JACOB LEISLER TO MARYLAND. [From Vol. in Sec's Office, endorsed, "Duke of York's Charter, Laws, Papers &c. in Leisler's time. I."] March 4, 1689 [O. S.] In fort William. To our great griefe I must acquaint you of the sad and deplorable massacre which happened at skenectady near Albany by the french and their Indians the 19th of ffebruary last betwixt Saturnday & Sunday at eleaven of the clock in the night 200 men fell upon them & most barbarously murdered sixty two men women & children & burned the place left but 5 or 6 houses unburned carried away captive 27 the rest escaped many of which being about 25 persons much damnified by the french women with chyld ript up, children alive thrown into the flames, some their heads dashed agt the doors & windows all occasioned by their neglect of their not watching, deryving to obey under the command of the Commission of Sir Edmond, the sd commander being onely spared withall which belongs to him a safeguard being sett in his house & he himselfe to release the prisoners he desired last Nov❜ber a certaine number of rebellious people at Albany calling themselves the convention & ruling by the arbitrary Comission of Sir Edmond & encouraged & supported by some of the wicked creatures of Sir Edmond, desired from me assistance of men gunes ammunition & money being afraied of the french to whom we have sent 52 men 50lbs match 950lbs pouder, boulits etc wch arryving there agt their expectatione would not receive them, & were left there by the Inhabitants desire, the sd rebells with their fort keept the Inhabitants under a faire. I have sent up this Winter & commissioned one Capt with 25 men to Joine with our confederate Indians to warre agt the french at Canada, who were hindred by the sd rebells, who proclaimed upon paine of being punished for rebells if they mett above four men soe they were prevented to goe, we would else have discovered the enemy & prevented that disaster Honorable Sir Governor of Boston: fort William March 4th 1689 Yours of the 8th instant by Mr Pembroke I received & I returne yow many thanks for the care I perceive yow have had for our packet, Since your last wee have received the sad & miserable newes from Skenectedy neere Albany whereof wee understand is laid to your woeful account it is such newes as wee feared long since, Alace what could there be expected of a certaine number of rebellious people that remained rulling under that arbitrary Commissions of sir Edmund at Albany within this province, and encouraged and supported by Connecticoatt by ordering their forces sent thither to observe the directions of the sd rebells named a Conventione, being well assured the same is supported more especially by that waylerous John Allan the Secretary of that Collony. THE SAME TO THE BISHOP OF SALISBURY, 31 March 1690. [Lond. Doc. VII.] May it please your Lordship-The foregoing being sent via Boston pr the agents for New England which we hope are safely arrived ere this date, we take leave to add, that [to] a certain village named Schanectede 24 miles to the northward of Albany on Saturday the 9th of Febr. last about 11 a clock at night, came 200 French and Indians near 100 each and attacqued the same whilst it snowed thick, barbarously destroying the Inhabitants all being dutch; they murthered 60 persons, and bore away with them 27 prisoners, wounding some others so that there remain but about one sixth part of them having their cattel, goods and provisions destroyed and arrested from them, the remnant sheltering themselves at Albany, where is provision made for them from New Yorke. Being alarmed by the daily expectations of the French and Indians advancing towards us with a considerable number of 2500 french besides their Indians at Mont-Real, endevouring to obtaine upon the allyed Indians with us, vizt The Macquaes, Oney dauns, Onnondades, Cayougaes, Sinnekaes, and Mehekanders who have espoused our cause, we have appointed persons to meet them at Albany in few dayes to consult our best way to intercept the Ennemies march; The Macquaes having given us a proofe of their fidelity and courage by pursuing those who destroyed Schenechtede even near their own home, taking and slaying twenty five of them who lagged in the reare, and promise to rayse more than 1000 men of theirs to joyne with 400 of ours which we have neare raysed for that intent, keeping the passe upon the lake with a Company of Indians and Christians in number about 50. that upon the enemyes approach, we may be timely notice, lying about 150 miles northward of Albany which we have fortified, to the best of our power and capacityes, the fort having 13 canon, 10 Barrells of powder and 60 men in garrison with other habiliments; the towne palasadoes round and making breast works within, but want canon. ROBT LIVINGSTON TO SIR EDMUND ANDROS. Hartford, 14 April 1690. May it Please yr Excelly-I was in hopes Yo' Excel: should have heard ye newes of ye destroying Skinnechtady by ye French and Indians before your departure yt your Excel. might y more hastned their motion at Whitehall for our Settlement. On ye 9th of Feby last a Compy of 250 French and Indians came upon yt place when they were all asleep about 11 a Clock at night, and killd and destroyed 60 men women and children, carryed 27 men and boys prisoners and burnt ye towne except 6 or 7 houses which are saved by Capt. Sander, whom they did not touch, having expresse command to meddle wth none of his relations for his wife's sake, who had always been kinde to ye French prisoners. The people of that Towne were so bygotted to Leysler that they would not obey any of ye Magistrates neither would they entertain ye souldiers sent thither by yt Convention of all; nothing but men sent from Leysler would do theire turn. Thus had Leysler perperted yt poor people by his seditious letters now founde all bloody upon Skinnechtady streets, with the notions of a free trade, boalting &c. and thus they are destroyed; they would not watch, and where Capt. Sander commanded, there they threatened to burn him upon ye fire, if he came upon the garde. We were much alarmd at Albany; we sent ye Maquase yt were at hand out, and to ye Maquase Castles; but ye Messenger being so timorous did not proceed; so yt it was 3 days . before we could get ye Maquase downe to pursue them, who being joyned with our men, follow'd them to the Great Lake, where ye Yse being good and ye French haveing robb'd sundrey horses, put ther plunder upon sleds and so over ye Lake; however ye Indians pursued and gott 10, and afterwards 5, and killed 3. Who being examined relate, yt ye French design to attacke Albany early in ye Spring, haveing 120 batoes 100 birch canoes and 12 light morter peeces and severall other engines ready, and are to come with 1500 men. Poor Sharpe is lame being wounded with a great gunn yt split when ye alarm came [to Albany] of Skinnechtady. JACOB LEISLER TO THE GOVERNOUR OF BARBADOES. [From Vol. endorsed, Letters in Leislers time &c.] Ao 1690 17 May in fort William. Honorable Sir-The French of Cannada with their Indianes committed six bloody masacres in this province three, & in New England three, they have destroyed Skanectady a vilage 20 milles from Albany, murdered sixty three men women and children, carried captive 27: & have committed the greatest tyranny imaginable, rypt up women with chyld throwed children alive into the flame, dasht others agt door post till their brains stuck to it, another murder of eleaven people, and one or two committed since last fall, we send fifty men up to guard that place, but a certaine number of people there maintaining the comissions from Sir Edmond Andross & Coll. Dongan deryving from the authority of the late King James would not accept them there, but keept the fort by virtue of the sd Commission & would not suffer any of them to goe & guard sd Village being the frontier but send of their people there, by which meanes from treachery cowardice and carelesnes that too unfortunate and to be lamented accident hes hapened there, the river being frozen that noe forces could be sent up the winter, the well meaned people, lodged our souldiers who kept guard in the City whereof the french & Indian (in number of 200 men) had advise the Indianes would not goe there & so altered the designe, and that place was by that meanes spared our Indians pursued them kild & took 25 frenchmen who gave us an account of severall troops out in a designe in the Spring with 2500 french besides their Indianes. MR. VAN CORTLANDT TO SR ED. ANDROSS. [Lond. Doc. VII.] May it please your Excellency, 19 May, 1690. The French and Indians have againe, since your Excelley's departure, destroyed some people to the Eastward of Boston, have also burned Scheneghtade killed 60 people and tooke 28 young men and boys prisoners: About 150 Indians and 50 young men off Albany followed the French overtooke them upon the lake killed some and tooke 15 Frenchmen, which the Indians have killed in their castles; the french Indians have killed eight or ten people att Conestagione, which has made the whole country in an alarm, and the people leave their plantations. Most of the Albany Wood men are att New-Yorke. Arent Schuyler went with eight Indians to Chambly, killed 2 and tooke 1 Frenchman prisoner. MR. LIVINGSTON TO [CAPT. NICHOLSON.] [Lond. Doc. VII.] 7th June. 1690. Honble Sir,-We of Albany stood out the longest till were deserted by all New-England, and while I was sent by the Con |
