going in ye mourning, each to their houses, were surprized, 9 Christians, 2 negers were kild & captivated, which must needs encourage the enemie to further attempt if not prevented by a vigorous attake in Canada.*”

***

To the same effect, he wrote to the magistrates of Albany, April 30, in his Dutch English.

**"mest riarst desired som guns with iff your seemeth most be taken from sloop or petrares for Schonectede with Wee Desiers ma not be deserted doo It shuld kost 50 soldiers to maentain." *** t

May 12, 1690, the magistrates of Albany to stay the general alarm and provide for the protection of the border, "Ordered that the Posts of Schenechtade, Connestigioone, and halfe-moone be forthwith supplyed with the proper number of men to defend the same, and that none doe presume to post any other forces saving at the 3 places aforesaid at their uttmost perill."g

"Whereas it is judged necessary for to defend Schanechtede and to that purpose it is likewise found requisite that a Fort shall be built to defend ye Inhabitants and oppugn the Enemy if he should attack the same," Capt. Sander Glen and others are ordered to build a "substantiall Fort on that lot of grounde called by y" name of Cleyn Isaacs."||

Robert Livingston-a strong and active Anti-Leislerian, in a letter of June 7 to Lt. Gov. Nicholson, makes serious charges against Leisler's agents at Albany of their "drinking and Quaffing while the French Indians comes and cutts off the People at Canastagionè and above Synechtady and never one of them cacht. We have all Leisler's seditious letters secured which was the occasion of the destruction of Synechtady, miraculously found in the streets all embrued with blood the morning after the massacre was committed.”** So impoverished had Albany and Schenectady become, that aid was called for from Connecticut for "fournishing the souldiers with provisions, Shennectady being destroyed and most of the out plantations deserted, that your hon's would be pleased to send a supply of an hundred barrels of porks or beefe equivalent for maintaining their Maje Forces."tt

On the 9th June, 1690, four persons of those who had been captured by the French and escaped from Canada, arrived in Albany, to wit, Klyn

*Doc. Hist., II, 131.

Doc. Hist., II, 131.

[Ryer Schermerhorn—M’M].

Isaac Swits lot at foot of State street.

** Col. Doc., III, 727.

§ Col. MSS., XXXVI.

tt Col. Doc., III, 693.

Isack [Swits] of Schenectady, and his eldest son Symon,-Ryck Claessen [Van Vranken] of Niskayuna and one of Capt. Bull's soldiers taken at the destruction of Schenectady.* Four more captives taken at the same place were brought in March, 1691, by a "party of Christians and maquase."†

In the beginning of June, 1691, Gov. Sloughter, who succeeded Andros, visited Albany and Schenectady to inspect the defences and hold a council with the Five Nations.

In his speech June 1, to the Sachems assembled, he said:

**"I must acquaint the Brethren that it was very unpleasant news to me, which was told me at Schenectady two dayes ago, by the poor distressed Inhabitants of that Village, how that some of the Brethren have burnt and destroyed several of their deserted houses and Barns, and have killed their horses, Cattle, Hoggs and Poultry in the woods, left by the Enemy, which is an uncharitable act, and ought to be enquired into and for the future prevented and remedied."

"The maquasse propose for themselves and say: **** (4 June, 1691). "We were glad to see your Excelly safe arrived here to the Gent" of Albany and as soon as you have visited the Magistrates here, you took hoarse and rode to Schenectady where you see the ruines to that Towne occasioned by the French, and there the poor people made there complaints to your Excell of the killing of their Cattle and Hoggs;-we must confess the thing was done, but could not be avoided for we were ready to pursue the Enemy when they had done the mischeife at Schenectady & comeing home were almost starved and therefor for mere necessity we were compelled to do what we did; you expect satisfaction for the same, but pray consider how business is now circumstanced that it cannot conveniently be done, for if you should draw us from prosecuting the warr to go to hunt to make satisfaction for that injury, it would be of badd consequence.

"Brother Corlaer, we have often told you that you should fortifye yourselfe well, but you always tell us, the French were a Christian Enemy and they would warn you but you see how they have warned you by Schennectady, therefore pray you make the Citty as strong as the Forte and when our Indians doe goe out a fighting, then pray send seaven or eight Men in our Castle to make a noise (which is the manner of their Watching, a nights) that so our women and Children may be secure and not taken Captive whilst we are abroad.”

"We deliver you a prisoner vist Joseph Marks* which we brought from Canada who was taken at Schenectady by the French and their Indians and shall endeavor to bring more by all occasions."-(June 1, 1691.)

During the summer of 1691, Major Pieter Schuyler raised an expedition for Canada, in which he employed the Mohawks. Robert Livingston writing to Gov. Sloughter says, "I designe to send provisions to Schenectady for them to p'vent their sotting & drinking here, that they may march from thence directly."

About this time the Indians took prisoner one Cornelis Clatie at Canastaguijone. "In the end of June 2 men went over the river att Canastogione to make hay upon Claas [Janse Van Boekhoven's] de Brabander's land,the most dangerous place in all the Province; some French Indians surprises them, kills the one and takes off his skull & what is become of the other we know not. The other people that were mowing of hay upon Claes de Brabander's Island that now belongs to John Child [Clute], heard 3 gunns goe off went to the river side, see noe body but the Cannoe; we sent a party of horse thither who found one of the men lying in the water at the shoare side."§ Such was the alarm that the people durst not stay upon their farms, and there was danger the crops would not be harvested.

On the 11th July, Gov. Sloughter wrote to the Governors of the other Provinces, that he had just returned from Albany, where he "found our Plantations and Schenectady almost ruined.-I have garrisoned Schenectady and Halfe Moon with some of the 100 fusileers raised by our Assembly." Again Aug. 6, he says, "I found Albany full of disorder, the people ready to disert it; about 150 farms deserted & destroyed by the French." October 5, 1691, "At a council held at Fort William Henry [N. Y]. "This Board having the Garrison of Schenectady under consideration, it is thought convenient to remove the 4 guns from there to Albany and that Peterardoes be placed in their steade."**

Late in the year 1691, another of the prisoners taken at Schenectady the year before was brought back by an Oneida Indian, who was rewarded in “Duffels and Rom" to the amount of £2, 28.

In January, 1692, Cornelis Van Slyck, Harmen Van Slyck and Hendrick Janse went out from Schenectady with the Maquase upon the Brandwach towards Canada, Capt. Sander Glen furnishing “Sno Shoes" for them.ft

* A soldier of Lt. Enos Talmage's detachment posted in the fort at Schenectady.

+ Col. Doc., III, 778, 779.

§ Col. Doc., III, 783-4.

Col. Doc., III, 781, 782, 805.

| Col. Doc., III, 784, 792, 795.

** Council Minn., vi, 57; Col. MSS., XXXVIII.

++ Col. MSS., XXXVIII.