But refuses ingston be CHAP. XII. When Blagge demanded the apprehension of Livingston under Leisler's warrant, he was flatly "denied." The Albany 1690. idea of taking Canada, however, was not dropped, and a to let Liv- sloop which Andros had built in Maine was dispatched apprehend- from Boston to England to beg a supply of powder. By that conveyance Ashurst was informed that, "there being now wars between Holland and France, some are fearful least the Hollanders should essay the possessing themselves of Canada,” and that it was better that the English should have it rather than "the French, or Dutch either."* ed. 1 April. 4 March. Leisler sends De Provoost, Bruyn, and Milborne to Albany. 17 March. 20 March. Fort Or ange sur rendered to Leisler. Meanwhile Leisler had gathered a force of one hundred and sixty men in New York and its neighborhood, and had commissioned De Bruyn, Provoost, and Milborne to go with it to Albany, and "superintend, direct, order and controul” every thing there, and obtain possession of Fort Orange. A similar commission authorized them to "order, settle, and establish❞ the county of Ulster. The commissioners hastened up the river, taking with them presents to gain the Iroquois, and clothing for the refugees of Schenectady.† On reaching Albany, Leisler's commissioners found its Convention ready to act on the advice of Connecticut, and recognize the authority in New York. A joint meeting was held, and Bull was desired to remain; but this he could not do; and, as he left Albany, he and his company received "uncivil entreaty" from Milborne. Fort Orange was surrendered upon written conditions, which were soon violated, and most of the soldiers discharged, including Lieutenant Sharpe, who had been wounded by the bursting of a cannon in firing the alarm for Schenectady. To calm all ani22 March. mosities, it was ordered that no one should asperse or reproach another, under penalty of breach of the peace. Schuyler, the mayor, and the other city officers, were conconfirmed. firmed in their places, and all persons charged to respect and obey them. Arrangements were made for an expedi26 March. tion against the French, and a detachment was sent to keep watch at Crown Point.‡ Mayor * Col. Doc., iii., 695-699, 709, 769; Doc. Hist., ii., 104, 127, 151; Hutch., i., 396, 397, 398; Mather, i., 183; ii., 439, 506; Chalmers, ii., 52-55, 88, 89. + Doc. Hist., ii., 41, 100, 101, 103, 111, 112; Col. Doc., iii., 702, 703, 717. The remainder of the money that was gathered for the redemption of the slaves in Turkey in 1678, which Andros had given to build a new church in N. York, had been laid out in Osnaburg linen, which Leisler seized and sent to Albany with Milborne: Col. Doc., iii., 315, 717; Doc. Hist., ii., 111; ante, 331, 506. Doc. Hist., ii., 107-113; Col. Doc., iii., 705, 708, 702, 710, 716, 727. Leaving Provoost and De Bruyn at Albany, Milborne CHAP. XII. went down to Esopus, and then proceeded to New York, ac- 1690. companied by two Mohawk sachems, who received "great 1 April. satisfaction" from Leisler. The next day Milborne went Mohawks back to Albany with additional forces, and a large quanti- York. ty of maize was sent up from Kingston to supply the soldiers.* at New regards authority. Represent elected. As money was indispensable, Leisler, assuming the charter of 1683 to be in force, had issued his writ to the sever- 20 Feb. al counties, requiring them to elect and send representatives to New York "to consult debate and conclude all such matters and things as shall be thought necessary for the supply of this Government, in this present conjuncture." But he found the people "very slack" in complying. Suffolk ab- Suffolk dissolutely refused. Easthampton "could not comply" with Leisler's Leisler's demand to be recognized as the king's lieutenant 15 March. governor, and informed him that they would petition their 10 March. majesties to be rejoined to Connecticut. They "distrusted the purity of his motives," and would not submit to him. New writs were accordingly issued of the same tenor, un- 8 April. der which several of the counties chose representatives "by atives a few people” of Leisler's side. Albany elected Jan Jansen Bleecker and Ryer Schermerhorn. New York chose John Spratt, Cornelius Pluvier, Robert Walters, and William Beekman. The latter excused himself from attending. Pearson, of Queens, refused to sit. Ulster, Kings, and Westchester sent some "very weak men." The Assembly, thus constituted, met at the house of Walters, the son-in-law 24 April. of Leisler, and, having chosen Spratt to be speaker, passed meets. an act “to raise throughout the whole government three pence in every pound real and personal, to be paid the first of June; and that all towns and places should have equal freedom to boult and bake, and to transport where they please, directly to what place or country they think it fit, any thing their places afford, and that the one place should have no more privileges than the other." This was aimed against the bolting monopoly which New York had enjoyed under Andros and Dongan, of which Albany and Ulster were jealous. But petitions from the inhabitants coming in "for the prisoners to be set at liberty, and that their griev Doc. Hist., ii., 118, 119, 127, 132; Col. Doc., iii., 703, 716. Assembly 1690. CHAP. XII. ances might be redressed," Leisler hastily prorogued his Assembly to September when he saw "they intended to work with the prisoners." The German tyrant justly feared a popular inquisition, and doubted the fidelity of his professed friends, some of whom were gentlemen.* If Leisler was a despot and a usurper, he had more executive ability than most of the colonial governors in North America under British authority. In his youth he had struggled against his superiors in social position, while his talent and his mercantile training would have admirably fitted him to command if his education had equaled his experience in practical life. Like most men suddenly exalted, he was beguiled by vanity. He was as honest as he was vain; but his jealousy of gentlemen like Bayard and Van Cortlandt, his wife's own relatives, was so overpowering that he gratified it whenever he could. Nevertheless, Leisler was a true, though blundering colonial patriot. Sagaciously adopting the Albany idea jointly to attack Canada, he urged Massachusetts, Plymouth, Connecticut, and MaryCongress land to send delegates to New York to concert measures for New York. that purpose. But, at Livingston's suggestion, Massachusetts had already called a New England meeting at Rhode Island. This, however, was abandoned; and the first North American colonial Congress met at New York on the call of Jacob Leisler.t 2 April. A colonial called at 1 May. 1 May. Action of the Con gress. reason To this New York Congress Massachusetts sent William Stoughton and Samuel Sewall; Plymouth, Major John Walley; and Connecticut, Nathan Gold and William Pitkin. New York was represented by Jacob Leisler and Peter de la Noy. Rhode Island sent no delegates, but voted that, as she could not give men, she would raise money in in “ able proportion." The Congress unanimously agreed that New York should provide four hundred men, Massachusetts one hundred and sixty, Connecticut one hundred and thirty-five, and Plymouth sixty, while Maryland promised one hundred; in all, eight hundred and fifty-five men. was also agreed that Leisler should appoint the major, or It * Doc. Hist., ii., 42, 104, 114, 129, 131, 133, 151, 159; Col. Doc., iii., 702, 717; Wood, 106, 107, 110; Thompson, i., 163; Smith, i., 42, 68, 95; Chalmers, ii., 70; Council Journals, i., Int., xxiv; ante, 330, 391. † Doc. Hist., ii., 89, 95, 97, 117, 125, 126, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134; Col. Doc., iii., 697, 698, 699. 709; Mass. H. S. Coll., xxxv., 232, 239, 244, 249, 250; Trumbull, i., 382; Hutchinson, i., 398; Bancroft, iii, 183; ante, 610. "chief commander," and the other colonies the next cap- CHAP. XII. tain. But, in Walley's judgment," he is a man that carries 1690. on some matters too arbitrary." The Massachusetts delegates, however, "would not engage that their fleet should go in Canada River for Quebec; only if they had success at Port Royal, where they were bound they believed, being thereby encouraged, they should resolve then."* To stimulate Massachusetts, Leisler fitted out three vessels for the capture of Quebec-one a privateer of twenty guns, another a brigantine belonging to De Peyster, and the other a Bermudan sloop, commanded by Captains Mason, Goderis, and Bollen. They were commissioned to attack 19 May. Canada and take French prizes at sea, and Mason was to cruisers act as admiral. Two sloops were also sent to cruise about French. Block Island and the Sound against the French. Thus Leisler zealously imitated the early energy of Nicolls in 1667.† New York against the Frontenac D'Eau to Meanwhile the answer of the Iroquois at their January conference with the French had reached Montreal. Frontenac resolved to restore several of the prisoners, and sent 9 March. back a reply, which he wished La Hontan to convey; but, sends as he declined, the Chevalier D'Eau, a "reduced" or half- Onondaga. pay captain, was chosen. D'Eau was accompanied by four Frenchmen, and carried full instructions from Frontenac and messages from Oreouaté, as well as a letter from Lam- 6 May. berville to the Oneida sachem, Father Millet. 3 13 Iroquois at Albany. The authorities at Albany had not been negligent on their side. A conference was held with representatives of May. the Five Nations, whose speaker," Diadorus," or Tahajado- Conference ris, accepted the metaphor of the Albanians that the French were like "a fox engendered by a wolf." At the same time, they desired their brethren to maintain peace among themselves," and join together the several colonies of New England and Virginia, likewise those of Albany, who have always sat under the green tree; otherwise we shall destroy one another." They also recommended that Montreal * Doc. Hist., ii., 133-135, 138, 143, 144; Col. Doc., iii., 717, 727, 732; R. I. Col. Rec., iii., 273; Mass. H. S. Coll., xxxv., 244, 245, 247, 249, 250, 251, 252; Hutch., i., 397; Trumbull, i., 382; Bancroft, iii., 183, 184; Arnold, i., 520; Chalmers, ii., 70, 71. In the Proceedings of the New York Historical Society for 1849, p. 104, 105, is an interesting extract from Sewall's Diary, giving an account of his journey to and from New York. + Doc. Hist., ii., 132, 138, 141, 151, 152, 153, 165; Col. Doc., iii., 717, 727, 732, 751; Valentine's Man., 1857, 462; Dunlap, i., 185; N. Y. H. S. Coll. (1868), 321, 327; ante, 127. Col. Doc., iii., 714, 715, 733–736; ix., 465, 466, 469, 470; La Hontan, i., 205; La Potherie, iii., 63-67, 70-74; Charlevoix, ii., 425-429; Colden, i., 118, 129; ante, 605. 1690. CHAP. XII. should be attacked by land, and Quebec by sea; that Schenectady should be fortified anew, as their own castles had been; and they promised that the Iroquois confederates would furnish eighteen hundred men to assist in conquering Canada.* 27 May. D'Eau Orders were at the same time dispatched by Schuyler and others to apprehend the French agents on their arrival at Onondaga, and send them to Albany. They were accordingly seized, and despoiled of all their letters and presents. Four Frenchmen were given to the savages, who burned two of them. D'Eau, with his papers, was sent to Onondaga Albany, and thence to New York. Among his papers was New York, the Latin letter of Lamberville to Millet, which, containing some expressions of good-will toward Domine Dellius, of Albany, gave Leisler the opportunity to charge that clergyman with "treasonable correspondence" with the enemy.† seized at and sent to 18 May. Another expedition had meanwhile been dispatched from Montreal to act against the English. It was composed of "Praying" or Caghnawaga Indians, and commanded by Kryn, the great Mohawk, and was accompanied by some French officers who had been at the burning of Schenectady. Going by way of the Sorel River and Lake Champlain, the expedition took several Iroquois and eight English women prisoners. On their return they were attacked at Salmon River by a party of Algonquins and Abenaquis, who, mistaking them for English, killed two and Kryn, the wounded ten. Among the slain was Kryn, the "Great MoMohawk," hawk," whose death was the more deplored, because Frontenac and the Jesuits had hoped that through his influence all the New York Mohawks would eventually be drawn to Canada.+ 4 June. "Great slain. 20 May. Stoll re Ensign Stoll now returned from London with galling turns with news to Leisler. The king had taken no notice of him, but unpleasant had appointed Sloughter governor of New York, and Nich news to Leisler. * Doc. Hist., ii., 136, 139; Col. Doc., iii., 712-714, 783. Colden does not notice this conference. There is a remarkable difference in style between the minutes kept by Livingston and those which now seem to have been recorded by Milborne. + Col. Doc., iii., 714, 715, 732–736, 753; iv., 214, 219; ix., 470; Doc. Hist., ii., 138, 144, 159, 151; La Potherie, iii., 74, 110; La Hontan, i., 206, 207; Charlevoix, iii., 83, 84; Colden, i., 129; Smith, i., 106; Millet's letter, 43, 52. ‡ Col. Doc., iii., 716, 727; ix., 473, 474; La Potherie, iii., 81-83; Charlevoix, iii., 69-72; Shea's Missions, 320; Doc. Hist., ii., 151. |