GENETALOGV COLLECTION

DOCUMENTS

I,ATIVE TO THE

COLONIAL HISTORY

STATE OF NEW-YORK

PROCURED IN

HOLLAND, ENGLAND AND FRANCE

JOHN ROMEYN BRODHEAD, ESQ.,

AND BY VIETUE OF AN ACT OF THE LEGISLATUKE, ENTITLED "AN ACT TO APPOINT AN AGEKT TO PEOCUP.E AND TEANSCP.IBE DOCUMENTS IN EUROPE RELATIVE TO THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF THE STATE," PASSED MAY 2, 1889.

PUBLISHED UNDER AND BY VIRTUE OF AN ACT OP THE LEGISLATURE, ENTITLED " AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE PUBLISHING CERTAIN DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF THE STATE," PASSED MARCH 30, 1849, AND AN ACT ENTI- TLED "an ACT IN RELATION TO THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF THE STATE, AND THE PUBLICATION AND DISTRIBUTION THEREOF," PASSED APRIL 12, 1856.

EDITED BY

E. B. O'CALLAGHAN, M. D., LL. D.

WITH A GENERAL INTRODUCTION BY THE AGENT.

VOL. I.

ALBANY:

WEED, PARSONS AND COMPANY, PRINTERS.

1856.

Volumes III., IV., V., VI., VII. and IX. of this work were published under the direction of the Governor, Secretary of State and Comptroller of the State of New- York ; and the publication has been completed under the authority of the Regents of the University, in virtue of the Act of the Legislature to that effect, passed April 12, 1856.

The Documents in Dutch and French were translated by E. B. O'Callaohan, M. D., LL. D., who was employed for that purpose, and to superintend the publication generally.

CORKESPONDENCE.

The Legisktnre having recently placed the publication of the Documents collected by you in Europe, relative to the Colonial History of the State of New-York, under the direction of the Regents of the University, I have been instructed by the Committee of the Regents charged with the subject, to request you to prepare a General Introduction to that work, to be prefixed to the first volume, which is now nearly ready.

Your agency in procuring the Documents of which this publication is composed, and your thorough knowledge of the whole subject, clearly point you out as the proper person to perform this service ; and the Committee hope that your well known interest in this work will induce you to comply with their request.

I add my own personal and earnest wishes that you will undertake this task, and am, with great consideration,

Yours most truly,

JOHN V. L. PRUYN,

Chairman of the Commiiiee. John Romeyn Brodhead, Esq., &c., &c., <Scc.,

New -York.

1136138

New-York, 1 July, 1856. Sir:

I have received your letter of yesterday, in which, as Chairman of the Committee of the Regents of the University having the subject in charge, you request me to prepare an Introduction to the " Colonial History " of this State — commonly so called — to be prefixed to the first volume.

The Committee, in making this request, have done me an honor which I highly appreciate, and for which I beg you to express to them my acknowledgments. Feeling, as is very natural under all the circumstances, a peculiar interest in the publication of this work, I shall not decline the flattering duty you have asked me to perform. It seems to me that the most satisfactory Introduction to the work would be, mainly, a detailed account of the origin, progress and results of the Historical Agency by which the Documents forming the publication were procured. With this understanding, I shall set myself about its preparation at once, and execute my pleasant task as promptly as other engagements will permit.

With high regard, I am, Sir,

Sincerely yours,

JOHN ROMEYN BRODHEAD. John V. L. Pruyn, Esq., &c., &c., &c.,

Albany.

GENERAL INTEODUCTION.

The Public Records of the State of New -York are, chiefly, in the office of the Secretary of State at Albany. They are as various in their character as they are voluminous in their extent. Most of them relate to and illustrate the History of the State ; and without them no accurate or detailed knowledge of that history can be gained.

Previous to the American Revolution the seat of the Colonial Government was the city of New- York, and the public records of the Province were kept there. They extended back to a very early period after the first settlement of the country. The most ancient of them were in the Dutch language ; and they related to the affairs of New Netherland, as New -York was called while it was a Colony and Province of the United Provinces, from soon after its discovery, in 1609, to its surrender to the English in 1664. These Dutch records, however, are incomplete. It is known that the early Provincial authorities recorded their transactions with care ; but, unfortunately, with the exception of some entries of lands, the oldest of which is in 1630, none of the records of Director Minuit's administration, from 1626 to 1632, nor of Director Van Twiller's, from 1633 to 1638, have been preserved. The series of papers, however, is tolerably complete during the time of Director Kieft, from 1638 to 1647, and of Director Stuyvesant, from 1647 to 1664.

After the surrender of New Netherland, in 1664, the records of the Province of New-York were kept in English, and were preserved in much better condition than the fragmentary archives of the Dutch period. Those relating to lands and local transactions, however, are generally far more perfect than those affecting the political history of the Province. This was, no doubt, owing to the practice which prevailed, to a great extent, with the British Colonial Governors, of retaining in their own personal custody the correspondence between themselves and their superiors in

vi GENERAL INTRODUCTION.

England. But the chief cause of the deficiencies in the public records of New -York may be traced to the vicissitudes which marked its annals in the transfer of sovereignty from Holland to England, and iu the assumj^tion of sovereignty by the Colonists in the Revolution.

Upon the full organization of the State government the city of Albany became the capital, and the Colonial and Provincial records — other than those relating to the municipality of the metropolis — which had formerly been kept in New-York, were removed thither. The pressing concerns of a new and impoverished Commonwealth for a long time prevented much thought being given to those silent and fading memorials which recorded the events of the earlier days of the State.

Yet, there were many who looked upon historical inquiry in its true light, as an incentive to progress and an aid to patriotism. They felt that too little was known of the olden times of New -York, and that especially the half century during which it was a distant dependency of Holland was the " dark period " in its history.

A few prominent citizens accordingly assembled, on the 20th of November, 1804, in the city of New -York, and agreed to form themselves into a Society, " the principal design of which should be to collect and preserve whatever may relate to the natural, civil, or ecclesiastical history of the United States, in general, and of this State in particular." This was the origin of the New -York Historical Society, which, on the 10th day of February, 1809, received a special Act of Incorporation from the Legislature. The members of the Society immediately took steps to accomplish the high purposes of their association, and soon collected a valuable library of printed books and manuscripts. At length the time came when it was thought that the attention of the State authorities might judiciously be drawn to the importance of the objects for which, especially, the Society had been organized. At its request, De Witt Clii^ton, then its Vice-President, accordingly prepared the following memorial, which was presented to the Legislature at its session in 1814: :

" TO THE HONORABLE THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW-YORK.

" The Memorial of the New -York Historical Society most respectfully represents :

" That this Institution was established for the purpose of acquiring and promoting a know- ledge of the natural, civil, literary and ecclesiastical history of America, and more particularly of this State. The attainment of objects so various, comprehensive and important, requiring such extensiveness of information, such profundity of research, such exertion of industry and such liberality of expense, is unquestionably beyond the means and the faculties of any indi- vidual, however he may be endowed with the gifts of fortune and genius, and whatever may be the extent of his enterprise, activity and influence. Associations, comprehending a mass

GENERAL INTRODUCTION. vii

of information and talent, and embracing not only the disposition but the ability to promote knowledge, are essentially necessary to crown with success any important undertaking of this nature. With these motives, and for these objects, this society was formed. A liberal and enlightened Legislature, justly appreciating its importance, granted it a ciiarter of incorpora- tion ; and it now only remains for them to complete the important work which has received their approving voice, by an extension to this society of a portion of that munificence which, we are proud to say, characterizes the legislation of this State.

" During the short period of the existence of this society, we have devoted no inconsidera- ble portion of time, attention and money to collect books, pamphlets, manuscripts, maps, medals, and other materials, which may tend to illustrate and complete the great outlines of our history. This collection, on account of the number, the variety and the rarity of its objects, may be safely valued at ten thousand dollars. If, in the infant state of the society, without public patronage, and without any other excitement than a desire to be useful, as humble contributors to the great stock of human knowledge, we have been able to accomplish so much, what might we not effect if public bounty should be united with individual contribu- tion, and if the countenance of the Legislature should stamp a value upon our researches, and enable us to dispel the clouds which envelope the history of our country?

" It is well known to your honorable body that America has been settled principally by the English, the Dutch, the French, the Spaniards, and the Portuguese. The Swedes at one period planted a Colony on the Delaware. The Danes also have occupied islands in the West Indies; and several islands between Asia and America derive their population from Russia and its dependencies. How important and how necessary is it to procure books which have been written in those countries, illustrative of the affairs of America. It is well known that many manuscripts are buried in the archives of State, or in the libraries of public bodies, which might be transcribed, and which would shed new light on our history. The Biblio- theca Americana, published in England, imperfect as it is, indicates what invaluable and unexplored treasures for our historians may be obtained in that country.

" But we would beg leave to solicit the attention of the Legislature more particularly to the history of this State. It is unnecessary to descant upon the imperfections of its natural history. Whole departments of this science have been almost entirely neglected ; the powers of observation and investigation have not been applied to elucidate and explore them; the destructive hand of time is rapidly sweeping into oblivion many important objects of inquiry; and what might now with facility be rescued from oblivion, the flight of a few years will place beyond the reach of human power.

" The civil history of this State may be divided into four parts :

" I. When occupied by the aborigines.

" II. When under the government of the Dutch, which was about half a century.

" III. Its state under England, which continued about one hundred and twelve years, and which includes the proprietary government of the Duke of York, and its government under the Kings of Great Britain, excepting about sixteen months, when it was repossessed by the Dutch.

"IV. And, lastly, its political existence as a member of an independent government.

"Before the lapse of many years, the remnant of the Indian nations which now inhabit the State will experience the fate of all sublunary things. The few antiquities of the country, the forts and the tumuli, which may now be easily explored, will be effaced by the extension of

viii GENERAL INTRODUCTION.

cultivation. Tiie natural history of the man of America, disfigured and perverted as he has been by European intercourse, may still be obtained to a considerable extent; his language may be put on record, and his traditions may be perpetuated.

"As, before tlie Revolution, the Colonies of France and Great Britain were connected by vicinity, by treaty, by trade, and by continual and habitual intercourse with the Five Nations and other Indians which occupied this State, we can obtain valuable materials to illustrate this important period from the libraries and public collections of those countries. Many learned, elaborate and interesting works have never been seen in America ; some are so scarce that they cannot be procured without the expense of transcribing; and papers of great moment have never been printed.

" The regular minutes of the transactions of the Indian Commissioners for this Colony, from 1675 to 1751, as kept by a secretary employed for the purpose, were bound up in four large folio volumes. This invaluable collection, and the subsequent Colonial records relative to Indian affairs, are not now to be found in this State; and they were probably conveyed away by Sir John Johnson, or his agents, at the commencement of the Revolution. The loss of these documents would produce a chasm in our history that could not be supplied ; and we hope that they may still be retrieved. Our concerns and negotiations with the Indians, since our existence as a State, have not been preserved in regular and complete order. They are scattered among the bureaus of our chief magistrates or are buried in the voluminous files of the Legislature.

" To obtain materials for the Dutch portion of our history, comprising an interesting period of half a century, we must have recourse to the papers of the Dutch West India Company, and to the archives of the then government of that nation ; to the Dutch records of some of our counties, and in the ofBce of the Secretary of State ; to the public offices in the neighboring Colonies, with whose governments the Dutch had negotiations ; and to several books published in the Dutch and Latin languages, relative to this country, and which are scarcely known to us. The darkness which hangs over this branch may be perceived in the History of New- York, written by William Smith, a work which skims lightly over this interesting period, leaving it almost entirely unnoticed.

" To supply that part of our history when we were subject to Great Britain, the most valuable materials may be obtained from various sources. From Chalmers' Political Annals it appears that there are many manuscripts in the Plantation Office, entitled 'New-York Entries' and 'New-York Papers.' We find in the catalogue of manuscripts preserved in the British Museum, some writings that refer particularly to this State; and in the catalogue of books belonging to that institution are preserved many works concerning America, in the Dutch, English, French, Spanish and Latin languages, affijrding a fund of information important and inestimable. We also know that there are many interesting books and manuscripts, relative to this country, in the library of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in America; and, perhaps, much important information may be obtained from the public offices in Canada.

" The history of our country, since the commencement of the Revolutionary war, is in a better state of preservation ; but even here, how many interesting events are passing into oblivion, how many important facts are distorted and misrepresented, how many illustrious achievements are forgotten or neglected. Documents that may illuminate the obscure, explain the doubtful, and embalm the memories of the good and the great, may now be drawn from their dark abodes, where in a few years they will be forgotten or lost. Letters of distinguished

GENERAL INTRODUCTION. ix

individuals, fugitive pamphlets, perishable manuscripts, ought now to be obtained and preserved. The time is precious, and not a moment should be lost.

" The only history of this member of the Confederacy is that of William Smith, which is brought down to the year 17;32. Is is too much to say that the most important is the worst or least described part of the Union?

"Anxious, as we are, to explore these sources of intelligence, and to collect these ample materials, yet we feel that the want of funds presents an obstacle that can only be surmounted by the liberality and public spirit of the Legislature. We have done much, and we are willing to do more, in order to preserve the history of the State from oblivion. We are influenced by no other motive than that of elevating the character and promoting the prosperity of a community to which we are bound by every tie that is deemed precious and sacred among men. And let it not be said that the exigencies of the times and the pressure of a foreign war render it inexpedient to apply the public bounty to this object. The State is rich in funds, rich in credit and rich in resources; and she ought to be rich in liberality and public spirit. Genuine greatness never appears in a more resplendent light, or in a more sublime attitude, than in that buoyancy of character which rises superior to danger and difficulty ; in that magnanimity of soul which cultivates the arts and sciences amidst the horrors of war; and in that comprehension of mind which cherishes all the cardinal interests of a country, without being distracted or diverted by the most appalling considerations.

" We, therefore, most respectfully solicit the favorable notice of the Legislature, and we confidently hope that the result will be auspicious to the interests of literature and to the honor of our country.

"New- York, January, 1814."

Tills memorial of the Historical Society was received with great favor by the Legislature, which, with a liberality that has always belonged to the State of New- York, passed two acts on the 13th and the 15th of April, 1814, recognizing, in the most gratifying manner, the claims of the Institution to the regard of the representatives of the peojile. Public attention was now drawn more distinctly to the condition of the archives of the State. They were found to be in great disorder, and the necessity of some arrangement and classification of them was conceded. The Dutch records, especially, being in a generally unfamiliar language, provision was made for their translation, and Dr. Francis Adriaen Vaw der Kemp, a learned Hollander, was appointed by Governor Clinton to perform this service, which he accordingly did. His translations, forming twenty-six volumes, are now known and generally quoted as the "Albany Records." A concurrent resolution was also passed by the Legislature at their session in 1819, authorizing the Secretary of State, under the direction of the Governor, to cause to be bound and arranged such of the records as he might think expedient. On the 4th of January, 1820, Mr. John Van Ness Yates, then Secretary of State, submitted a Report to the Legislature, detailing the steps he had taken in

^ GENERAL INTRODUCTION.

carrying their resolution into effect, and containing an interesting and elaborate synopsis of the several divisions and the specific character of the public records in his custody. To this Keport was appended a general Catalogue, I., of the Dutch Colonial Kecords ; II., of the English Colonial Records ; and III., of the State Records ; and from this statement it appeared that there were at that time in the Secretary's oflSce, altogether, 661 books, 324 maps, and 900 bundles of papers.

But though the Report of Mr. Secretary Yates and the translations made by Mr. Van der Kemp had undoubtedly served to enlighten the public mind as to the historical value and importance of the archives of the State, there was still great misapprehension in regard to their actual extent and character. Apparently unheeded, and allowed to moulder in neglect, a very large proportion of these records yet remained in bundles, which were deposited in boxes or hidden in almost inaccessible corners in the old State Hall, without any proper arrangement or means for their convenient examination. It is not surprising, under these circumstances, that while, on the one hand, the public archives were known to be defective in many important respects, on the other hand the State should have been supposed to be less rich in historical records than it really was ; and that the attention of those whose minds had long been given to the subject should have been earnestly directed towards the best means of securing and increasing the literary property of the people by adding to it those materials for the illustration of their history which were preserved in the offices of Euroj^ean governments. The income of the deposit with the State of certain surplus moneys of the Federal government having then recently been set apart for the promotion of public education, it was thought by many that a portion of this revenue might be properly applied towards the accomplishment of the object which had been originally suggested to the Legislature in 1814, in the memorial of the New -York Historical Society.

Accordingly, at a meeting of that Society on the 10th of April, 1838, a committee was appointed to solicit from the Legislature an annual grant, out of the income of the United States' Deposit Fund, to defray the expenses of procuring materials in Europe for the illustration of the history of the State. In pursuance of this action, a memorial was presented to the Legislature in behalf of the Historical Society ; but owing to the lateness of the period of the session, it was not judged expedient to press the application at that time. In the following December the Society again appointed a committee to present the subject at Albany, with a view of procuring an adequate appropriation for the purpose of obtaining copies of all the documents in the public offices of Holland

GENERAL INTRODUCTION. xi

and England relating to the Colonial history of New -York. On the 8th of January, 1839, Mr. John L. Stephens, from this committee, accordingly reported the draft of the following memorial, which was adopted by the Society and ordered to be attested and delivered to the committee to be by them presented to the Legislature.

"TO THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF NEW-YORK.

" The Memorial of the New- York Historical Society respectfully represents :

" That, by the charter received from your honorable body, your memorialists were entrusted with the performance of certain duties, and particularly were bound to collect and preserve documents, papers and evidences, and generally all materials relating to or in any way affecting the history of this State; that, in the prosecution of this object, they have collected, and now hold in safe keeping, many interesting and important documents and papers, which, but for your memorialists, would have been destroyed or lost.

"And your memorialists represent that they have been advised by those who from official station had unusual opportunities and facilities for making researches, and have learned from other sources on which they can rely, that there are now in the archives and public offices of Holland and England many documents, letters, correspondences and papers, relating to and bearing upon and directly connected with the events and prominent persons of our Colonial history and of our War of Revolution; which said documents, letters, correspondences and papers contain matters in relation to the views and purposes of those governments in the treatnientof their Colony; the reports, opinions and advices of their Governors, Military Com- manders, and other officers then resident here ; the population, resources and general condition of the country, and the character, temper and feeling of the people; all of which were stu- diously concealed from the colonists, and to a great extent are still unknown in this country.

"And your memorialists represent that the said documents, letters, correspondences and papers illustrate and explain many uncertain passages in our Colonial history and our War of Revolution ; and that without them, or copies thereof, or access thereto, no true and perfect history of this State can ever be written.

" And your memorialists represent that, under a sense of the importance of the trust reposed in them, and deeply solicitous to procure this valuable addition to the materials now under their control, they consider it their duty to make known to your honorable body that their means are inadequate to undertake the expense attendant thereon. And they represent further that, even if they did possess the means, they do not believe they could, in their own name, accomplish this object. The inspection of the archives of governments and the documents in public offices is not granted on the application of individuals, or even of private associations, but only on the request of a high power.

" And your memorialists represent that an inspection of the said documents, letters, correspondences and papers would be permitted, and copies thereof granted, upon formal application for that purpose, made in the name and by the authority of this State. Your memorialists entertain the belief, from the fact that such permission has been granted on the application of other States of our Confederacy ; and that an Agent appointed for that purpose by the State of Georgia is now in London, receiving every facility from the Departments of the English government.

Xa GENERAL INTRODUCTION.

" And your memorialists represent tliat the present is a most favorable moment for such an application. It is a season of general peace, and great good feeling between our respective governments ; and opportunities and facilities are now afforded, in a spirit of tlie most friendly courtesy, which, in time of war, or even of a troubled political horizon, would be peremptorily refused.

"And your memorialists represent that, in all probability, this is the only moment in which your honorable body will be called upon to give its aid in this matter, for it is only because of the special trust reposed in your memorialists that they have deemed it their duty to ask the interposition of your honorable body; and, though all might consider it a proper subject for the action of this State, its interest is too general and the prospect of success too remote to occupy the minds of individuals. Your memorialists do not believe that there will ever be a more favorable opportunity for renewing their request, and in all probability no such attempt will ever be made by others.

" And your memorialists believe that it is worthy the ambition of the Empire State to have under its own control the materials for writing its history. Already, in its rapid increase of population and resources, it stands as a wonder in the history of the world : in a few years its changes will almost surpass human belief, and then, the smallest scrap which illustrates its former condition will be regarded as a precious memorial. Indeed, even now it is precious ; for — with a full knowledge of all that has been attempted upon this subject — your memorial- ists represent that the History of the State of New-York remains yet to be written.

" To the end that the Historian may come to this work with all the advantages which its importance demands, your memorialists pray

" That an appropriation be made by your honorable body, at its present session, for the purpose of defraying the expenses of an Agent, to be sent, under the direction of this Society, in the name and by the authority of this State, to ask for and procure from the governments of England and Holland, if possible, the originals, and if not, copies, of all documents, letters, correspondences and papers in their archives and public offices, which relate to or in any way affect our Colonial history and our War of Revolution ; and that the same, when procured, be deposited for safe keeping with your memorialists.

"P. G. STUYVESANT,

[ L. s. ] "President of the New -York Historical Society.

" JOHN C. JAY, " Rec. Secretary of the New - York Historical Society."

This memorial was communicated to the Legislature, in the following message from the Governor to the Assembly, on the 5th of February, 1839 :

" I have the honor to transmit a memorial from the New -York Historical Society, praying for the passage of a law authorizing the appointment of an Agent to visit Europe, to tran- scribe documents remaining in the public offices of the governments of England and Holland, illustrating the Colonial history of this State.

" It would advance the cause of free government throughout the world, and it is due to ourselves, to the memory of our predecessors, and to a just regard for the respect of posterity, that every important circumstance connected with the rise and progress of our free institutions should be recorded and illustrated.

GENERAL INTRODUCTION. xiii

" It is believed that we have, hitherto, manifested a singular indifference in regard to this object. The English government has made a munificent gift to our State Library of records illustrating the early history of that nation. Massachusetts has taken care to preserve the resources for her history, during the Revolutionary contest, by causing to be published the Journals of her Colonial Congress. The State of Georgia has now an Agent in London, engaged in obtaining copies of the records belonging to that State. This State has certainly not less interest in rescuing and preserving the memorials of her Colonial condition.

" I respectfully commend the petition of ' The New-York Historical Society' to the favora- ble consideration of the Legislature.

" WILLIAM H. SEWARD."

This message of the Governor and the accompanying memorial of the Historical Society were referred by the House of Assembly to a select committee, who, on the 19th of February, 1839, made the following report, by their Chairman, Mr. Chapin:

" That the subject of the communication and memorial has received from the committee the attention to which the opinion of the Executive is entitled, and which the objects of the memorialists seem to claim.

" The committee are agreed in believing with his Excellency that upon this subject 'we have hitherto manifested a singular indifference,' and that ' it is due to ourselves, to the memory of our predecessors, and to a just regard for the respect of posterity, that every important circumstance connected with the rise and progress of our free institutions should be recorded.' Nor are they less united in believing that the annals of our Colonial history, now secured in the archives of foreign governments, would, if transcribed and made public, reveal facts of the greatest interest to the State.

" The memorialists constitute the Historical Society of the State of New-York, and were chartered for the important purpose of collecting and preserving documents, papers, evidences, and generally all materials relating to or in any way connected with the history of this State. In discbarge of the duties thus imposed upon them, and in pursuance of the objects thus intrusted by the Legislature to their care, they have been for many years ardently and faithfully engaged in securing from the wreck of time numerous and valuable memorials of our early history, which, but for their laudable efforts, would have been consigned to oblivion. In the prosecution of purposes so important and ennobling, the memorialists, it should be observed, have been limited in their researches to our own country, while it is equally remarkable that a great mass of materials relative to our Colonial history are hid from view and secured within the offices of transatlantic governments. Separated thus far distant from tlie most fruitful sources of information on this subject, it is but reasonable to suppose that their efforts have been materially restricted and their usefulness abridged. Superadded to this, there has ever existed a great difficulty, if not an impossibility, in obtaining access to the documents, papers, &c., so valuable in illustrating our history, and which, if sought for, have eluded research from the want of that legislative sanction and authority now desired by your memorialists.

" Impressed with these considerations, and encouraged by the counsel and inuflence of the most distinguished of our citizens, the petitioners represent that they are desirous to obtain

^ GENERAL INTRODUCTION.

the passage of a law by this Legislature, authorizing the appointment of an Agent to visit Europe, and, under the sanction of legislative enactment, to transcribe the documentary papers there to be found, having reference to the history of this State. They further represent that they have been advised by many, high in official stations, that there are great numbers of letters, records and official documents in England, Holland and France, detailing the particulars of our primitive and Revolutionary history, and those relating to public and private negotiations, to distinguished individuals and influential associations, to the plans of foreign governments in their treatment of the Colonies, to the character of our people, and to the nature and resources of our arts and arms. And it is also represented, with like truth and force, as your committee believe, that at no period of our history have circumstances been so auspicious for the prosecution and successful issue of their purposes as those presented at this time. Not only are the relations between the governments referred to and our own more intimate and better understood than heretofore, but the increased facilities of intercommunication, and the mutual dependencies of trade, and reciprocity of public and private favors are such as to render the present truly propitious for the execution of the designs contemplated by the memorialists.

" The importance of these facts has induced other States and associated bodies to become enlisted in the extension of similar objects; and it is reasonably inferred, the committee think, that the State of New-York — behind none in her extent and population, her arts and her commerce, the productions of her soil, the interest and variety of her historical reminiscences, and the intelligence and public spirit of her citizens — will not, on this subject, remain unfaithful to her honor, her interests and her fame.

" Among the early Colonies and the people composing the inhabitants of our newly discovered country, none were more distinguished than New-York and its enterprising citizens; and up to the present moment it has continued to develope the elements of its greatness, thus characteristic of the Empire State. In the drama of our Colonial and National history, she was, and continues to be, proudly eminent. Her soil, her streams and her people are known to fame. History, faint as it is, reveals her crimsoned plains, her bulwarks of military and naval art, and the chivalry of her sons. The virtues, the heroism and the councils of her citizens were felt and appreciated during the primitive condition of our common country, and while our united energies were called forth in the cause of freedom. But, though History has not denied us the evidences of these truths, yet how much more may she not do for the honor of our State and the glory of our ancestors, when our own historians are admitted to all the sources of her historic treasures!

"It is worthy of remark that the only ostensive history of the State of New -York was written by an Englishman, and dedicated to the Right Honorable George, Earl of Stanhope, Commissioner of Trade and Plantations, &c. The extent and character of this history may be estimated from the confession and announcement of the author, in his declaration that it was ' but a narrative,' and that ' it deserves not the name of history.' And further, in his dedication, that 'it was not presented for his Lordship's information,'' as 'all the world knows that the aSiiirs of the British Colonies have been for several years past under his principal direction, and the wisdom of the measures pursued for their prosperity and defence are indisputable arguments of his acquaintance with their condition.'

"Thus were the details of our Colonial history, and all the 'wisdom' displayed in the government of the Colonies, presumed to have been condensed within the cranium of his right honorable lordship.

GENERAL INTRODUCTION. XV

"The further usefulness of the author to this Province and to posterity, it might be added, was prematurely arrested by his refusal to renounce his allegiance to the Crown at the most critical juncture of our history — his confinement at the ' Livingston Manor' — his transportation to New-York by General Washington, and his subsequent shipment to the land of his birth and of his choice.

"From the Dutch history of 'New Netherland,' a pamphlet published at Amsterdam, may, in like manner, be gathered the fruitful events of our Provincial history up to the time of that elaborate work, eschewing, always, the veritable Knickerbocker.

" From a notice of these particulars, it is submitted, by your committee, whether the history of the State of New-York ought not to rest on higher and safer authority than that referred to, and whether it should not be written by one of her own citizens possessed of the materials, to be derived from the sources before mentioned, and from the researches and under the supervision of the State Historical Society.

"During the period from 1609, when our shores were first discovered and our noble river ascended by Henry Hudson, to 1614, and while as a Dutch Colony, up to 1664, and subsequently as an English Colony, from that date to 1776, it was well known that the most intimate relations existed between the colonists and the mother countries, and that the numerous records, documents and continuous correspondence of the governmental agents and others were, as they duly should have been, filed and preserved in the various offices of the respective governments. These related to the occurrence and cause of successive events, to public officers and prominent persons among the colonists, to the character and productions of our new country, and to the feelings and sufferings of our virtuous and heroic ancestors. In addition to these, they related, at a later and still more interesting period of our history, to the events that brought about the War of Revolution, to the political views and acts of our people, to our condition and resources, to our councils, and to the policy of the parent government in connection with the reports and advices of military and naval commanders and civil and judicial officers.

" Nor are the particulars here noticed to be obtained alone from the archives of England and Holland. The government of France is presumed to be in possession of documentary papers having reference to the part she took in our Revolutionary struggle, to her subsequent relations to this country, and to ' the French and Indian wars,' which by no means form the least affecting and important portion of our Colonial history.

" The military operations of the French in our State, their erection of fortifications at various points, and the events which transpired — often tragical in their character — should be subjects of lively interest with the descendants from those who braved the toils and dangers incident to their defenceless condition and the merciless warfare of their enemies.

" While, then, our Colonial history has been unequaled by that of any other Province in its fruitfulness of incidents and in its relative importance to the Colonies, your committee are of opinion that it claims to be faithfully recorded ; and that the efforts of the memorialists, to accomplish a work so desirable and useful, justly merit the sanction and patronage of the Legislature.

" It may not be unimportant to add that, while the Colonial history of this State is seen to be thus fraught with local and general interest, it is characterized by the existence of the most singular relics of art, the origin of which has hitherto baffled the inquiries of the philosophic and curious, but which reveal the startling fact that, at a period long antecedent to all know- ledge of our ancestors, it was signalized as the theatre of great aud strange events.

xvi GENERAL INTRODUCTION.

" Many of these, like the chronicles of our own times now sought to be saved fronn the same oblivious fate, are fast disappearing before the modern ' march of improvement' and the destructive influence of lime, while others, if known to the early colonists, have sunk into ruin and forgetfulness.

" It appears to the committee, from a review of the subject submitted to their examination and opinion, that it would be worthy of the pride and ambition of our citizens to encourage the enterprise of the memorialists, and to secure for the State the materials for its enlarged history. And your committee believe that no subject is calculated to inspire us with a stronger love of freedom and of country than the records of the times and the chivalric deeds of our fathers — those who gave us life, liberty, and a country made sacred by their blood. Ingratitude alone must be our apology in failing to cherish the memory and the annals of their history. Nor is it less an obligation to our predecessors, than a duty to posterity, that we encourage the perpetuity of their examples of virtue and of patriotism.

" In the execution of the purposes set forth by the memorialists, and commended by the Governor, it is represented that two years should be employed, and that an expenditure of $4000 may accomplish the work.

" This amount, though less than that suggested by the inclination of the committee, has been deemed to be an adequate appropriation, which, while it may insure the successful issue of the enterprise, will not be thought unworthy the Empire State for the accomplishment of an object which cannot fail to prove honorable to iier fame.

" With these views of the subject, the committee submit the accompanying bill."

The bill reported by the select committee, having duly passed both Houses of the Legislature, was signed by the Governor on the 2d of May, 1839, and is as follows:

"AN ACT TO APPOINT AN AGENT TO PROCURE AND TRANSCRIBE DOCUMENTS IN EUROPE RELATIVE TO THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF THIS STATE.

" Passed Mat 2, 1839.

" The People of the Stale of Ncw-TorJc, represented in Senate and Assemhlrj, do enact as follows:

" Section 1. An Agent shall be appointed by the Governor of this State, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to visit England, Holland and France, for the purpose of procuring, if possible, the originals, and if not, copies, of all such documents and papers, in the archives and offices of those governments relating to or in any way affecting the Colonial or other history of this State, as he may deem important to illustrate that history.

"% 2. The said documents and papers, when procured, shall be deposited in the office of the Secretary of this State, subject to the use of the State Historical Society.

" >^ 3. A sum not exceeding four thousand dollars is hereby appropriated for defraying the expenses of said Agent."

The words of this act are very broad and indefinite, and they seem to have been purposely made so. What was evidently intended was, that the Agent should select

GENERAL INTRODUCTION. xvii

and obtain, in Europe, historical documents and papers, which, when procured, were to be added to and form a part of the existing records of the State, at Albany. He was necessarily invested with a large discretion ; he was to procure as much additional material as he could ; and his scope of selection was limited only by the comprehensive restriction to such documents "relating to or in any way affecting the Colonial or other history" of New -York, as, in his own judgment, he might " deem important to illustrate" that history.

Under this law, the names of sevei'al gentlemen connected with antiquarian investigations were suggested as fit and proper to execute its duties ; and in March, 1840, the Historical Society, through its President, Mr. Peter A. Jay, addressed an official letter to the Governor, reminding him that two distinguished citizens of the State were then representing the United States government abroad — Mr. Henry Wiieaton, at Berlin, and Mr. Harmanus Blbecker, at the Hague — whose public position would give them superior facilities for research, and who would no doubt cheerfully superintend the execution of the contemplated work ; and the Society accordingly recommended that one or the other of these gentlemen should be appointed Agent of the State. Various circumstances, however, delayed the execution of the act. At length, on the 15th of January, 1841, nearly two years after the passage of the law, Mr. John RoMEYN Brodhead was commissioned as Agent. He had resided during the previous year in Holland, with Mr. Bleecker, attached to the American Legation at the Hague, and was to some extent familiar with the peculiar duty he was expected to perform. In order, however, to avoid what was felt to be the chief inconvenience in the execution of his mission, namely, the procuring of duplicates of documents already in the posses- sion of the State, the Agent spent several weeks in a careful examination of the prin- cipal historical records in the Secretary's office at Albany. They were at that time, to a great degree, in the comparatively unarranged and confused condition already described ; and the investigation of them was necessarily imperfect and unsatisfactory. There was no catalogue or abstract sufficient to indicate their dates or contents. Notwith- standing these unfavorable circumstances, copious notes and memoranda were made by the Agent, and every precaution was taken to secure the means to assist and guide his judgment as far as possible, when he should be engaged in his investigations in the foreign archives.

Previous to his departure for Europe, the Agent received the following instructions from the Governor:

GENERAL INTRODUCTION.

" STATE OF NEW-YORK; ■>

"Executive Department,)

" Albany, March 2'ttk, 1841. "To John Romeyn Brodhead, Esquire :

" The Legislature of tliis State having on the 2d day of May, 1S39, passed an act for the appointment of an Agent to visit England, Holland and France for the purpose of procuring the originals or copies of such documents and papers, in the archives of those governments, relating to the Colonial and other history of this State as are important to illustrate that history, and you having been duly appointed such Agent, and being about to proceed in the execution of your duties, it seems to be proper that I should communicate to you the views entertained by the Executive in relation thereto.

" This communication is to be regarded as advisory only. The language of the acts is quite indeQnite, and was undoubtedly designedly made so, in order to leave the Agent at liberty to exercise a sound and wise discretion, according to the circumstances affecting the object of his mission. In recommending those objects to the Legislature, I observed that their successful accomplishment would advance the cause of free government throughout the world, and that it was due to ourselves and to the memory of our predecessors, and to a just regard for the respect of posterity, that every important circumstance connected with the rise and progress of our free institutions should be recorded and illustrated.

" The general policy of the European governments towards their transatlantic possessions has been heretofore studied by us chiefly in the acts of their agents here, while its compara- tive unimportance in the domestic history of those States has caused it to be often overlooked or superficially treated by European historians. It is represented to us that there are now, in the archives and public offices of Holland and England, many papers relating to the events and persons prominent in our local history anterior to and through the Revolution. Among such papers may be expected to be found reports, advices, and other communications from the Colonial Governors, Military Commanders, the early colonists, and other individuals resident here.

" The policy of France, in establishing her military positions upon this continent, is regarded among the most important and interesting particulars of our history; and her long struggle to retain those positions exercised a great influence for a long period upon the condition, disposi- tion and purposes of the people of New-York. It is, I presume, chiefly with a view to obtain- ing authentic evidence concerning this part of our history tiiat you are expected to visit that country.

" It would be highly interesting to obtain the originals or copies of the instructions for- warded to the French and English Governors of Canada ; to learn the views which possessed them, of a commercial, military or colonizing character; their expectations of the future growth of their settlements bordering upon the colony of New-York ; their expenditures and receipts; the nature and extent of their alliance with the Indian tribes; and the history of their expeditions across the St. Lawrence, and of their posts upon Lake Ontario and the Riv. r Niagara, so far as developed by official reports, or memorials from the foreign departments under whose administration these various operations took place.

" It will be equally important to obtain in England the copies of those papers relating to the occupation of the Colony, which are said to have been removed to the mother country,

GENERAL INTRODUCTION. xix

together with such official documents, memoirs and statistical details as were doubtless com- municated from time to time to the British government by its agents here. Among these transactions, the conduct of Sir William Johnson, his agency with the Indians, iiis communi- cations to his government, and his views as to the extension of the British power, would be particularly valuable. The expedition of Colonel NicoUs has never yet been known to us in all its details. The capture of the city of Albany, under his orders, has found as yet but a few lines on the pages of the historian.

" The Dutch records have furnished us with a vast amount of information relating to the Colony while in subordination to the West India Company; but the official reports of Govern- ors Van Twiller, Stuyvesant, Kieft, &c., to the father-land, and the documents which must necessarily have been communicated from time to time by those zealous agents, are yet to become a part of the materials of our history.

" Many details in relation to the patents, manorial rights, &c., and much information relating to the Indian trade, will no doubt be gleaned from the archives which may become accessible.

" All these, as far as the appropriation will permit, after defraying your necessary expenses and the private charges which will attend you in your various journeys, will become matter of interest to you in your general investigations.

<'You are advised to proceed first to Holland, to ascertain what documents and papers require your attention there ; then to proceed to England, and institute a similar examination there. Having thus ascertained what will be most important in those countries, you will proceed to solicit the originals, or cause transcripts to be made, as circumstances shall indicate. While this is going forward in those countries, you will have leisure to proceed to Paris, in performance of your duties at that capital.

" You will from time to time report to the Executive of this State, and will be at liberty at all times to seek advice from him in regard to the discharge of the duties of your mission. You will ship to the address of the Secretary of State any books or parcels you deem it important to be sent to this country. •

"You will be allowed at the rate of two thousand dollars per annum, payable quarterly, for your compensation, besides your traveling expenses and disbursements for the purposes of your mission. You have already received an advance of fifteen hundred dollars. On rendering accounts for one thousand dollars of that sum, you may draw upon the Comptroller for another sum of one thousand dollars in advance, in like manner, and so on, accounting and drawing the extent of the amount appropriated in the bill.

" In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name, and caused the [ L. s. ] great seal of the State to be affixed, this twenty-seventh day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the sixty-fifth.

" WILLIAM H. SEWARD."

In pursuance of his commission and instructions, Mr. Bkodhead embarked for Europe on the first of May, 1841. He commenced his investigations in the archives at the Hague in the following summer ; and for nearly three years was diligently engaged in prosecuting his labors in the several Record offices of Holland, England and

XX GENERAL INTRODUCTION.

Trance. It was necessary, in the first place, to procure the official authority from the proper departments of government, without which the documents the Agent was in- structed to procure could neither he inspected nor copied. In Holland and in France, the requisite permission was readily and liberally granted. But in England the official regulations were much more embarrassing.

When, at length, fairly engaged in his researches, the Agent found himself surrounded with difficulties, which, though to some extent he had anticipated, he had no means of entirely overcoming. Among much that was altogether new and of invaluable importance to the American historian, there was also found in the archives, especially of England, much that was more or less familiar. With the imperfect memoranda which he had been able to make of papers already in possession of the State, the Agent was constantly exposed to the chance of copying duplicates ; and the more so, as he was obliged to make his selections upon a prompt exercise of judgment, and without proper opportunities for comparison. All documents about which there was no doubt were at once selected for transcription ; and, on the other hand, such as were positively known to be in existence at Albany, in a complete form, were passed by. But the temptation to secure everything in any way illustrating our history, of the actual possession of which, by the State, there appeared to be any uncertainty, was ever strong. The duty of the Agent, as defined by the law, was to procure all such documents, " relating to or in any way affecting the Colonial or other history" of New- York, as he might " deem important to illustrate that history ;" and in executing this very comprehensive trust he was instructed to use a " sound and wise discretion." It was thought that this discretion would be most advantageously exercised by securing, while there was a favorable opportunity of doing so, all papers coming within the terms of the law, the suppression or omission of which might, in the judgment of competent historical authority, leave incomplete the public records of the State. Moreover, it was always considered that the object of the Agency was to add documents to the archives of the State, and not to procure and prepare the materials of a work for publication. Besides, the existence of duplicates of documents from different sources, in all public collections of papers, is known to be not only universal but oftentimes desirable, as such duplicates tend to verification. The Agent accordingly thought it to be his duty rather to risk redundancy than deficiency ; and in all cases of doubt he preferred to secure papers with a liberal hand, while it was in his power to do so, leaving the question of their relative importance and their entire publication to be considered and settled afterwards, when ampler opportunity should be afforded for comparison and discrimination.

GENERAL INTRODUCTION. xxi

Soon after commencing his investigations in Europe, the Agent found that, owing to the large number of documents discovered, and the necessary expenses of their transcription, the original appropriation by the Legislature would be insufficient. Eeports were from time to time addressed to the Governor, who communicated them to the Legislature ; and further sums of three thousand dollars on the 11th of April, 1842, and five thousand dollars on the 13th of April, 1843, were voted to defray the expenses of the Agency. Having at length executed his duty as fully as he could, Mr. Brodhead returned home in the summer of 1844, and was occupied during the rest of that year in arranging and indexing the documents he had procured. These formed eighty volumes, and were deposited in the office of the Secretary of State, at Albany, where they now remain.

Early in 1845, the Agent presented to the Governor his final report, giving a detailed statement of his proceedings and of their results, which was communicated to the Legislature in the following message :

" EXECUTIVE CHAMBER, •)

"Albany, 21 Feb., 1845.5

« TO THE LEGISLATURE.

" Herewith I have the honor to transmit the final report of the Agent of the State, appointed in pursuance of the provisions of the act of the 2d May, 1839, ' to procure and transcribe Documents in Europe, relative to the Colonial history of this State.' The report presents a brief but very clear history of the progress of the Agency, of the difficulties encountered, and of the general results accomplished, and will be read with the interest belonging to the suhject.

" My pressing engagements have not allowed me time to make myself acquainted with the documents which the Agent has secured, or with the expenditures which have been incurred, beyond the statements of the report now transmitted ; and I cannot, therefore, speak of the degree of success realized from the establishment of the Agency, or of the economy which has characterized the expenditure of the moneys appropriated.

" It will be seen, from the closing paragraphs of the report, that the Agent is in advance, to meet the expenses which have been incurred, over and above his own compensation, for the last portion of the period of his service. His account is not submitted to me, but will of course, I presume, be ready for presentation to the Legislature, whenever its action in the matter shall require it.

" The schedules of documents accompanying the report I have not found it possible to command the time even to read, although the transmission of the report has been delayed for some days, in the hope that so much leisure might be found. Any further delay would only abridge the time which will be allowed to the Legislature to make these examinations, and to take the necessary action to bring the Agency to a final close and the accounts of the Agent to a settlement and liquidation. Hence, the report and accompanying papers are

xxii GENERAL INTRODUCTION.

transmitted without the information which enables me to make any recommendation, or even suggestions, as to the legislation called for or the appropriations required.

" SILAS WRIGHT.

« ' REPORT OF JOHN ROMEYN BRODHEAD.

" ' To His Excellency, Silas Weight,

" ' Governor of the State of New -York.

" ' Sir — I have now the honor to lay before you a final report of my proceedings, as Agent of the State of New-York, under the act entitled " An act to appoint an Agent to procure and transcribe documents in Europe relative to the Colonial history of this State," passed May 2, 1839, and of the results of my researches in the archives of Holland, England and France.

"' Before, however, detailing these proceedings, it may not be out of place to refer briefly to the circumstances which led to the passage of the act of the Legislature by which the enterprise now brought to a conclusion was sanctioned.

" ' This Agency is the result of the antiquarian spirit that has lately gained so much ground in our country. That spirit, growing and freshening with the advance of years, has been greatly strengthened and fostered by the exertions of the New-York Historical Society ; an institution which, it is but faint praise to say, has more than fulfilled the high hopes entertained of its future value and influence, by its projectors, in the year 1804. Exerting itself laudably in times of difficulty — struggling with adversity, and braving obstacles — its important objects gradually became appreciated by the public ; and in the year 1814 a memoi'ial, drawn up by the late Governor De Witt Clinton, then vice-president of the society, stating in a clear and masterly manner the objects of the institution, was presented to the Legislature, and was so favorably received as to induce the grant of twelve thousand dollars in aid of the funds of the society. Its library to this day remains a noble monument of the munificence of the State and of the liberality of individuals.

" ' In this memorial, the prescient mind of Clinton suggested, in effect, the measure which it was left to after days to see carried into execution. Referring to the gaps and deficiencies in our own existing records, the papers of the Dutch West India Company and the archives of the then government of the Netherlands were pointed out as the sources whence materials for the Dutch portion of our history were to be obtained; and the recoi'ds of the Plantation Office (Board of Trade) in London, and tlie library of the British Museum, were also alluded to, as affording an important and inestimable fund of information respecting the period of our subjection to the Crown of Great Britain. The public offices in Canada, it was also suggested, might contain much of interest to our historians. But circumstances for a long time prevented any direct effort being made by the society to obtain the favorable consideration of the subject by the Legislature, and it was not until the year 1838 that any formal steps were taken in the matter. In the month of April of that year, upon the motion of Mr. George Folsom, a memorial was prepared and presented to the Legislature, urging the importance of an investigation of European archives, for the purpose of procuring those materials for the illustration of our history which our own State records could not furnish ; and praying the State to undertake, for the benefit of the people, an enterprise the society of their own means were unable to carry into execution. This memorial, however, was presented so near to the close of the session as to render it expedient to postpone further efforts till the next

GENERAL INTRODUCTION. xxiii

year; when, the subject having been clearly and forcibly introduced by a message from the Governor, and its importance urged upon the members of the Legislature by the zealous and unwearied attention of Mr. John L. Stephens, the late Mr. William L. Stone, and others, an act was passed, with great unanimity on the 2d May, 1839, authorizing the appointment of an Agent " to visit England, Holland and France, for the purpose of procuring, if possible, the originals, and if not, copies, of all such documents and papers in the ai-chives and offices of those governments, relating to or in any way affecting the Colonial or other history of this State, as he may deem important to illustrate that history," and directing that the documents, when procured, be deposited in the office of the Secretary of State, at Albany, subject to the use of the State Historical Society.

" ' Under this act I had the honor to receive a commission as Agent, on the 20th of January, 1841. By the general instructions, in which the views of the Executive in relation to the duties of my mission were subsequently communicated to me, I was advised to proceed first to Holland, and ascertain what documents required my attention there ; and then to England and to France. The inspection of the State papers of foreign governments, it is well known, is not a mere matter of course, but is considered a privilege of a high order; and is granted in most cases only upon applications backed by high personal or official influence. I had an interview, accordingly, with the Secretary of State of the United States, for the purpose of procuring specific instructions to the American Ministers at London, Paris and the Hague, in favor of my Agency ; but he having declined giving them at that time, I embarked for Europe on the 1st of May, 1841.

" ' On my arrival at London, on my way to Holland, I had several interviews with Mr. Stevenson, then American Minister at the court of St. James, and communicated to him, very fully, the objects of my mission. Mr. Stevenson, though uninstructed by the General Government on this point, interested himself at once, very warmly, in the subject ; and advised an application forthwith, to Her Majesty's government, for permission to the Agent to make selections and transcripts of documents in the British archives relative to our Colonial and other history. A note was accordingly addressed to the Marquis of Normanby, on the 22d May, 1841, explaining the objects of the State in making the application, and requesting that the necessary facilities might be affijrded me for accomplishing, with as little delay as possible, the purpose of my mission to England. This note was referred by the Marquis of Normanby to Lord Palmerston, Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs ; and on the 20th July following an answer was returned to Mr. Stevenson, that Lord Palmerston felt some difficulty in acceding to my application, but that if 1 would send to him a list of any particular documents I wished to obtain, his lordship would have them examined by some competent person, and, if no objection should be found to their being communicated, they should be copied for my use, on the usual terms, at my expense.

" 'Upon the receipt of this answer to my application, Mr. Stevenson immediately replied, explaining that no partictilar docuine7its were asked for by the Agent of New-York ; that the object of the State was to have its Colonial history written from authentic documents, many of which were presumed to be in the State Paper Office, but whose particular character could not be known, and that they could not, therefore, be described ; that the limitations and restrictions imposed in former cases were of course expected to be observed in the present, and that the Agent would, in fact, consider himself subject to the control and pleasure of the department.

xxiv GENERAL INTRODUCTION.

"'It was hoped that, on a review of the subject, Her Majesty's government would have looked more auspiciously upon the application, and that, so far from perceiving in it anything objectionable, would rather have viewed the objects of the State as of a purely literary and altogether praiseworthy character, and, as such, commending themselves to the favorableand liberal consideration of an enlightened government. But the then ministry went out of office without having altered or modified their decision, which — considering the impossibility of my pointing out the particular documents I might wish to have transcribed, without having the opportunity of learning even the date of one of them — amounted, in fact, to a refusal of the application of the State. While referring to this subject, I cannot omit availing myself of the occasion to acknowledge the warm and ready interest Mr. Stevenson took in the objects of the Agency, and the personal obligations I feel for the courtesies he extended to the Agent.

" ' Meantime, pursuant to my instructions and to Mr. Stevenson's advice, I had proceeded to Holland, with a view of investigating the archives of that country for documents relating to our early Colonial history ; intending, upon the termination of my researches in the Netherlands, to return to London, and avail myself of the expected liberality of the British government. Immediately on my arrival at the Hague, I opened the business of my mission to Mr. Bleecker, then the Charge d' Affaires of the United States near the King of the Netherlands. The well known interest of this gentleman in the cause of historical research, induced him to enter, at once, cordially into the views of the State; and I gladly and gratefully embrace this opportunity to renew the expression of my thanks for those valuable counsels, and friendly efforts to further the objects of my appointment, which he was always ready to give and anxious to make.

" ' In order to obtain the necessary facilities for investigating the archives of the Netherlands, an application was addressed by Mr. Bleecker, on my behalf, to the Baron Verstolk de Soelen, Minister of Foreign Affairs. Upon my presentation to the King, a few days afterwards. His Majesty received me in the kindest manner, expressing much pleasure with the objects of my mission, and a warm interest in its successful accomplishment. The general direction of the royal archives being entrusted to the Minister of the Interior, the application was promptly referred to the Baron Schimmelpennick, the head of that department; and an interview was accordingly had with His Excellency, who at once informed me that he would give directions to the officer in charge of the archives to afford me all facilities for the purpose of fully carrying out the objects of my commission, and which had been directed by the King himself to be as liberal in their extent as the exigencies of the service would allow. " ' The government records at the Hague are placed under the supervision of an «' Archivarius," at present Yonkheer J. C. de Jonge, a gentleman of great intelligence and urbanity, and from whom I received numerous marks of kindness and courtesy, which I am happy to acknowledge. M. de Jonge, on my presenting myself at the archives, pointed out the various depositories in which the documents presumed to relate to the subject of my research were contained ; and gave directions that every book and paper, known or supposed to contain information affecting our Colonial history, be submitted, without reserve, to my inspection, and every arrangement made that could facilitate my labors.

" ' The archives of the Netherlands, it is believed, constitute one of the richest depositories of historical information to be found in Europe ; commencing with the period of the Union of Utrecht, in 1579, and extending down to the French Revolution. They are contained in

GENERAL INTRODUCTION. XXV

an immense suite of apartments in the old palace of the Binnenhof ; and the documents are, in general, very well arranged, though not all equally well preserved. The greater part are contained in parchment-bound volumes, in most instances paged and indexed for convenient reference. They consist, chiefly, of minutes of the proceedings of the States-General, at their ordinary and secret meetings, kept by their Grefficrs, or clerks; in which are entered, in detail, the resolutions of that body on all matters coming before them. These registers commence with the year 1579, and are preserved in an unbroken series from that date. The diplomatic correspondence of the government, as well as copies of general letters, and also the instructions and commissions issued from time to time, are preserved in several separate series of books. The original papers and memorials, received by tlie States-General from time to time, are arranged on Liasses, or files, or are tied up in bundles, which are deposited in the Secrete and Lokei Kits. These papers have suffered much more from the effects of time and exposure than those in the bound volumes.

" ' It was necessary that careful and laborious researches should be made in all these different repositories. Aided by the accurate knowledge and long experience of Mr. J. A. de Zwaan, the " Commis Chartermeester" at the royal archives — and whose enthusiastic and untiring cooperation, I am proud to acknowledge, contributed in an essential degree to the success of the research — I was unremittingly occupied during several months in a toilsome investigation, in the course of which upwards of four hundred volumes and bundles of papers were carefully examined. Many of the documents were worm-eaten and decayed ; and the circumstance that most of them were written in the perverse and obscure characters common in the seventeenth century, increased not a little the difficulty of the research.

"' The results of my investigations in the archives at the Hague, however, strengthened the impression I had previously entertained, that though a great and valuable amount of information, on points either entirely novel, or at best but imperfectly known in our history, was there contained, the records of the Dutch West India Company, which had the supervision and direction of the Colony of New Netherland, were the grand magazine in which I might hope to find those more particular details of voyages, discoveries, emigrations, settlements and personal narratives, which would be of the highest interest to the descendants of the early settlers, as well as to the historian of New-York. Relying on the information which had been given me at the Hague, that these records, commencing with the period of the organization of the company in 1621, were preserved complete at Amsterdam, an order was accordingly obtained from the Minister of the Colonies, directing the keeper of the old East and West India Companies' papers, at Amsterdam, to afford me every facility for examining the documents in his custody. The archives of the city of Amsterdam were also presumed to contain important information relative to the Colony of " Nieuw-Amstel," which that city undertook to manage in the year 1656 ; and a letter in my behalf was in consequence addressed by the Minister of the Interior to the Burgomaster. In further prosecution of my duty, I accordingly visited Amsterdam.

" ' But, on applying at the West India House, I was, to my infinite surprise and mortifica- tion, informed by Mr. de Munnick, the keeper, that all the books, documents and papers of every kind, belonging to the old East and West India Companies, of a date prior to 1700, had been sold at public auction in the year 1821, by order of the government of the Netherlands. That nothing should be left undone, however, I instituted a thorough search among the remaining papers, in the hope that something, however small, might have escaped the opera-

xxvi GENERAL INTRODUCTION.

tion of the order. But I regret to say that this examination was attended with no favorable result ; and I reluctantly abandoned the cherished hope that the archives of the "West India Company would have proved a rich mine of historical wealth to our State. Examinations were also made in the papers of the East India Company, in the hope that something might be ascertained relative to Hudson's voyage of discovery, which was made in their service. The only trace found of that voyage is a memorandum in one of the " ship books," which accidentally escaped sale, stating that the yacht Halve-Maan, of forty lasts (eighty tons) burthen, had been sent " towards the north," in 1608. Unwilling, however, to abandon all hope of recovering a portion, at least, of the records which had been sold, I caused adver- tisements to be inserted in the most widely circulated journals of the country, requesting any person who might have in his possession any documents relating to the history of the Colony of New Netherland to have the goodness to communicate with the (then) Consul of the United States, at Amsterdam, Mr. J. W. Van den Broek. The kind attentions and friendly exertions of this gentleman, to further the objects of my visit to Amsterdam, have imposed on me an obligation which I would do great injustice to my feelings if I did not take this opportunity to acknowledge. It was subsequently ascertained that a portion of the records, sold at Amsterdam, was in the possession of the original buyer, a person residing at the Hague. I purchased permission of him to make an examination of this portion, which was accordingly effected. Nothing, however, relating to our history was found ; and the mortify- ing conviction is now forced upon us, that the papers of the West India Company relating to New Netherland — which, until the year 1821, were easily attainable by the State, and whose destruction has left such a chasm in the original materials for the illustration of our annals — are now irrecoverably lost!

" ' The application to the authorities of the city of Amsterdam, for permission to examine their archives, was at once acceded to in the most courteous manner, and prompt arrange- ments were made to facilitate my investigations of the records in the Stad-Huys. Quite a number of interesting documents, relating to the City's Colony on the South river, were found and copied.

" ' Examinations were also made of the valuable collections of manuscripts and pamphlets in the Royal library at the Hague ; and the most courteous attention was shown by the esti- mable librarian, Mr. J. W. Holtrop.

" ' The result of my researches, in the various repositories in the Netherlands just referred to, is the procurement of sixteen volumes of transcripts, containing upwards of four thousand pages. As a full and accurate catalogue of the documents transcribed is appended to this report, it is unnecessary to give any particular analysis of their character here. I will only remark that they commence with the year 1614, and extend down, in a tolerably complete series, to 1678, consisting chiefly of memorials and papers presented to the States-General respecting New Netherland, and the proceedings of that body in relation to the various mat- ters from time to time brought before them affecting the Colony and its inhabitants. The act of the Legislature directed me to procure, if possible, the originals, and if not, copies of all documents illustrating our history. I applied for the originals, but the regulations of office did not allow a compliance with my request ; copies were therefore made of the papers selected. Not the slightest difficulty, however, occurred in obtaining these, and not a single objection was made to my having any document transcribed I wished. The most unbounded liberality was evinced on every occasion by the government of that country to which we

GENERAL INTRODUCTION. XXVU

trace, with such affectionate veneration, the foundation of our State, and the most friendly and gratifying interest was always exhibited by the gentlemen connected with the different departments of the administration, with whom the business of my mission from time to time brought me into communication.

" ' The investigations in the archives of the Netherlands being now terminated, I returned to London in December, 1841, to prosecute the duties of my mission. A new ministry, with the Earl of Aberdeen as principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, had come into power, and Mr. Stevenson had been succeeded by Mr. Everett as Minister of the United States, near Her Britannic Majesty. At the request of the Governor, and justly appreciating the importance to the Union, as well as to the State of New-York, of the objects contemplated by the State in sending an Agent to Europe, the President of the United States had instructed Mr. Everett to apply to the British government for such facilities as might be necessary for the successful prosecution of my proposed researches in England.

" ' Directly on his arrival at London, I had an interview with Mr. Everett, and acquainted him fully with the objects of my mission, and with the previous steps that had been taken. It need scarcely be said that the views of the State were at once warmly and zealously entered into by the distinguished gentleman who represents our country in England, and whose friendly and valuable counsels have laid me under obligations I shall always be proud to acknowledge ; or that it was fortunate for the cause of literature and historical investigation that the Earl of Aberdeen was Foreign Secretary of Great Britain when the Agent of this State made a renewed attempt to obtain permission from Her Majest)''s government to execute the duties of his mission. No time was lost; and on the 23d December, 1841, Mr. Everett addressed a note to Lord Aberdeen, recapitulating the steps Mr. Stevenson had taken with the late ministry, and expressing a hope that the requisite facilities for the attainment of the objects of my mission would now be afforded by the government of Great Britain ; for which it is claimed that it has " never permitted itself to be surpassed by any other, in the countenance which it has at all times extended to every judicious effort for the promotion of useful knowledge." Some time subsequently, Lord Aberdeen having suggested that though it might not be possible for me to furnish a specific list of the historical documents desired, yet, that a general statement of their nature must be practicable, and would facilitate a decision on the pending application, I prepared a statement of the kind proposed, and as specific as the nature of the case admitted ; which Mr. Everett transmitted to his lordship, in a note dated 14th February, 1842, in which the purely literary character and objects of my commission were again urged, and the hope expressed that the synopsis I had prepared would remove whatever hesitation may have existed in reference to a compliance with my request.

" ' It is unnecessary to detail the various difficulties that were encountered, and the many delays that occurred, before the desired permission was obtained. At length, on the 6th of April, 1842, I commenced my labors in " Her Majesty's State Paper Office." An order was sent by Lord Aberdeen to the keeper of the state papers, allowing me to inspect the documents in the office relative to the Province of New-York ; with the understanding that my examinations were to be made in the presence of an officer of the establishment, and that I was merely, in the first instance, to indicate, by slips of paper, the documents I might wish to transcribe, and not to transcribe, or make extracts of any of them, until the papers so indicated should have been examined and allowed, on the part of Lord Aberdeen.

" ' This order was interpreted by the keeper of the state papers with such strictness as to cause me serious embarrassment and inconvenience. I was not allowed to make the slightest

xxviii GENERAL INTRODUCTION.

note or memorandum, even of the date of a document; which, under the circumstances — the mass of papers to be gone over being so large — was desirable, and even necessary, ia order to avoid the risk of marking duplicates, and the embarrassment of depending on memory alone. This, and other points — one of which was a permission to employ copyists of my own selec- tion, by whom the transcripts could have been made at a much less expense than that incurred by the charges of the regular clerks of the office — formed the subject of a subsequent note of Mr. Everett to Lord Aberdeen. His lordship promptly replied, giving me the further permission desired respecting the making memoranda, &c., but declining to accede to the request that I might be allowed to employ a private copyist. I was obliged, in consequence, to pay to the clerks of the office 4d. sterling for every folio of 72 words that they transcribed. " ' Her Majesty's State Paper Office, in London, is strictly a part of the Sovereign's own private library — an appendage to the Secretary of State's office. Being entirely a government establishment, it is not considered as on the same footing as the manuscript department of the British Museum, or other institutions of a like character. No person is allowed to visit the office, for the purpose of consulting documents, until an order for the purpose has been obtained from one of the Secretaries of State, who alone have the right of granting the privilege. This order usually specifies the series of papers to which the visitor is to have access ; and its directions are strictly and scrupulously followed by the keeper. This office is the depository of all papers and dispatches that pass through the offices of the Secretaries of State, which are there arranged under the superintendence of a keeper, deputy keeper, and other officials ; and the accurate and perfect manner in which this is done reflects the highest credit on the gentlemen to whom the government entrusts this important duty. The building in which these papers are contained was erected in the year 1830, in St. James' Park, near the government offices ; and is, in every respect, well adapted to its purposes. In addition to the papers from the offices of the Secretaries of State (among which is to be found a very voluminous correspondence with the Governors and Military Commanders in America), the State Paper Office now contains the whole of the records of the " Board of Trade," down to its dissolution, in the year 1782, which were transferred to it by order of government, in March, 1842. Upwards of two thousand large folio volumes, relating chiefly to the American Colonies, were thus added, in one mass, to this invaluable repository of historical wealth.

" ' The general supervision and management of the British Plantations in America, and elsewhere, was entrusted by King Charles II., by royal commission, dated 1 December, 1660, to a standing council, who were instructed to correspond with the several Governors, &c., and in general to dispose of all matters relating to the good government and improvement of the Colonies. Subsequent commissions were from time to time issued to various individuals, sub- stantially of the same tenor, constituting them a Council for Foreign Plantations, for the time being. On the 21st of December, 1G74, the King revoked the commission for the existing council, and directed their books and papers to be delivered to the clerk of the Privy Council. By order in council, dated 12 March, 1675, King Charles II. referred whatever matters had been under the cognizance of the late Council of Trade and Foreign Plantations to a commit- tee of the Privy Council, consisting of the Lord Treasurer, the Lord Privy Seal, and others, and directed them to meet once a week, and report their proceedings to the King in council, from time to time. During the reign of King James II., the afiairs of the Plantations con- tinued to be managed by a similar committee of Privy Council; and upon the accession of this

GENERAL INTRODUCTION. xxix

monarcli (6 February, 1C85), the Province of New-York having devolved to the Crown, it was placed under the supervision of this committee. Upon the accession of King William III., in February, 1689, a committee of the Privy Council continued to manage the affairs of the Plantations, until their growing importance suggested the necessity of a separate and distinct department of government for their direction.

" ' The year ] 696 is the era of the permanent organization of what is familiarly known to our historians as the " Board of Trade." On the 15th May, in that year, King William III., by royal commission, constituted and appointed the great officers of state, for the time being, and certain other persons, " Commissioners, during the royal pleasure, for promoting the trade of the Kingdom, and for inspecting and improving the Plantations in America, and elsewhere." This board was empowered and required to examine into the general condition of the trade of England, and of foreign parts, and to make representations to the King thereupon ; to take into their custody all records and papers belonging to the Plantation Office; to inquire into the condition of the Plantations ; to examine into the instructions of the Governors, &c., and represent their conduct to the King ; to present the names of proper persons for Governors and Secretaries, &c., in the Colonies, to the King in council ; to examine into and consider the acts passed in the Colonies ; to hear complaints, and make representations thereupon, &c. ; and with power to send for persons and papers. The Board of Trade and Plantations, as thus organized, was continued through the succeeding reigns, by royal commissions, until its final dissolution, by act of Parliament, in July, 1782.

" ' The records of the Board of Trade were kept with much care and system. Their proceedings on all subjects brought before them were accurately entered in a series of large folio journals, commencing with 1696 and extending down to 1782; and which, including the records of the proceedings of the Committee of Privy Council, between 1675 and 1696, number about 130 volumes.

" ' The documents relating to the affairs of each Province and Colony were regularly and separately preserved in two series of books ; the one styled " Entries," in which were recorded all the letters and representations of the board in reference to its concerns ; and the other entitled " Papers," in which all the original documents received at Whitehall were carefully bound up. There are 123 large volumes of " Entries " and " Papers," relating to the Province of New-York, in the Board of Trade series, commencing with 1664 and extending to 1782; in which are included the documents relating to the proprietary government under the Duke of York, which were transferred to the Committee for Foreign Plantations, &c., upon the devolution of the Province to the Crown on the accession of King James II. Documents of general concern to all the Provinces and Colonies were recorded and preserved in a separate series of books, amounting to sixty, entitled " Plantations General."

" ' The records of the State Paper Office, properly, are not nearly so perfect, especially in the earlier periods, as those of the Board of Trade. It was only in matters of great secrecy and concern that the Provincial Governors were required to correspond directly with the Secretaries of State ; and it is probably in consequence of this that there are only six volumes of New-York records from the Secretary's office between 1696 and 1752. These volumes are composed, chiefly, of letters from the Governors to the Secretaries, which are, in many instances, almost literal copies of those sent to the Lords of Trade. There are very few letters from the Secretaries to the Governors during this period. There are no Secretary of State's records whatever, relating to New-York, between 1752 and 1762 ; but after this year,

XXX GENERAL INTRODUCTION.

and down to 1781, the correspondence is full and voluminous ; that relating to this Province, aloae, fillino- nineteen large folio volumes, and comprising, as well, the letters of the Secreta- ries to the Governors. Besides the several series relating to the different Provinces, there is a set of volumes, numbering eighteen, entitled " Plantations General," in which the general correspondence of the Secretaries with the Colonies and with the Superintendents of Indian Affairs, &c., between 1760 and 1781, is preserved.

" ' In addition to the volumes above mentioned, amounting in all to 356, a series of books, sixty-two in number, entitled " Trade Papers," embracing a miscellaneous collection of docu- ments relating to trade and foreign plantations from 1542 to 1761, was submitted to my inspection, agreeably to the terms of the Secretary of State's order. In the course of my researches I ascertained that there were other sets of books and papers in which documents relating to our history were contained, but which my order, as it stood, did not allow me to examine. I was consequently obliged to apply to Lord Aberdeen for further permissions, which were granted ; and nearly a hundred other volumes and bundles of papers were sub- mitted to my inspection.

" ' Thus upwards of five hundred volumes and bundles of papers were thoroughly and carefully examined in the State Paper Office. Each document desired for transcription was indicated by a slip of paper, and subsequently reexamined by a gentleman connected with the Foreign Office, under Lord Aberdeen's direction. Such of them only as were not obje(;ted to were copied. The copies were made by the regular clerks of the office on the terms above stated ; and in every instance the orthography of the originals was scrupulously followed. In making my selections, the greatest care and caution were necessary in order to avoid marking duplicates of papers, which are very numerous ; and the immense number of the documents themselves, and the unexpectedly high charge for transcribing, were also causes of considerable embarrassment. I cannot close this reference to my researches in the State Paper Office, without bearing testimony to the excellent and orderly arrangement of every part of the establishment ; and I should be greatly wanting to my feelings if I were to omit an expression of my admiration of the politeness and attention of Messrs. Charles Lechraere and Robert Lemon, the deputy keeper and chief clerk. To the latter gentleman, particu- larly, I feel under great obligations, not only for his personal courtesies to myself, but for the ready and zealous interest he manifested in the success of the undertaking I was charged by the State to execute.

" ' Presuming that the office of the Privy Council might contain information relative to the subject of my reserach, I addressed a note to Mr. Greville, one of the clerks in ordinary, requesting permission to examine its earlier records. A pi-ompt and most courteous answer was returned, complying with my request ; and I examined the registers under the care of the librarian of the archives, Mr. Henry Reeve, to whose kindness I am much indebted for the facilities he afforded me. Very few documents, however, were found relating to our Colonial history. There are no separate papers whatever, in the Privy Council Office, of a date prior to 1700 ; but the registers of its proceedings are preserved complete from the time of Queen Elizabeth.

" ' The library of tlie British Museum, already a magnificent monument of the public spirit of the nation, is daily becoming more and more worthy the admiration of the world. The collection of printed books and pamphlets, whose number, though not accurately known, certainly exceeds 300,000 volumes, is one of the most perfect in existence ; and there are

GENERAL INTRODUCTION. xxxi

nearly 40,000 volumes of manuscripts. The arrangements for the examination of these literary treasures are very convenient ; and though, in such a metropolis as London, some regulations are necessary to exclude improper persons, those regulations are so easy to be complied with that the library may be said to be, in effect, open to the public. Through the kind and polite attention of Sir Henry Ellis, the principal librarian, I had every facility afforded me for examining the various printed and manuscript collections, and quite a number of transcripts were made of papers bearing upon our history. While speaking of this noble institution, I may be permitted to remark that nowhere else was I more strongly convinced of the indispensable necessity, to the investigator, of accurate catalogues, both for printed books and for manuscripts. There is now in course of preparation a systematic alphabetical catalogue of the printed works, of such comprehensiveness, that the letter "A" alone occu- pies about twenty large folio volumes. Notwithstanding the active and skilful exertions of the learned and competent gentlemen who are engaged in this important work, it will be many years before it can be completed. The manuscripts are already catalogued and their examination thus rendered perfectly easy. The Harleian, the Lansdowne and the Cottonian collections, by means of their accurate catalogues, which were published some years ago by government, are almost as well known to literary men on this side of the ocean as to those in Europe ; and each addition to the manuscript department, as it is received, is at once catalogued and thus rendered accessible.

" ' The Archiepiscopal library at Lambeth has also afforded us some interesting historical materials. My application to the Archbishop of Canterbury for permission to make researches in the library was promptly and cheerfully complied with ; and it gives me great satisfaction to have this opportunity of acknowledging the very marked liberality of the venerable prelate at the head of the English Church, as well as the urbanity and friendly interest dis- played by His Grace's librarian, the Rev. S. R. Maitland, in making every arrangement for my convenient examination of the documents in his custody.

" ' From the various repositories in London, to which reference has just been made, I pro- cured nearly seventeen thousand pages of transcripts of documents relating to our history, which fill forty-seven volumes. A complete and accurate catalogue of the " London Docu- ments" is appended to this report, by means of which the character of each paper can be at once ascertained, and any particular analysis of the series, at present, is thus rendered unne- cessary. It commences with 1614 and ends with 1782 ; comprising the official correspon- dence of the Governors of New-York, from its surrender by the Dutch in 1664 to the end of the Revolution, as well as various documents of interest received from private hands. In making my selections, the greatest care was taken to avoid procuring papers known to be already in the Secretary of State's office, at Albany. I was unable to find any traces of the original books of records of the Indian Commissioners, which are supposed to have been removed from this State during the Revolutionary war; but copies have been made of all Sir William Johnson's official letters to the British government, which remain in the State Paper Office, as well as of the greater part of the proceedings respecting Indian affairs, which were from time to time sent to London.

" ' It will, perhaps, be noticed that previous to 1674 there are 'no dispatches or communications from the Duke of York or his secretary to his officers in New-York, and but few from them to His Royal Highness. The first entry book, or record of letters from the Duke, commences with 1674, and from that period they are tolerably well preserved. There

XXxii GENERAL INTRODUCTION.

are several deficiencies in the series of letters from Governor Nicolls, and very few of Grovernor Lovelace's communications were found. There does not seem to have been any file of Governor Andros' letters, to the Duke or Sir John Werden, handed to the Committee for Trade and Phintations when the affairs of the Province came under its supervision, upon the devolution of New-York to the Crown, on the accession of King James II. ; but after that date the records are much more perfect. After the final organization of the Board of Trade, by King William III., in 1696, the New-York papers are full and complete.

"' The policy of France in regard to her Canadian possessions — the establishment of her military positions on our frontiers, and her negotiations with the Indian tribes on our borders, and within the very limits of our territory itself, are directly and intimately connected with our Colonial history; and hfer long struggle to maintain her influence in the northern portion of our continent, affected, in no small degree, the condition, disposition and purposes of the people of New-York. It was with a view of obtaining authentic historical materials, illustrating these points, that an examination of the archives of the French government was made a part of my duty.

" ' Having made some progress in my researches in London, and commenced the transcription of documents there, I wrote to General Cass, then Minister of the United States at Paris, explaining the objects of the State, and requesting his intervention with the French government for the purpose of procuring me permission to examine its archives for papers relating to Canada and New-York. A simple statement of my object was all that was necessary to awaken the warmest interest of tiiat eminent gentleman ; and he forthwith applied, on my behalf, to Admiral Baron Duperre, then Minister of the Marine and the Colonies, for permission to examine the papers relating to Canada in the bureaus of his department. An answer was promptly returned, authorizing me to make the researches I wished, without limitation; and adding, that " all the facilities he can desire will be accorded" to the Agent. I will only remark, in passing, that this liberality did not prove to be mere formal phrase.

" ' In further prosecution of the duties of my mission, I accordingly went to Paris in June, 1842, and commenced my examinations in the archives of the Marine and the Colonies. The general management of the French dependencies in America having been from an early period entrusted to this department, its archives are very rich in materials relating to their history. They consist chiefly of instructions of the French government to its agents in America ; letters and dispatches to the King and his ministers, and original papers from the Colonial authorities to the Home government; correspondence with the neighboring English Colonies; reports of interviews with the Indian tribes; plans of campaigns and details of battles and skirmishes, &c., &c.

"' The documents relating to Canada and New-York are contained in two several divisions. The one is a series of bound volumes, commencing with the year 1663 and ending very abruptly with 1737. It comprises about 70 volumes, and contains the dispatches and commissions of the King and his ministers to the Governors and other functionaries in the French Colonies. It is greatly to be regretted that the volumes subsequent to 1737 appear to be missing. The other, and by far the most fertile repository, is a series of upwards of an hundred enormous "cartons" or port-folios, each larger than two ordinary folio volumes, and in which, at the time of my examination, were placed loosely and without chronological order, or even the least attempt at arrangement, a mass of original documents relating to Canada, from 1G30 to the Treaty of Paris, 10th February, 1763. The state of deplorable confusion in

GENERAL INTRODUCTION. xxxiii

which I found the contents of these cartons can scarcely be conceived by any one who has not made personal investigations, and it must be very evident that it was embarrassing in no small degree. It not only very greatly increased the labor of the research, but it was found that in many instances papers of presumed importance were missing from the mass. It is hoped, however, that under the superintendence of the present competent and intelligent chief of the archives, M. Davezac, these valuable papers, whose present confusion (one of the results, perhaps, of the Revolutionary fury of 1793) exhibits such a striking contrast to the system and order tliat generally prevail in the French government bureaus, will soon be arranged in a manner consistent with their high importance and worthy the dignity of the nation. Several months were occupied in a careful and toilsome investigation of these documents, and such as were found to relate to our history were selected and transcribed.

"'Knowing, however, that tlie archives of the Department of the Marine and the Colonies was not the only source from which to obtain information, an application was addressed to the Minister of War, Marshal Soult, Duke of Dalmatia, which was promptly answered by a letter stating that orders had been given for my admission to the dep6t and archives of the War Department, " for the purpose of examining and copying all the documents relative to the operations of the French, in Canada, until the period of the Treaty of Paris, in 1763." This frank and liberal order, so characteristic of the gallant soldier wiio presides over tiie Council of Ministers, was very handsomely carried into effect by General Baron Pelet, the Director-General of the archives of the department, to whose obliging and polite attention I am very greatly indebted for the facilities he afforded me for examining the documents in his custody. The archives of the Department of War present a very gratifying contrast, in respect to arrangement, to those of the Marine and the Colonies. The papers are chronologically arranged in bound volumes, and their examination was as agreeable and pleasant as that of the cartons of the Marine was laborious and annoying. The documents selected and transcribed relate chiefly to the period between 1755 and the treaty of Paris, and comprise the correspondence of the Military Commanders in America with the French government.

" 'An application was also made for permission to examine the archives of the Department of Foreign Affairs, for papers relating to the history of Canada, and the intercourse between that Colony and the Province of New-York ; but M. Guizot, in his reply to Gen. Cass' note, thus expressed himself: " I would be very happy to comply with your request, if my department possessed any documents relative to this Colony ; but the Ministry of the Marine, to which you have already applied, is the only one which can furnish you with information on this subject, Canada having always been under its supervision, and never having had any relations with my department."

" ' Researches were also made in the collections in the Royal library at Paris; a most full and unqualified permission for which purpose was granted by Mr Villemain, the Minister of Public Instruction, and every facility afforded by the gentleman in charge of this magnificent institution.

'"My investigations in the several repositories at Paris, just alluded to, occupied me several months, and resulted in the procurement of seventeen volumes of transcripts, containing upwards of six thousand pages. A full and accurate catalogue of the "Paris Documents," in which every paper, its date, and a reference to its page, is indicated, being also appended to this report, renders any particular reference to their contents unnecessary in this place. They commence with 1631, and extend to 1763; including selections of the correspondence

xxxiv GENERAL INTRODUCTION.

of the Governors of Canada with the authorities in France respecting Indian affairs, tlie relations with this Province, &c., as well as the dispatches of the Military Commanders during the romantic and exciting period in our history of the " French War."

" ' As at the Hague and in London, the reguh tions of the offices at Paris did not allow me to execute that part of the law, establishing the Agency, requiring the procurement, if possible, of original documents. Transcripts were made, therefore, of the papers selected, and the orthography of the originals was followed as accurately as possible. In closing this reference to my researches at Paris, I cannot forbear the remark, that the proverbial reputation of the French government, in regard to all matters connected with scientific and literary investigation, was amply sustained in the courtesies that were extended to the Agent of this State ; and that the historical treasures which were found in its archives are only equaled by the prompt and generous liberality with which they were thrown open to my inspection. That much of the good feeling exhibited was owing to the high standing of our Minister at the French Court, is unquestionable ; and I feel it a duty, not less incumbent than grateful, again to acknowledge the marked kindness of General Cass, and the personal and zealous exertions he never failed making, to render my visit to Paris most advantageous to the State.

" ' The researches in the French archives being completed, I returned to London and was some time occupied in further investigations, and in making preparations for my return to America. The documents transcribed at Paris and in London were carefully packed, insured and shipped for New-York ; and my arrangements having been completed, I embarked for home on the 7th July, 1844.

" ' From this detail of proceedings, it will be perceived that the execution of my mission was attended with considerable embarrassment. This occurred chiefly in London, where the regulations of office were much more stringent than at the Hague or in Paris. In both these latter places there was no difficulty experienced, either in obtaining access to the archives or in procuring transcripts at reasonable rates. The price paid for copies was about eleven cents for eacii page. In London, however, as before stated, my application for permission to employ a private copyist having failed, I was obliged to pay to the regular clerks in the State Paper Office 4d. sterling for every folio of seventy-two words, or about twenty-five cents for an ordinary page transcribed. This circumstance, and the unexpectedly large number of volumes to be examined, caused me much embarrassment. It became desirable to limit my selections as much as possible, in order to keep the expenses within the amount of the funds appropriated for the Agency ; while at the same time my duty did not allow me to pass by a single document coming under my observation, "important" to illustrate our history. I have before slated that, in the course of my investigations in the State Paper Office, I ascertained that there were other series of books and papers than those the terms of my original permission allowed me to inspect, containing information respecting our history ; and that a subsequent order from Lord Aberdeen gave me the liberty to examine a large number of additional volumes. I am far from affirming, however, that everything in relation to our history, in the British archives, has been obtained ; though I think it may safely be said that the greater and more valuable portion of the materials there preserved has been secured. Had sufficient funds been placed at my disposal, I should have pursued my researches until everything accessible had been obtained ; and should especially have endeavored to procure copies of the correspondence of the British Military Commanders in America, from the surrender of Canada to the end of the American Revolution.

GENERAL INTRODUCTION. xxxv

" ' The selection of documents was a point necessarily left to the discretion of the Agent; and in the execution of this important duty I adopted for my rule a principle which cannot be better expressed than in the words of the Editors of the "Clarendon State Papers," who say in their preface — " In so large a collection, there occurred, as might well be expected, some papers of a private nature, others of no consequence to the public. To separate these from the rest was a point left to the discretion of the Editors by the Trustees of the late Lord Hyde. Such, therefore, as appeared to them in either of these lights are rejected from publication. They have used their best judgment, and the utmost caution, in acquitting themselves of this trust ; and if there are still any given which may appear to some to be scarce worthy of publication, they desire it may be considered that men's ideas of such matters are often very diHerent, and that any particular paper which, upon being perused apart from the rest, may seem of too little consequence to merit the public notice, would yet have been very improperly suppressed, either because it may be connected with and tend to illustrate a more interesting paper, or on account of some other circumstance which may not immediately occur to the reader."

'• 'Immediately on my arrival in New-York, in August last, I waited on Governor Bouck, and acquainted him with the results of my mission. As the transcripts made in London and in Paris were uuarranged, and as it was essential to their usefulness that they should be disposed in accurate chronological order, bound into volumes, and carefully indexed, before being deposited in the Secretary of State's oifice, the Governor thought it best that I should occupy myself with this duty, and report fully to the Executive upon its completion. I have, accordingly, been diligently engaged in the execution of this work since August last.

" 'The transcripts were all separately made, and in such a manner that they could be afterwards arranged in proper order. This was necessarily the case, as the originals were not all contained in one particular set of books or papers, but were scattered through many and various series. The documents copied at the Hague, and in Amsterdam, were all arranged and indexed by myself during leisure evening hours, while in London, in the winter and spring of 1843, and were bound and sent to Albany in the summer of that year. These "Holland Documents" occupy, as before stated, sixteen volumes, and have been for more than a year in the Secretary of State's office. In arranging the " London Documents," great care was necessary, in order to avoid the apparent confusion of dates caused by the use of the Old Style, which prevailed in England till the year 1752. It is believed, however, that this point has been carefully guarded, and that the plan I adopted, viz: the use of the Historical year (which commenced on the 1st of January) instead of the Legal year (which commenced on the 25th March), and of the Old Style, until 1752, when the act of Parliament took effect, will be found to have been judicious, and to meet the approbation of the investigator. The " Paris Documents" are arranged according to the New Style, which was adopted in France in 1-5S2.

" ' The calendars to the " Holland," " London " and " Paris " Documents, appended to this report, have been prepared with much care, and it is hoped will be found useful. They indicate the number of each document in the volume, its general scope and character, its date, and its page ; and thus, persons at a distance will be enabled to ascertain at once the contents and the bearing of each paper in the whole series of eighty volumes of European transcripts.

" 'By the act of the 2d May, 1839, establishing the Agency, the sum of four thousand dollars was appropriated towards defraying its expenses. On the 11th of April, 1842, a further sum of three thousand dollars was appropriated by law for its prosecution ; and on the 13th of

xxxvi GENERAL INTRODUCTION.

April, 1S43, a further sum of five thousand dollars was appropriated by the Legislature. These several appropriiitions, amounting to twelve thousand dollars, have been drawn from the treasury and entirely exhausted in defraying the expenses of my mission; accurate accounts for which have been rendered to the Comptroller. I will only add, that I have advanced from my own private means a considerable amount, in addition, which has been applied to defraying the expenses of transportation, insurance, binding, and other incidentals connected with the arranging and cataloguing of the documents; in which duty, as before stated, I have been constantly occupied since the month of August last.

" 'I have endeavored to lay before your Excellency as full and as concise a report as possible of the execution of the duties of the Agency I had the honor to have entrusted to me by the government of my State. The whole question of this Agency, and of its results, is now before my fellow-citizens, and to their judgment it is cheerfully submitted. Under any circumstances, and in any event, and however unworthy the instrument selected to execute her high commission, it must ever be a source of proud reflection that the State of New-York — not less faithful now, in her time of power and greatness, to her honor and to her fame, than in her day of difficulty and oppression to the principles she then so fearlessly asserted — has been among the foremost of the Confederation to vindicate her self-respect to the world, by rescuing from obscurity and long neglect the scattered memorials of her Colonial existence, to place them side by side the records of her independent progress. " ' I have the honor to be, Sir,

" ' Very respectfully,

" 'Your Excellency's obedient servant,

"'JOHN ROMEYN BRODHEAD.

" 'Albanv, 12ih February, 1845.' "

The message of the Governor, and the Agent's final report, communicated therewith, were referred to a select committee of the Senate, of which Mr. Folsom was chairman. On the 5th of May, 1845, that committee made the following report:

" A respect for the memorials of the past may be justly considered as one of the marks of advanced civilization. Among savage nations the only care is for the supply of present wants, which, being es*lusively of a physical nature, like those of irrational animals, are easily satisfied, with equal indifference to the past and the future. But as mankind rise in the scale of intelligence, a growing solicitude is felt in regard to circumstances and events beyond the present moment ; the necessity of making provision for future exigencies becomes more and more apparent, and leads to untiring exertion to accomplish so important an end. It is reserved, however, for a still higher degree of progress to develope any considerable interest respecting the past. It is an old utilitarian maxim that makes a dead lion of less claim to consideration than a living ass ; and the mind requires to be raised above the ordinary calculations of mere thrift to appreciate the value of what no longer possesses actual power or influence in the esteem of the busy world. The monuments of history, standing aside in the seclusion of by-places and deserted spots, or buried beneath what is generally regarded as the useless rubbish of the remains of antiquity, are passed by with indillerence

GENERAL INTRODUCTION. xxxvii

Tinlil an enlightened desire is awakened to know something of the early foundations of society, or to explore the sources of national greatness.

" It has been made a subject of reproach to this country, by the enemies of republican institutions, that no care is taken among us to preserve our ancient records — a charge implying a semi-barbarous condition of society, and far from complimentary to our national character. But admitting its truth, to a considerable extent, there is good reason to believe it will not be long deserved ; for public attention is beginning to be more and more directed to the importance of rescuing from destruction whatever may tend to illustrate the rise and progress of our institutions, and exhibit, in bolder relief, the character and labors of the pioneers of civilization upon the shores of the New World.

" It is the misfortune of this State that its early founders have been held up to the ridicule of the world by one of its most gifted sons, who has exhausted the resources of his wit and satire in exposing imaginary traits in their characters, while the most polished efforts of his graver style have been reserved to adorn the Corinthian columns of the more aristocratic institutions of foreign countries. A late excellent writer, the author of a valuable History of the United States, although a stranger to our country, has spoken in proper terms on this subject; he remarks as follows : ' Founders of ancient colonies have sometimes been deified by their successors. New-York is perhaps the only commonwealth whose founders 'have been covered with ridicule from the same quarter. It is impossible to read the ingenious and diverting romance entitled Knickerbocker's History of New-York, without wishing that the author had put a little more or a little less truth in it ; and that his talent for humor and sarcasm had found another subject than the dangers, hardships and virtues of the ancestors of his national family. It must be unfavorable to patriotism to connect historical recollections with ludicrious associations.'

" To remove the reproach thus thoughtlessly attached to the annals of our State, it is only necessary to bring to light the true character of its early colonists, whose father-land ranked at that period among the foremost nations of Europe in point of commercial wealth and enterprise, and before all others in the freedom of its government ; a freedom purchased by forty years' struggle against the bloodthirsty myrmidons of Spanish despotism. The traits ascribed by the mock historian to the first settlers of New -York can scarcely be supposed to have characterized such a people ; on the other hand, the manly virtues they displayed amidst the toils and hardships of colonial life, removed at so great a distance from the scenes of their early associations, deserve a very different commemoration at the hands of their descendants and successors.

" The New -York Historical Society — an institution that has done much to preserve the historical records of our State — first suggested to the Legislature the propriety of searching the archives of the Netherlands, and other European governments, for documents illustrative of the early history of the State. In compliance with a memorial from that institution, the Legislature passed the act of May 2d, 1839, authorizing the Governor and Senate ' to appoint an Agent to visit England, Holland and France, for the purpose of procuring copies of all such documents and papers, in the archives and offices of those governments, relating to or in any way affecting the Colonial or other history of this State.' The sum of four thousand dollars was at the same time appropriated to carry out the objects of the Agency, which, by two sub- sequent appropriations, was increased to twelve thousand dollars. On the 15th of January, 1841, nearly two years after the passage of the law, .John Romeyn Brodhead, of the county

xxxviii GENERAL INTRODUCTION.

of Ulster, was appointed to tliis Agency, and embarked for England on the first of May fol- lowing, for the purpose of entering upon the duties of his mission. A copy of his instructions, from the Executive of the State, is annexed to this report.

" In pursuance of these instructions, Mr. Brodhead, on his arrival in London, applied to the British government for permission to make transcripts of such documents in its archives as related to our Colonial history. The application appears to have been coldly received by Lord Palmerston, then Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Aflairs, notwithstanding the kind offices rendered to the Agent by Mr. Stevenson, Minister from the United States near that government ; and, without losing time, Mr. Brodhead proceeded at once to Holland, where a very different reception awaited him. Repairing to the Hague, he was presented to the King by the Hon. Harmanus Bleecker, the American Minister to the Netherlands ; and it was soon found that His Majesty took a lively interest in the objects of the mission, and was disposed to grant every possible facility to aid the researcht^s of the Agent. It seems to have been regarded in that country as a gratifying circumstance, that the descendants of Dutch ancestors, who had left the father-land two centuries ago, should so far cherish the remem- brance of their ancient lineage as to dispatch one of their number across the wide ocean to seek memorials of the olden time ; and a warm feeling of kindness was extended by all clasps towards the Agent, and liberal arrangements were made to lighten and facilitate his labors.

" The results of Mr. Brodhead's researches in Holland are sixteen volumes of transcripts in the Dutch language, an analysis of which is contained in his printed calendar. It will be observed that these documents comprise a great variety of details relative to the original discovery and settlement of our State ; commencing with notices of the first navigators who explored the North and East rivers, and embracing copies of the decrees of the States-Gene- ral, granting the privileges of trade and further discovery to companies of merchants, which led to the subsequent colonization by patroons or patentees of lands. One of these grants, bearing date October 11th, 1614, is accompanied by a descriptive map of the North river and the adjacent country, executed within five years after the discovery by Hudson. It only remains that the seal of a foreign language should be taken off from these valuable and curious records, to render them accessible to all ; and to this end the committee would recommend that a suitable person be employed to translate them at the public expense.

" Among these documents the committee would particularly notice one that possesses peculiar interest in its relation to the Dutch Colony on the Island of Manhattan. The precise year in which that Colony was planted is not known ; the oldest records in possession of the State, before the receipt of these documents, commence with the administration of Governor Kieft, in the year 1G38, with the single exception of some grants of land which go back to 1630. But there was found a few years ago among the papers of Governor Bradford, of the Plymouth Colony, a correspondence between that functionary and the Dutch authorities of New Netherland, on the Island of Manhattan, bearing date in the year 1627 ; and Bradford, in a letter written at that time, says of the Dutch, ' that for strength of men and fortifica- tions they far exceed them and all others in the country.' Until the reception of these fruits of the Agency, we were thus indebted to another Colony for the first notice of the coloniza- tion of our own State. It is true, a few trading houses had been established, and forts erected, both on Manhattan Island and at Albany, several years before ; but no accounts of a regular settlement of the country by families from Holland at that early date have reached us.

GENERAL INTRODUCTION. xxxix

" The document alluded to, although brief, enables us to show the existence of the Colony- still earlier than the correspondence with Governor Bradford. The attention of the Legislature has already been called to it, in a report made to this body during the last session, but for a very different purpose, and in an incomplete and inaccurate translation ; it is therefore reproduced here. It is a letter written from Amsterdam by Mr. Schagen, the Deputy of the States-General at the meeting of the West India Company, to the Dutch Government at the Hague, announcing the arrival at Amsterdam of a ship from New Netherland, with advices from the Dutch colonists on the Island of Manhattan ; bearing date November 5th, 1626. The followinc; is a translation of this document :

« ' TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTY LORDS OF THE STATES-GENERAL AT THE HAGUE :

" ' Mt Lords, — There arrived here yesterday the ship called the "Arms of Amsterdam," which sailed from the river Mauritius [the Hudson], in New-Netherland, on the 23d of September. Eeport is brought that our people there are diligent, and live peaceably ; their wives have also borne them children. They have purchased the Island of Manhattes from the Indians for the sum of sixty guilders ; it contains 11,000 morgens of land. They have sown all kinds of grain in the middle of May, and reaped in the middle of August. I send you small samples of the summer grains, as wheat, rye, barley, oats, buckwheat, canary seed, beans and flax.

" ' The cargo of the ship consists of 7,246 beaver skins, 178J otter 675 "

48 mink "

36 cat-lynx "

33 mink "

34 small rat " together with a considerable quantity of oak timber and nut-wood.

" ' Commending your High and Mighty Lordships to the favor of the Almighty, " ' I am your High Mightinesses' humble servant,

" ' P. SCHAGEN. " 'At Amsterdam, Nov. 5th, anno 1626.'

" The historical value and interesting character of this document cannot fail to strike any one who is capable of appreciating the first efforts to introduce the arts of civilized life into a new and widely extended domain, which has since grown from these small beginnings into a large and flourishing commonwealth, excelling in population and resources some of the monarchies of the Old World.

"Some doubt has hitherto existed in regard to the name of the Director-General or Governor of the Colony prior to the year 1633 ; and although it was generally supposed that the office was then held by Peter Minuit, yet no official act of that person as chief magistrate was among our records. The fact is now established by the discovery of an original grant of lands, signed by Peter Minuit and his Council, dated at Fort Amsterdam, July 15th, 1630. The original parchment containing this grant was procured by Mr. Brodhead, and is now deposited

xl GENERAL INTRODUCTION.

in the Secretary of State's office. It is the only official act now extant of the first Governor of the Colony.

" It is not, however, the intention of the committee in this report to pursue the analysis of the documents procured by Mr. Brodhead from the different archives to which he had access. The calendars printed with his report are sufficient for this purpose, and exhibit with great clearness the variety and richness of materiel comprised in the collection.

"The committee will only add, that Mr. Brodhead, having finished his labors in Holland, returned to London in December, 1841, where in the meantime a change of ministry had taken place — Lord Palmerston having been succeeded by Lord Aberdeen in the office of Foreign Secretary. A more friendly policy towards the objects of the Agency was now manifested, and, with the valuable aid of the new American Minister, Mr. Everett, the preliminary difficulties were removed, and Mr. Brodhead entered upon the labors of his mission ; not, however, without encountering many precautions of the government, that contributed to embarrass these labors and add to the trouble and expense attending them. It will be observed, in the report of Mr. Brodhead, that he did not confine his researches in England to the archives of state, but extended them to the magnificent collections of manuscripts contained in the British Museum, as well as other repositories in London and its vicinity.

"In the summer of 1842, Mr. Brodhead proceeded to Paris, where the active kindness of General Cass, the American Minister, procured him all desirable facilities. The seventeen volumes of transcripts obtained in the French capital commence with the year 1631 and extend to 1763. They are beautifully engrossed, and will be consulted with great interest by every student of American history, especially in relation to the border wars that led to the final reduction of Canada and the extinction of French power on this Continent.

"Having completed his researches in Paris, Mr. Brodhead returned to England, and on the 7th of July, 1844, embarked for New -York, where he arrived early in the following month. Immediately after his arrival, he reported himself to Governor Bouck, and made known to him the general results of his mission. From that time until the date of his final report, the 12th of February last, he was employed at the city of New -York in arranging the documents in chronological order, framing indexes, and preparing his report. The documents were at the same time bound up in eighty distinct volumes, viz : Sixteen volumes of Holland Documents, seventeen volumes of Paris Documents, and forty-seven volumes of London Documents, — the latter coming down to the year 1782.

" Should it be supposed that no practical utility will be derived to the State from the possession of these documents, it may be stated that important references have already been made to them, in the course of legislation, during the present session of the Legislature. The following extract from the report of a committee of the Assembly, in relation to lands granted by the State for military services, shows their value in this respect :

" 'The committee, also, in the spirit of the ruleof rendering justice to whom justice is due, feel constrained to acknowledge the important aid they have received, in this investigation and search for the musty records of olden time, from the report and documents of J. Romeyn Brodhead, Agent to procure and transcribe documents in Europe relative to the Colonial history of this State. Important papers and references, relating even to this claim, have been brought to light by his researches, and exhibit the importance of the objects and execution of his trust.' — Report of Mr. Boug/tton, ^c, Ainil 21, 1845.

GENERAL INTRODUCTION. xli

" The committee cannot better close this account of the fruits of this interesting mission than by quoting a few passages from a private letter addressed to the Agent by the Hon. George Bancroft, the American historian. After having consulted the collection, with reference to the period embraced in the forthcoming volumes of his History of the United States, Mr. Bancroft remarks as follows :

" ' Your papers I examined very carefully, from 1748 to the close of the series, and was deeply impressed with a sense of their importance. There is nothing in print like the minute and exact reports made by the French officers in Canada of their operations on our frontier during their long struggle for the preservation of Canada. Your papers surround Montcalm with all the interest of a hero of romance, and trace his overthrow, clearly, to distinct and inexorable causes.

" ' For the following period, your collections were also most interesting, and were absolutely necessary to the complete understanding of the politics of New-York during the years before the Revolution. The less numerous papers in the years of the Revolution contain some of the most curious and surprising character.'

" In regard to the expenses of the mission, it appears, from the account rendered by the Comptroller, that there has been paid to the Agent, from the State treasury, the sum of $12,000, being the amount appropriated by the Legislature to defray the expenses of the Agency, at three several periods ; to wit : On the 2d of May, 1839, $4000 ; on the 11th of April, 1842, $3000 ; and on the 13th of April, 1843, $5000. By the Comptroller's books, it appears that Mr. Brodhead has furnished accounts and vouchers for $12,014.23, including his compensation to July 7th, 1844, leaving a balance in his favor, to that date, of $14.23.

" It appears, from an abstract of the Agent's accounts, that the Holland documents, exclusive

of binding, cost $ 703 13

The Paris documents, 904 80

The London do., 4,078 01

$5,685 94 Salary of the Agent, two years eleven months and ten days, at $2000 per annum, $5,888 87 Traveling expenses, 439 42

$12,014 23

" It also appears, from the account, that there remains due to the Agent the sum of $1390.98, including salary, expenses of binding the documents, &c., from the 14th of August, 1844, to the 12th of February last. The committee have examined this account, with the vouchers, and recommend that it be paid ; and ask leave to introduce the accompanying bill."

The bill reported by the select committee having been passed into a law on the 13th of May, 1845, the Agent's accounts were duly settled, and his duty was completed.

The documents thus collected by Mr. Brodhead remained for several years in the condition in which they had been deposited in the Secretary's office, aflfording light and aid to historical inquirers, not only of this but of other States. The " Paris Documents"

xlii GENERAL INTRODUCTION.

"were found to be of special interest to the literary investigators of Canada and the northwestern States, while many of the papers procured in England contained new and important facts illustrating the general history of the Union. The " Holland Documents" related more particularly to the local annals of New -York, while it was the Dutch Pro^-ince of New Netherland. Nevertheless, there were many pajjers found in that series which had an important bearing upon points of great interest to the neighboring Colonies, and which explained some uncertain passages, especially in the history of New England, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland. The documents procured in Holland and France, however, were in the Dutch and French languages — the law of 1839 having required the Agent to obtain "if possible the originals, and if not copies," of papers — and proper translations were necessary in order to render them generally useful.

In the meantime the new State Hall at Albany had been completed, and the records of the Secretary of State, together with those of the other State officers, had been removed thither. A better opportunity was thus affi)rded to ascertain the character and extent of the historical archives which had remained so long in great disorder, and almost inaccessible. Measures were afterwards taken by Mr. Secretary Morgan to have these old papers properly arranged and bound ; and more than two hundred large folio volumes of original documents were accordingly prepared and placed in a condition for easy reference. For the first time, the State archives were thus reduced to comparative order, and a necessary work was accomplished, the want of which had caused many of the embarrassments already referred to. A general catalogue or calendar of all the records in the Secretary's office, which shall indicate the date, character and contents of each document, is still greatly needed ; and it is hoped that it will soon be prepared and printed.

The attention of the Legislature having been again directed to the subject, an ap- propriation was made, in the session of 1848, for collecting and translating some of the documents belonging to the State, connected with its history. In pursuance of this action, certain papers were compiled, under the direction of Mr. Secretary Morgan, by Dr. E. B. O'Callaqhan, which, on the 5th of January, 1849, the Legislature ordered to be printed. In the following April, the Legislature directed the Secretary of State to cause to be printed a second volume of what was styled the " Documentary History" of New -York. Of this work, four volumes, in all, have been published. They contain a miscellaneous compilation, among which are some of the manuscripts procured by the Historical Agent in Europe.

GENERAL INTRODUCTION. xliii

It was thought by many, however, that such of the documents of the Agency as were in foreign languages should be translated, and that either the whole collection, or a selection of the naost important papers in it, should be published, as a distinct work, by the authority of the State. This proposition was favorably received, and a bill was introduced into the Legislature, which was passed into a law on the 30th of March, 1849, as follows :

"AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE PUBLICATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF THIS STATE.

" Passed March 30, 1849, ' three-fifths beino present.'

*' The People of the State of New -York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:

" Section 1. The manuscript documents relating to the Colonial history of this State, now in the office of the Secretary of State, which were procured under and by virtue of an act of the Legislature, passed May 2, 1839, entitled ' An act to appoint an Agent to procure and transcribe documents in Europe relative to the Colonial history of this State,' or such portions thereof as the State officers hereinafter named shall deem advisable, shall be translated and printed for the use of the State.

" <^ 2. The Governor, Secretary of State and Comptroller shall cause said documents to be prepared, printed, and bound in volumes of such size as they may determine upon, and for such purpose are hereby authorized to employ some suitable person to translate such parts thereof as are necessary, at a reasonable compensation to be fixed and certified by them.

" § 3. The said State officers shall issue proposals for the printing and binding of such number of copies of said documents as they shall deem advisable to cause to be printed, not exceeding five thousand, in the same manner as proposals are required to be issued for the printing and binding of legislative documents, and shall make a contract for such printing and binding with such person or persons as shall have submitted proposals therefor, which, all things considered, they may deem most advantageous to the interests of the State, provided any of said proposals shall be by them considered reasonable.

" % 4. The said State officers are hereby authorized to cause such portions of said documents to be stereotyped as they may deem the interests of the State to demand, and to secure or sell the copyright thereof, as in their judgment shall be for the interest of the State.

" § 5. One thousand copies of said documents, when printed and bound, shall be deposited with the Secretary of State, and one copy thereof delivered by him to each member of the present Legislature, the President of the Senate, clerks and elective officers of the present Senate and Assembly, and twenty-three copies thereof (being one to each) to the several State officers who are entitled to bound copies of legislative documents; and the residue of said one thousand copies shall be by said Secretary of State retained, until disposed of as the Governor, Secretary of State and Comptroller may direct for the purpose and in the way of literary exchanges; and the remaining copies which shall be printed under the provisions of this act shall be sold under the directions of said State officers for such price as shall be determined by them, not less than twenty-five per cent over the actual cost of preparing, printing and binding the same, and the proceeds thereof paid into the State treasury.

" ■§ 6. This act shall take effect immediately."

xllv GENERAL INTRODUCTION.

It became a question whether, under the discretion vested by this law in the State officers therein named, the whole of the documents or a selection of them only should be published. Mr. Brodhead, who was then Secretary of the American Legation at London, and about to return home, offered to superintend the publication of such a selection, if it should be determined upon, without any charge to the State for his services. It was, however, on full consideration of the subject, deemed best to print the whole of the documents, and, under the authority vested in the State officers by the second section of the law, they employed E. B. O'Callaghan, M. D., to make the necessary translations and to superintend the publication generally. In a communication to the Assembly, dated the 29th January, 1851 (Assembly Documents, No. 66), also in a report from the Comptroller to the Senate, made on 1st February, 1853 (Senate Documents, No. 24), and in the annual reports of the Comptroller to the Legislature, will be found detailed statements of the progress of the work. The arrangement adopted was, that the publication should consist of ten quarto volumes. Of these, the first and second were to contain translations of the " Holland Documents ;" the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth, the " London Documents ;" and the ninth and tenth, translations of the " Paris Documents." The publication of the work was commenced in 1853 by the issue of the third volume, or the first of the English series — the translation of the papers to form the first and second volumes not having been then completed. The fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and ninth volumes were afterwards successively issued, all of them accompanied by foot notes by the translator.

It will be observed that no editor's name is attached to the third volume of the work — the first which appeared as above stated — the note on the back of the title page having been thought to afford sufficient information as to the manner of its publication ; but in the subsequent volumes the name of the translator was, by the permission of the State officers, affixed as editor.

At its session of 1856, the Legislature passed the following act :

"AN ACT IN RELATION TO THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF THE STATE AND THE PUBLICATION AND DISTRIBUTION THEREOF.

"Passed April 12, 1856, 'three-fifths being present.'

" The People of the State of New -York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows :

"Section 1. The publication of the documents relating to the Colonial history of the State, pursuant to chapter one hundred and seventy-five of the Laws of eighteen hundred and forty- nine, shall be completed under the direction of the Regents of the University, who shall hereafter have the charge of the same, and of all things relating thereto, in place of and with the same powers as the officers named in said act.

GENERAL INTRODUCTION. xlv

" § 2. If the said Regents shall ascertain that, by the contracts already made in regard to the said work, the State has agreed to print the whole of said documents, and they shall be of opinion that portions only of those not yet printed should be published, they, the said Regents, may, in that event, arrange with the contractors for the publication, in the place of the documents thus withdrawn, of others in relation to the early history of the State, to an equivalent extent, so as not to increase the amount of the contract. The Secretary of State is hereby authorized to permit all proper investigations in his office, and the use of any documents or books therein, for this purpose.

" '^ 3. Five copies of the said published documents shall be delivered to each member of the present Legislature, and five copies thereof shall be given to each of the clerks, officers and reporters of the present Senate and Assembly, and to the several public officers who are entitled to bound copies of legislative documents. Three hundred copies thereof shall be placed with the Regents of the University, and two hundred and fifty copies thereof with the Secretary of State for literary exchanges and distribution, as they may deem proper. The remaining copies shall be ofl^ered for sale, under the direction of the Regents, on such public notice, and on such terms and price, not less than two dollars and fifty cents per volume, as they may deem proper; and such copies as remain unsold, at the end of six months, shall be placed in the custody of the Regents of the University, subject to future distribution by the Legislature; the proceeds of any such sales made by the said Regents, after deducting their necessary expenses under this act, shall be paid into the State treasury. Persons who may have already subscribed for or purchased said documents, or such of them as may have been published, shall be credited with the amount they may have paid, and be allowed to complete their sets at the price fixed by the Regents as aforesaid.

'"§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately."

On inquiry into the progress made in the translations and the condition of the work generally, it was found to be so nearly completed that it was deemed inexpedient by the Regents to attempt any exercise of the discretion vested in them under the second section of the act of the Legislature. All that remained for them to do was to superintend the residue of the publication, according to the arrangement determined upon and the contracts made by their predecessors.

TRANSCRIPTS OF DOCUMENTS

EOTAL ARCHIVES AT THE HAGUE AND IN THE STAD-HTTYS OF THE CITY OF AMSTERDAM.

HOLLAND DOCUMENTS: I-YIIL

1603-1656.

HOLLAND DOCUMENTS.

The documents contained in the first and second volumes of this work are translations of accurate transcripts of originals found in the Royal Archives at the Hague, and in the Archives of the city of Amsterdam, during the year 1841.

It will be observed that there are several different references at the head of the papers. These relate to the particular divisions or repositories in the Archives, in which the originals were found ; and it has been thought advisable to retain them in every case, not so much on account of any particular use they can now be to the investigator, but rather because they afford a curious and valuable proof of the authenticity of each document.

ROYAL ARCHIVES AT THE HAGUE.

In arranging the papers — which it will be noticed were separately transcribed — a strictly chronological order was observed, being the one that seemed to be most judicious.

Each paper has, generally, two memoranda upon it — the day of its actual date, and the day when it was presented to the States-General.

The Resolutions have, of course, only one date ; but most of the papers and memorials presented to the States being the subjects of Resolutions of that body, there is a memorandum of the day of reception marked on each, which corresponds with the date of the Resolution ; and in this manner each paper has been arranged — not according to the actual date — but according to the order of time in which it was acted on by the States, and being always found near the Resolution to which it gave rise.

As there are various references in these papers, it is thought that the subjoined statement of the different repositories from which they were taken may not be altogether useless.

1. Registers or Notulen of the States-General. These books may be considered the most important in the Archives. They contain the official records of the proceedings of the States-General respecting every matter that came before them. They were kept by the greffiers or clerks of the States, and commence with the year 1576.

2. West India Registers. By a resolution of the States-General of 16 April, 1638, all their proceedings in respect to the affairs of the West India Company are to be kept in separate Registers. These commence with 1688, and extend to 1670, when they were discontinued.

3. Secrete Resolutien. These Registers contain the proceedings of the States General in regard to subjects which it was deemed proper to record in separate volumes, such as treaties, declarations of war, &c., &c. The volume 1609-1615 is missing.

4. Imtructie Boeken. These contain the Instructions issued from time to time to officers and agents of Government.

5. Commissie Boeken. These contain the Commissions issued to officers.

6. Acte Boeken. • Containing the originals of all Laws, Placaats, &c., of the States-General.

G

1 HOLLAND DOCUMENTS.

7. Registers of Uytgaande Brieven. These contain copies of letters from the States to their oflBcers and diplomatic agents, as well as to Foreign powers. They commence with the year 1646, previous to which the drafts of letters were preserved on the Liasses — of which presently.

8. Registers of Ingekomen Brieven General. These contain copies of General letters received, commencing with 1650. The originals are preserved on the Liasses ; and it often happens that the Bylagen or appendi- ces to the letters are not copied in these Registers.

9. Registers of Ingekomen Brieven uyt Engeland. These hooks contain copies of letters from the Legation in England, the originals of which are on the Liasses.

10. Registers of Ligekomen Brieven uyt Spanje, containing copies of letters from the Ambassadors in Spain, the originals of which are on the Liasses.

11. Liasses. Loopende. These are files, on which the originals of all general letters and memorials received by the States-General are preserved. Each paper is marked with the day of its date, and of its reception by the States. They are arranged and referred to, according to the latter date. These Liasses also contain drafts of general letters sent by the States.

12. Liasses Admiraletiet, containing papers relating to maritime affairs, and communications from the Board of Admiralty.

13. Liasses West Indien. These contain papers relating to the concerns of the West India Company. They commence with the year 1623 and are arranged in a manner similar to the foregoing.

14. Loket Kas. A large case with pigeon holes and drawers properly labeled, containing bundles of papers relating to various subjects, which were probably deposited here, on account of their being too bulky to be conveniently placed on the Liasses.

15. Secrete Kas. A case similar to the foregoing, containing papers relating to matters recorded in the Registers of Secrete Resolutien.

16. Notulen van de Raad van Staat. These books contain the proceedings of the Council of State.

17. Notulen van Holland ends West Friesland. This is a large series of printed volumes of Proceedings of these two Provinces. It was usual for the States-General to ask the opinion of the Provincial States on all questions of great public moment.

ARCHIVES OF THE CITY OF AMSTERDAM.

1. Resolutien van de Vroedschappen. These books contain the minutes of the Acts, Proceedings and Resolutions of the City Council of Amsterdam.

2. Muniment Register van den Raad. In this series of books are registered, at length, Reports of Commit- tees, and important papers relating to the affairs of the city. One of the volumes — " Muniment Register B " — is not now in the Archives, and is supposed to have been lost about thirty years ago.

3. Oroot Memorial. These volumes contain records of Public acts of the City Council, Instructions to Officers, Contracts, &o.

4. Gemien Missiven. Containing Records of letters sent under the direction of the Council.

5. A bundle of papers, entitled Rekeningen rakende Nieuw Nederland, containing accounts, &c., relating to the Colony of the City on the South river.

6. A large bundle of papers, entitled, Verscheide stukken rakende de Colonie van Nieuw JVederland. These papers, relating to the general concerns of the City Colony, including letters and reports received from thence, &c., ifcc, have all been arranged in chronological order, as nearly as their dates could be ascertained.

CONTENTS.

1603. Faoh.

August 1. Resolution of the States-General appointing Captain Dale to a company of foot 1

December 8. Resolution of the States-General that Captain Thomas Dale's commissiou be expedited 1

December 24. Resolution of the States-General on the subject of Captain Thomas Dale's pay, <tc 2

1606.

Kovember 15. Memorandum that Thomas Dale and Sir Thomas Gates were in garrison service at Oudewater, 2

1608.

April 24. Resolution of the States-General to allow Captain Sir Thomas Gates to be absent from his company, &a.,

in order to go to Virginia 2

1611.

January 20. Resolution of the States-General upon the recommendation of the Prince of Wales, to allow Captain Thomas Dale to absent himself from his company for three years in order to go to "Virginia in the English service, 2

January 25. Further resolution of the States-General on the subject of Captain Dale's going to Virginia 3

February 9. Further resolution of the States-General on the same subject 3

February 21. Resolution of the States-General on the subject of furnishing passports, &c., to certain ships about to

set out on voyage of discovery of a passage to China, ifec, &c 3

September 7. Resolution of the States of Holland, &e., upon the memorial of certain merchants about a newly dis- covered navigation, 4

1614.

March 20. Resolution of the States of Holland, upon the memorial of certain merchants, that the States-Genera!

be recommended to pass a general ordinance in favor of all those who discover new lands, &c.,. . . 4

March 27. Resolution of the States-General, upon the memorial of certain merchants, Ac, to grant the act or

concession derived in favor of all those who discover any new lands, passages, &c., Ac, 5

March 27. General Octroy, or Charter, for all those who may discover any new passages, havens, lands or places,

(fee, i&c. 6

July 18. Resolution of the States of Holland,.upon the memorial presented on behalf of certain merchants, con- cerning the erection of a general trading company for Africa and America, 6

June 21. Resolution of the States-General upon the same subject, 7

August 25. Resolution of the States-General on the subject of the erection of a West India Company 7

September 2. Further resolution of the States-General upon the same subject, 7

September 27. Resolution of the States of Holland on the subject of a general West India Company, with a draft of

an act proposed to be passed by the States-General 8

August 19. Letter of King James I. to the States-General about Sir Thomas Dale, "Marechal de Virginie," *e.,

dated Newmarket, 9

September 30. Resolution of the States-General upon the foregoing letter, to allow Sir Thomas Dale to continue his

residence in Virginia until their High Mightinesses shall otherwise direct 9

October 11. Resolution of the States-General (upon the report by the Deputies of the United Company of Mer- chants who have discovered New Netherhind, of the particulars of their discovery), to allow the said Company the exclusive right to make four voyages to New Netherland, <fec., within the time of three years from 1st January, 1615 10,

October 11. Original draft of tlie special grant to Gerritt Jacobsen Witssen and others, united in one company, of an exclusive right of trading, ifec, to New Netherland, for four voyages, within the period of three years, commencing 1st January, 1615, or sooner (with map), 11

CONTENTS.

leu.

October

1616. August

August

August 19.

August 19. September 12. November 3.

1617. January 18.

July

January 26.

1617.

December 2.

January 26.

January 26.

January 29.

February 3.

February 6.

February 9.

August 10.

October 4.

1620. February 12.

Official copy of the above special grant to Gerrit Jacobsen Witssen and others, of an exclusive right to trade, &c., to New Netherland, from the "Acte Boek " of the States-General -

Minute of the appearance, before the States-General, of Captain Cornelia Hendricksen, <tc., in behalf of Gerrit Jacobsen Witssen and others, Directors of New Netherland, and of his submitting his second report of certain discoveries he had made in New Netherland, in a small yacht of eight lasts burthen, called the Onrust, which the Directors had caused to be built there, &c., &c. ; upon which the States- General resolve that, before coming to any decision on the special grant asked for, the report be committed to writing, (fee

Memorial of Gerrit Jacobsen Witssen and others. Directors of New Netherland, to the States-General, in relation to the discovery, under their direction, by Captain Cornells Hendricksen, of Munnichen- dam, of certain lands, bay, and three rivers, in the latitude of from 38^ to 40'; with an explana- tory map, and also a copy of the general charter or ordinance of 27th March, 1614, annexed,

Report of Captain Cornells Hendricksen, of Munnichendam, of his discoveries in New Netherland, presented to the States-General

Resolution of the States-General thereupon,

Resolution of the States-General upon the foregoing memorial, ifec, postponing a decision,

Resolution of the States-General upon the same, again postponing a decision

Minute of the presentation to the States-General of a memorial of Lambrecht van Tweenhuysen and others, praying the government for a ship of war, to encourage the fishery, &c., at Terra Nova, etc., a decision upon which is postponed,

Resolution of the States of Holland upon the petition of the Directors of the Australian Company, pro- hibiting William .Tanssen from printing or publishing the journals or maps of voyages made in behalf of the said Company, Ac, ,

Resolution of the States of Holland forbidding William Janssen to make any corrections upon the globe, or to publish any map containing the newly discovered passage from the North to the South Sea, <fcc.,

Address of Sir Dudley Carleton, English Ambassador to the States-General, on the subject of Sir Thomas Dale's petition to their High Mightinesses

Letter of Noel de Caron, the Dutch Ambassador at London, to the States-General on the same subject,

Petition of Sir Thomas Dale to the States-General, setting forth his services in Holland, Virginia, etc., with two endorsements of the action of the States-General thereupon

Resolution of the States-General, referring Captain Dale's petition to the Council of State, <fcc

Report and advice of the Council of State to the States-General, upon the foregoing reference

Minute of the States-General, postponing a final resolution upon the report of the Council of State upon Captain Dale's petition

Resolution of the States-General upon Captain Dale's petition,

Resolution of the States-General, that their determination upon Captain Dale's petition be put into the hands of the Council of State, in order to be carried into effect

Resolution of the States of Holland, upon the complaint of William Janssen of the interdict against his publishing maps, <fcc,, allowing him permission to publish

Resolution of the States-General, upon the petition of the Company trading to the Island of New Netherland, praying for a continuation of their special grant, to examine the same before coming to a decision,

Resolution of the States-General, upon the petition of Henrick Eelkens, and others, participants in the New Netherland Company, <i;c., that the petitioners be allowed to send their ship to New Netherland,

Resolution of the States-General, upon the petition of the Directors of the Company trading to New Netherland, praying for two shif s of war, in order to colonize that country under the protection and authority of their High Mightinesses, that before coming to any conclusion thereupon, the opinion of the Admiralty be taken

Memorial of the Directors of the New Netherland Company to the Prince of Orange,

CONTENTS.

liii

1620. Page.

February 26. Resolution of the States-General, upon the report of the Acimiralty, that before coming to any decision

upon the subject of the foregoing petition, the opinion of the Prince of Orange, be taken 23

March 10. Resolution of the States-General, upon the same subject 24

April 10. Further resolution of the States-General, theieupon 24

April 11. Resolution of the States-General upon the foregoing petition, absolutely refusing its prayer 24

August 29. Minute of the States-General, stating the presentation of the petition of the joint owners of the ship Blyde Bootsckap, Capt. Cornells Jacobsen May, who had discovered certain new populous and fruitful lands, and asking for a special grant, &c. ; also, of another petition of Henrick Eelkens, and others, praying their High Mightinesses to refuse a grant to any persons but the petitioners — and that thereupon both parties being called in, tlie States resolve that both the parties shall meet together,

and try to arrange matters amicably, . 24

November 6. Resolution of the States-General to reluse the new grant petitioned for, as above 25

1621.

September 13. Resolution of the States of Holland, respecting certain traders to Guinea and Virginia, 25

September 14. Resolution of the States-General, referring to the Admiralty of Zealand the petition of Henrick Allarts,

and others, for permission to send a ship to New Virginia, 26

September 15. Resolution of the States-General, allowing Henrick Eelkens, and others, to send their ship, the Wilte

Duive, to Virginia, Ac, 26

September 24 Resolution of tlie States-General allowing Dierck Volkertse, and others, to send a ship to Virginia,. . . 26 September 28. Resolution of the States-General, allowing Claes Jacobsen Haringcarspel, and others, to send two ships

to New Netherland and the adjoining lands, <fec. 2T

1G22. March ' 16. Resolution of the States-General, upon the request of Sir Dudley Carleton, the English Ambassador, that some order be taken upon the memorial he had presented to the States-General about Virginia, that Burgomaster Pauw be requested to write to the participants in the trade to New Netherland, that they inform the States-General of the situation of the matter referred to by the Ambassador,. . 27

April 21. Resolution of the States of Holland about the transportation of families, Ac, to the West Indies 28

April 27. Resolution of the States-General, upon the further request of Sir Dudley Carleton, to come to some de-

cision upon his Proposition about Virginia — to look for the same, and also for what has been

printed in Amsterdam on this subject 28

June 18 Resolution of the States-General upon the petition of Claes Jacobsen Haringcarspel, and others, for an

extension of time, etc, to postpone a decision 28

November 29. Resolution of the States-General, that the documents in their office relating to the West India Com- pany, be delivered to the Directors thereof, upon their receipt, ic, 29

1624. March 22. Secret resolution of the States-General concerning a proposed union of the West India Companies, ... 29 March 30. Letter of the Committee of the XIX. of the West India Company at Amsterdam, to the States-General,

about the arrest, at Hoorn, of a French ship for Virginia 30

March 29. Letter of the Committee of the West India Company at Hoorn, concerning the ship for Virginia arrested

there , 31

April 6. Letter of the States-General to the Chamber of XIX. of the West India Company, about the above

matter, 32

April 9. Secret resolution of the States-General upon the proposed union of the West India Companies, &c., Ac, 32 May 17. Secret resolution of the States-General upon the same matter, with a draft of a letter to the Ambassa- dors in France, &c., 33

June 4. Extract of the journal of Messrs. Van Aerssen and Joachimi, the Ambassadors to England, <fec., 33

October 14. Minute of the report made to the States-General by the Directors of the West India Company, 34

1625.

May 6. Resolution of the States-General admitting Mr. Sch.agen to a seat as a Deputy from Holland, etc. 36

1626.

September 4. A statement of the property and effects of the West India Company, in the year 1626 35

October 10. Resolution of the States-General, appointing Messrs. Van Eck and Schagen their Deputies to the meet- ing of the West India Company, 37

November 5. Letter of Mr. P. Schagen to the States-Gener.T,l, stating the purchase of Manhattan Island from the

Indians, for 60 guilders, &c., &c 37

November 7. Minute of the receipt of the above letter, 38

Ibr

CONTENTS.

1627. NoTember

1629. October November

1030. July

16. Extr.ict of a letter from the XIX. of the West India Company to the States-General, with news from New Netherland

23. Letter of the West India Comjiany to the States-General, remonstrating against a peace with Spain,. . .

16. Reasons and considerations offered by the West India Company to the States-General, concerning the

proposed peace with Spain, <fec.,

15. Patent to Samuel Godyn and Samuel Blomraaert, for lands at South Hoeck on the South river, signed

by Peter Minuit and his Council,

13. Patent to Kiliaen van Rensselaer for cert.iin lands, Ac, signed by Peter Minuit and his Council

April

April April	1. 7.
April	10.
May	5.
May	6.
May May March	5. 23. 27.
April	8.

May. May

1633. March

June

June

1634. March May

May

May	13.
May	22.
June	10.
June	10.
June	10.
May	27.

19. E.\tract from the Pointen van Beschryving ( or points upon which the Deputies of .the States-General to the XIX. are to obtain information ), for the meeting of the West India Company on 20th March, 5. Letter of G. van Ariihem (one of the Deputies of the States-General to the XIX.), to the States- General, upon the information of the West India Company, that one of their ships, the EendragI, coming from New Netherland, had been arrested by the English Government at Plymouth, ic, <tc..

Resolution of the States-General to write to their Ambassador at London, thereupon

Letter of the States-General to Messrs. Joachimi and Brasser, their Ambassador and Deputy at London, about the arrest of the Eendragt,

Letter of Messrs. Joachimi and Brasser, to the States General, with an account of their interview with the King, about the Eendragt, <Sre.,

Letter of the West India Company, to the States-General, about the affair of the Eendragt, with a deduction of their title to New Netherland, &a., &c.,

Resolution of the States-General to write to their Ambassador, itc, at London, and to send a copy of the above letter, etc., to them

Letter of the States-General to their Ambassador, Ac, at London, thereupon

Letter of Messrs. Joachimi and Brasser, Ambassador, (fee., at London, to the States- General

Memorial of the Ambassadors of the States-General to King Charles I., among other matters, respecting the arrest of the Eendragt, and stating the purchase of the Island of Manhattan from the Indians, by the Dutch, <fec.,

Answer of the English Government to the remonstrances presented to the King by the Ambassador and Deputy of the States-General, in April, 1632 (in which, among other things, the Dutch claim to New

Netherland is denied, Ac ),

27. Letter of Messrs. Joachimi and Brasser, to the States-General, communicating, among other things, that the Lord High Treasurer had agreed to release the Eendragt, with a proviso, saving any prejudice to His Majesty's rights, Ac,

23. Extract from the Pointen van Beschryving, for the meeting of the West India Company on the first of April, 1G33

10. Resolution of the States of Holland, upon the subject of the trade of the East and West India Compa- nies, Ac, Ac, '.

10. Remonstrance of the West India Company to the States of Holland, against a peace with Spain, con- taining a general account of the commercial concerns of the Company

18. Extract from the Pointen van Beschryving, for the meeting of the West India Company this day,

13. Resolution of the States-General, appointing a committee to hear and examine the matters in difference

between the West India Company and the Patroons, Ac, of the colonies in New Netherl.ind,

13. Letter of the States-General to the Amsterdam Chamber of the West India Company on the foregoing

subject

Letter of the States-General to the Patroons of New Netherland, on the foregoing matter.

Resolution of the States-General, referring a letter from the West India Company, asking for a delay,

Ac, to the committee appointed on the subject of the differences, Ac ,

Further resolution of the States-General upon the foregoing matter

Letter of the States-General to the P.itroons of New Netherland thereupon,

Letter of the States-General to the Amsterdam Chamber of the West India Company thereupon,

Letter of Mr. Joachimi, the Dutch Ambassador at London, to the States-General, respecting a complaint of some English merchants .ngainst the officers of the Dutch West India Company, in New Nether- land, for interrupting their trade there, and causing them damage, Ac,

CONTENTS.

Iv

1633. Page.

Nov. l-Y. Various depositions of the sailors, <fec., belonging to the English ship sent to the Hudson river, giving

details of the conduct of the officers of the West India Company in New Netherland 72

1634. June 13. Resolution of the States-General, referring the letter of the An-bassador Joachimi, with the preceding

depositions to a committee, 82

June 16. Resolution of the States-General, substituting other persons on the committee on the differences between

the West India Company and the Patroons, &e., 82

June 20. Kesolution of the States-General, upon the report of the committee on the subject of the letter of the

Ambassador at London, that extracts of the papers be furnished to the West India Company,

to inform their High Mightinesses of the right of the matter, &a 82

June 21. Resolutions of the States-General, making a further change in the committee on the differences between

the West India Company and the Patroons, <S;o., 83

June Letter of Messrs. Pauw, S. Blommaert, Kiliaen van Rensselaer and Henrick Hamel, Patroons of New

Netherland, to the States-General, setting forth their causes of complaint against the West India

Company, together with their pretension and claim against the Company 83

June 22. Answer of the West India Company to the pretension and claim of the Patroons of New Netherland,. 89

June 22. Replication of Messrs. Pauw, <tc., Patroons of New Netherland, to the answer of the West India

Company, 89

June 24. Resolution of the States-General, postponing a decision on the differences between the West India

Company and the Patroons, <fcc., for twelve days, in order to enable the parties to come to an

amicable settlement, ifec 91

July 18. Extracts from the Pointen van Beschryving, for the meeting of the West India Company on 3l8t July, . . 91

October 24. Memorial of the XIX. of the West India Company to the States-General, in relation to a subsidy, and

to the question of the dilBcultiea with the English in New Netherland, 91

October 24. Resolution of the States-General thereupon, referring the same for consideration, 93

October 26. Memorial of the XIX. of the West India Company to the States-General, upon the subject of the diffi- culties with the English in New Netherland, and containing a deduction of their rights and title

thereto, from first discovery, purchase, &a., 93

October 25. Resolution of the States-General upon the report of the committee appointed to consider the difficulties

that have arisen between the English and the West India Company in New Netherland 95

Draft of a new project of Freedoms, Privileges and Exemptions, to be granted by the States-General to

all such Dutch subjects as may be thought qualified to become Patrooas, Ac, in New Netherland,

under the West India Company, ifec. 96

1636. May 24. Extract from the Pointen van Beschryving, for the meeting of the West India Company on June 1,

1636 100

August 30. Resolution of the States-General, referring the memorial of Lubbertus van Dinolagen, Fiscael and Schout

in New Netherland, to the Amsterdam Chamber of the West India Company, Ac 100

August 30. Letter of the States-General to the Directors of the Amsterdam Chamber thereupon, , 101

October 6. Resolution of the States-General, referring the further memorial of Lubbertus van Dioelagen to the

Amsterdam Chamber of the West India Company, and that they make answer in fourteen days, 101

October 6. Letter of the States-General to the Directors of the Amsterdam Chamber thereupon, 101

October 20. Resolution of the States-General to place the answer received from the West India Company in the

hands of Mr. van Dinclagen 102

November 26. Extract from the Pointen van Beschryving, for the meeting of the West India Company on 8th

December, 102

lesY.

April 3. Letter of Mr. van Beveren, Ambassador at London, to the States-General concerning the French fisheries

at Terra Nova, Ac 103

April 30. Resolution of the States-General upon the further memorial of Lubbert van Dinclagen to write seriously

to the XIX. of the West India Company, Ac, Ac 103

April 30. Letter of the States-General to the XIX. of the West India Company about Dinclagen's affairs, Ac.,. . . 103

September 2. Resolution of the States-General approving of the appointment of William Kieft as Director in New

Netherland, in place of Wouter van Twyler, 104

1638. January 19. Extract from the Pointen van Beschryving, for the meeting of the West India Company on 25th

January, 1638, 105

M

CONTENTS.

1638. April

April

April	30.
June	14.
June	21.
August	30.
August	30.
September 2.
September 9.

January 17.

16iO. March

July July

1641. February

March May

July

July August August August

August 23. September 17. October 17. October 25,

Paoe.

Resolution of the States-General, that from this day forward all the resolutions, letters. &c., concerning

the East and West India Companies, shall be kept and registered in separate books, <tc 105

Kesolution of the States-General, referring the memorial of certain participants in the West India Com- pany, respecting the planting of colonies in New Netherland, to their Deputies to the meeting of the XIX., &c., 105

Resolution of the States General, instructing their Deputies to the meeting of the XIX to endeavor to have proper church discipline introduced into Brazil, and also to induce colonization to New Netherland ; the States undertaking that they shall not be dispossessed by any foreign power, &o., Ac, 106

Report to the States-General in answer to questions proposed by their High Mightinesses concerning the

state of the Colony of New Netherland in the year 1638 106

Letter of Mr. Joachimi, the Ambassador at London, to the States-General about the English complaints

concerning New Netherland, ifec, dated 24th May, 108

Extract from the Poinien van Beschryving, for the meeting of the West India Company on 5th July,

1638, 110

Articles and conditions for the trade to New Netherland, <te., proposed by Mr. de Laet, 110

Resolution of the States-General, referring to a committee certain Articles and conditions, under which trade to New Netherland may be carried on, proposed by Mr. John de Laet, for the approba- tion of their High Mightinesses 114

Resolution of the States-General upon the report of the committee charged to examine the foregoing

conditions, Ac 115

Extract from the Pointen van Beschryving, for the meeting of the West India Company on the 27th

September 115

Resolution of the States-General to pay to Kiliaen van Rensselaer his expenses of coming to the Hague, 116 Letter of the Enckhuysen Chamber of the West India Company to the States-General, in answer to the

complaints of the Swedish Minister about the arrest of a ship coming from the West Indies, 116

Resolutioii of the States- General, referring the further memorial of Lubbert van Dinelagen to their

Deputies to the meeting of the XIX, 117

Resolution of the States-General, instructing their Deputies to the XIX. to exert themselves, in order

that the inhabitants of New Netherland may be put in the best condition, <fec., 117

Resolution of the States-General, instructing their Deputies to the XIX. to press for free access to New Netherland, in behalf of the Count of Solms and others who are prepared to plant colonies there, ifee., 118

Resolution of the States-General, on a draft of Freedoms and Exemptions for Patroons, &a., in New

Netherland, &c 118

Draft of Freedoms and Exemptions for all Patroons, masters or private persons, who may plant any

colonies, Ac, in New Netherland, itc, - 119

Resolution of the States-General, giving to Kiliaen van Rensselaer venimi lestandi, for his property in

New Netherland 124

Grant of the Stales-General to Kiliaen van Rensselaer of a right to dispose of his property in New

Netherland by last will and testament 124

Extract of a report made to the States-General, of the proceedings of the XIX. for the year 1642, 125

Resolution of the States-General, referring the further memorial of Lubbert van Dinelagen to the

Deputies to the XIX., in order that the arrearages due to him may be settled, Ac 126

Letter of Mr. Joachimi, the Dutch Ambossador at London, to the States-General, about the complaints

of the New England people against the Dutch of New Netherland, &c., 127

Letter of Lord Say and Scale, concerning the intrusion of the Dutch into New England, &o , 128

Resolution of the States-General to send a copy of the foregoing letter to the West India Company, ... 129

Letter of the States-General to the Directors of the Amsterdam Chamber of the West India Company, . 129 Letter of Mr. Joachimi, Ambassador at London, to the States-General, about the New England

complaints, <tc 129

Extract from the Pointen, <fee., for the meeting of the West India Company, September 15, 1642, 132

Letter of Mr. Joachimi, Ambassador, <feo., to the States-General, about New England, <fec 138

Letter of same to the States-General, about New England, Ac , 1S4

Resolution of the States-General, upon the receipt of the foregoing letter, to look into the Retroacta, . . 135

CONTENTS. Ivii

1643. Page.

February 2. Extract from the Pointen, <te., for the meeting of the West India Company, on February 21, 135

June 19. Extract from the /"oin^en, &c., for the meeting of the West India Company, July II, 136

July 28. Resolution of the States-General upon the further memorial of Lubbert van Dinolagen, formerly Fiscael

in New Netherland, 186

August 20. Letter of the States-General to the meeting of the XIX. of the West India Company, about the com- plaints of the English concerning New England, &c., 137

November Y. Resolution of the States General, upon the report of the Deputies of their High Mightinesses to the

meeting of the XIX. of the West India Company, in September 137

November 24. Resolution of the States-General, making a change in the committee upon Dinclagen's affairs, 138

December 2. Extract from the Posn^cK, Ac, for the meeting of the West India Company, on December 12 138

December 11. Resolution of the States-General upon the report of the committee charged to examine the matters in

difference between Lubbert van Dinclagen and the West India Company, 138

December 16. Resolution of the States-General, referring the further memorial of Lubbert van Dinclagen to the Depu- ties to the next meeting of the XIX., ifee 139

November 3. Memorial of the Eight Men in New Netherland, to the States-General, respecting the troubles there,

dated at Manhattan 139

1644. April 5. Resolution of the States-General to send a copy of the foregoing memorial to the XIX. of the West

India Company, that they may take prompt order thereupon, 140

April 23. Letter of the West India Company to the States-General, upon the subject of the memorial from New

Netherland 141

April 27. Resolution of the States-General to send copies of the above letter of tlie West India Company, <tc., to

the different Provinces, Ac, <fco., 142

October 1. Report to the States-General by the Deputies who attended the meeting of the West India Company

ia April 142

October 8. Letter of Mr. Spieringh, the Swedish Minister, to the States-General, complaining of the exaction of

duties on a ship coming from New Sweden 143

October 15. Resolution of the States-General upon a further memorial of the Swedish Minister, 143

October 20. Resolution of the States-General, referring a letter of Cornells Melyn, Patroon of Staten Island, <tc., to

the Deputies to the XIX., with instructions, <tc., (fee, 144

October 22. Resolution of the States-General, recommending their Deputies to the meeting of the X.X. of the West

India Company to inform themselves about the situation of affairs in New Netherland, ifec 144.

October 29. Memorial of Mr. Spieringh, the Swedish Minister, to the States-General, concerning the imposition of

duties, (fee, on ships coming from New Sweden, &e 146

December 28. Extract from the report of their High Mightinesses' Deputies to the meeting of the XIX. of the West

India Company, in October 148

December 15. E.Ytraet from the minutes of the XIX. of the West India Company, concerning New Netherland

affairs, the recall of Director Kieft, ifec., &c 148

December l.'i. Report upon the affairs of New Netherland, presented to the West India Company by the General

Board of Accounts, 149

1645. April 21. Letter of the States-General to the XIX. of the West India Company, about the complaint of the

Swedish Minister concerning the detention of the ships Calmersleutel and Fama, coming from New

Sweden, &a., 166

July 12. Report to the States-General, by their Deputies to the XIX., of the principal matters that have

occurred in that Assembly since March, 1645 1S7

July 12. Considerations offered by the General Board of Accounts of the West India Company to the XIX., in

regard to the number of ships, Ac, to be employed by the Company, <fee 158

July 31. Memorial of Mr. Speiringh, the Swedish Minister, to the States-General, about the arrest of the ships

CahnersleiUel and Fama 169

July 6. Statement of the cargo, <fee., of the ships Calmersleuld and Fama 169

July 1. Instructions from the XIX. of the West India Company, for the Director and Council of New Netherland, 160

August 15. Extract from the Pointen, <tc, for the meeting of the West India Company on 2d September, 1645, 163 October 16. Extract from the proceedings of the meeting of the XIX. at MiJdIeburg, from the 9lh of September to

the 16th October, 1645 163

Iviii

CONTENTS.

1646. May

July

July

July

July July July

July July

July July

Jiily 164V.

1648. January

January

1644. June

1643. October

February March 27;

1642. January February

1647. June June

1644. Otober

1647. July

1648. January January

Pagk.

26. Letter of the Amsterdam Chamber of the "West InJia Company to the States-General, about a ship

confiscated in New Netherland by the Director and Council there 173

13. Letter of the West India Company to the Stales-General, asking their High Mightinesses to ratify the

commission for Mr. Peter Stuyvesant, as Director in New Netherland 176

13. Resolution of the States-General thereupon, that before taking any action they must be informed what

disposition the Company has made of the complaints from New Netherland, Ac., &c 175

24. Letter of the West India Company to the States-General, again asking that Mr. StuyTcsant's commission

may be expedited 175

24. Resolution of the States-General, further postponing a decision thereupon, 176

26. Letter of the West India Company, again praying that Mr. Stuyvesant'a commission be expedited, &e., 176 26. Resolution of the States-General, that the West India Company send to their High Mightinesses an

authentic copy of Mr. Stuyvesant's instructions 1T7

28. Resolution of the States-General, ratifying and approving Mr. Stuyvesant's commission, <fec., 177

28. Minute of the appearance of Peter Stuyvesant, Director of New Netherland, <fec., before the States- General, and of his taking the oath, etc., &c., 177

28. Commission of Mr. Peter Stuyvesant as Director-General of New Netherland, ic, Ac 178

28. Minute of the appearance before the States-General of Lubbertus van Dinclagen, Deputy and First

Councillor to the Director in New Netherland, and of his taking the oath, &c. 179

28. Record of the oath of Lubbertus van Dinclagen before their High Mightinesses, &c., 179

Short account of New.Netherland, from the year 1641 to the year 1646, 179

7. Resolution of the States-General, referring a letter of Peter Stuyvesant to their High Mightinesses,

dated October 6, 1647, to their Committee on the affairs of the West India Company, <tc 188

11. Resolution of the States-General, referring the memorial of Jochem Pietersen Cuyter and Cornelia

Melyn, with the appendices, to their Committee on the affairs of the West India Company, ifec 188

Papers concerning the situation of affairs in New Netherland, and the proceedings against Cornelis

Melyn and his adherents, marked letter A. to letter R., viz : 188

21. Excise Laws of New Netherland, 1644, 188

24. Letter of the Ei^ht Men at the Manhattans to the Assembly of the XIX., 1 90

Resolution adopted by the commonalty of the Manhattans, 191

Certificate of the election of the aforesaid Eight Men, 192

Petition of Maryn Adriaensen and others, for leave to attack the Indians, 193

25. Commission to Maryn Adriaensen to attack the Indians at Corlaers Hook 194

, 28. Sundry depositions respecting conversations with Director Kieft^ 194

Interrogatories to be proposed to Fiscal Hendrick van Dy ck, 195

Interrogatories to be proposed to Dr. Johannes de la Montaigne 197

Interrogatories to be proposed to Cornelis van Tienhoven, 198

Interrogatories to be proposed to the Reverend Everardus Bogardus 200

21. Petition of the Twelve Men at the Manhattans, and answer thereto 201

8. Order dissolving the Board of Twelve Men 203

8. Letter of William Kieft to Director Stuyvesant, complaining of Joehem P. Cuyter and Cornelis Melyn, 203

22. Letter of Jochem P. Cuyter and Cornelis Melyn to Director Stuyvesant, in answer to Kieft's charge,. . 205

28. Letter of the Eight Men of the Manhattans to the Amsterdam Chamber of the West India Company,

describing the sad condition of New Netherland and complaining of Director Kieft 209

25. Judgment of Director Stuyvesant, banishing Jochem Pietersen Cuyter from New Netherland, 213

18. Resolution of the States-General upon the proposition to throw open the trade to New Netherland, <fec., 214 20. Resolution of the States-General that the inhabitants of New Netherland may ship their produce to

Brazil, Angola, ic, 215

CONTENTS.

lix

1648.
February	6.
February	7.
February	10.
February	10.
February	13.
April	9.
April	28.
April	28.
April	28.
April	30.
May	6.
May	6.
August	27.
October	21.
October	22.
November	6.
November 20.
1649.
April	26.

April

June	1.
June	4.
July	3.
September 30.
October	9.
July	26.
October	13.
July	26.
July	26.
July	28.
August	12.
October	13.
October	14.

Pagk.

Minute of tlie approval of the foregoing resolution by Deputy Mortimer of Zealand, 215

Resolution of the States-General, referring two memorials against Directors Kieft and Stuyvesant to

the Directors of the West India Company, 215

Resolution of the States-General on the considerations of the Directors of the Zealand Chamber of the

West India Company, in regard to the interests of the Company and New Netherland, &c., 215

Minute concerning the regulation of tlie trade to New Netherland, &c., &c 216

General report of the Committee of the States-General upon the affairs of the West India Company,

and the means of putting them on a better footing, <fcc., with extracts of papers accompanying the

same 216

Resolution of the States-General, referring the further memorial of Messrs. Cnyter and Melyn to their

Committee on the affairs of the West India Company, &c 248

Resolution of the States-General upon the report of their committee, cliarged to examine the case of

Messrs. Cuyter and Melyn, to grant an appeal to the memorialists, with an interdiction of the

sentences pronounced against them by Director Stuyvesant and Council, on the 25th of July, 1647, 249

Letter of the States-General to the Director in New Netlierland thereupon 249

Mandamus in Case of Appeal, in favor of J. P. Cuyter and Cornelis Melyn, against the sentence of

the Director and Council in New Netherland, with inhibitory clause, &c 250

Resolution of the States-General, approving the draft of the foregoing mandamus 252

Resolution of the States-General upon the further memorial of J. P. Cuyter and Cornelis Melyn, to

grant safeguard to the memorialists, 252

Passport in favor of J. P. Cuyter and Cornelis Melyn, inhabitants of New Netherland 253

Minute of Mr. de Laet, Director of the West India Company, having delivered to the States-General

authentic copies of tlie treaties, Ac, of the Company with Foreign Princes, <te., within the limits of

their charter, 253

Resolution of the States-General, referring to a committee the petition of the guardians of John van

Rensselaer, son of Kiliaen van Rensselaer, &c., 254

Resolution of the States-General upon the report of Mr. van Reinswoode, to whom was referred the

foregoing memorial, &c, that copies of the same and of the appendices be sent to the West India

Company, <tc., before a final disposition is made thereof, &c., 254

Letter of the Amsterdam Chamber of tlie West India Company to the States-General, about a Spanish

barque confiscated in New Netherland, &e 255

Resolution of the States-General, referring back the memorial of Samuel Blommaert and others against

the guardians of Mr. van Rensselaer, Ac. , 255

Resolution of the States-General, referring to the Amsterdam Chamber of the West India Company the

memorial of the guardians of John van Rensselaer, complaining of Stuyvesant, &c., 256

Proceedings of the States-General in the case of Samuel Blommaert and others against Jolian van

Wiely and Wouter van Twiller, guardians of John van Rensselaer, &c., 256

Further proceedings of the States-General in the above ease 256

Further proceedings of the States-General in the above case, 256

Further proceedings of the States-General in the above case 257

Further proceedings of the States-General in the above case 257

Resolution of the States-General upon a letter of Director Stuyvesant 257

Letter of the Nine Men in New Netherland, to the States-General, stating that they have sent a com- mittee to Holland to obtain redress, <fee., 258

Memorial of the Delegates from New Netherland to the States-General, asking for the appointment of a

committee of their High Mightinesses, Ac, &c., 259

Memorial to the States-General, signed by Adriaen van der Donck, Augustin Herman, and others, on be- half of the commonalty in New Netherland 259

Additional observations on the memorial of the commonalty of New Netherland to the States-General, 262

Remonstrance of New Netherland to the States-General, and the occurrences there 271

Letter from Lubbertus van Dinclagen, Vice-Director of New Netherland, to the States-General, about the

Deputies of the commonalty ^19

Resolution of the States-General, referring the foregoing letters, memorials, &c., to a committee, to ex- amine and report upon the same, &c., 319

Resolution of the States-General in the case of the guardians of Van Rensselaer against Blommaert

and others, 320

CONTENTS.

1649.

November November

Novenibe Decembei

December December

July December

December December

1650. January

Jamiaiy

February

164- July

May

May

1649. January

July

August

March

March March March

Paoe.

5. Further resolution of the States-General in the above case 320

13. Resolution of the States-General, referring to the XIX. of the West India Company the further memo- rial of the guardians of John van Rensselaer, &c., &c., 320

10. Letter of Peter Stuyvesant to the States-General, in answer to their High Mightinesses' letter of April

28, 1648, concerning the case of Melyn, &a 321

26. Resolution of the States-General, refening the foregoing letter, 32-4

2. Resolution of the States-General, upon a petition of Cornells van Tienhoven, Secretary of New Nether- land, as attorney for the Director and Council there, respecting an appeal (Melyn's) 324

13. Resolution of the States-General, referring a further petition of the guardians of Van Rensselaer, <tc.,. . 325 Answer of Cornells vai Tienhoven, Secretary of New Netherland, &c., to'the appeal of Cornells Melyn

from the sentence of the Director and Council there, Ac, <fec., 325

13. Resolution of the States-General, referring the above memorial, Ac, 326

13. Memorial to the States-General, of Joost Teunissen, of New Netherland, baker, complaining of the con- duct of Director Stuyvesant, (« ith) 326

26. Pelitlonof Joo^t, T uni sen to Peter Stuyvesant, Director of New Netherland, Ac 326

13. Memorial to the States-General, of Sibout Claessen, of New Netherland, house carpenter, complaining of

Stuy vesant's conduct, (fee, 328

13. Resolution of the States-General, referring the above memorials (with another from Augustin Herman)

to their High Mightinesses' committee, to examine the same and report thereon 330

16. Resolution of the States-General, referring two bags of papers, in the case of Blommaert and De Laet, against Wi' ly and Van Twiller, guardians of Van Rensselaer, to the Provincial Court of Hulland,

i c, to prouo 1 1 ce sentence, <fec 330

Jilemorandum of things necessary to be done for New Netherland, 331

Abstract, by the West India Company, of the Remonstrance from New Netherland 331

27. A short digest of the excessive and very prejudicial neglect that New Netherland has experienced since

it has been under the Directors of the West India Company, <fec 332

31. Answer of the West India Company to the several points contained in the Abstract of the Remon- strance from New Netherland. ( Note. — The original of this document is in the handwriting of

Cornells van Tienhoven ), 338

1. Petition of the Delegates from New Netherland to the States-General, praying dispatch in the redress

of their grievances, Ac, 346

1. Resolution of the States-General, referring the foregoing petition, Ac 34Y

8. Memorial of Cornells Melyn, Patroon on Staten Island, to the States-General, complaining of Director Stuyvesant's irreverent neglect of their High Mightinesses' mandamus, Ac, with the following papers: 348

25. Sentence pronounced by Director Stuyvesant on Cornells Milyn 349

6. Authority to serve the mandamus on Director Stuyvesant, Ac, 351

19. Letter of the Prince of Orange to Director Stuyvesant, admonishing him not to molest J. P. Cuyter and

Cornells Melyn 351

22. Receipt from the Amsterdam Chamber of the West India Company, of a sealed letter from the States- General 352

2. Cornells van Tienhoven's certificate that Mr. Melyn had delivered to Director Stuyvesant certain letters

from the States-General and the Prince of Orange, 352

8. Certificate of the service of the States-General mandamus on Director Stuyvesant in the church, in

presence of the commonalty 352

29. Cornells Melyn's " disrespectful protest" handed to Mde Stuyvesant, 353

1. Director Stuyvesant's answer to Cornells Melyn's disrespectful protest, 354

16. Return of service made of their High Mightinesses' mandamus on Vice-Director Lubbert van

Dinclage, and his answer, 355

16. Return of service of the mandamus on the members of the Council and others, and their answers, 355

16. Return of service of the mandamus on Fiscal van Dyck, and his answer, 356

23. Return of service of the mandamus on Secretary van Tienhoven, and his answer 357

23. Return of service of the mandamus on Jan Jansen Damen, and his i

CONTENTS.

August 10.

December 10.

1650. February 8. February 22.

Page. Declaratioa of Vice-Director van Dincklage and Mr. La Montagne, of Director Stujvesant'a hostility to

Mr. Melyn's son-in-law 358

Declaration of William Hendricksen, that he distilled brandy on Staten Island 358

March 3.

March 4.

March 7.

March 12.

March	12.
Ma.ch	19.
March	2.3.
March	24.
March	14.
March	31.
April	'•
April	1.
April	7.
April	8.
April	8.
April	8.

Apr

Resolution of the States-General, referring the foregomg memorial, Ac, &c. 359

Observations on the boundaries and colonization of Kew Nctherland, submitted by Secretary Cornelis

van Tienhoven to the committee of the States-General, Ac, 369

Plan submitted by the Deputies of the West India Company respecting the trade and colonization of

New Netherland. ( The original of this document is in the handwriting of Van Tienhoven) 362

Schedule of public charges in New England ; submitted by Secretary van Tienhoven to the committee

of the States-General 364

Information on the occupation of land in New Netherland for colonies or private bouweries, &c., sub- mitted by Secretary Tienhoven to the committee of the States-General, 365

Observations on the duties exacted by the West India Company upon goods destined to New Nether- land, and whether it is best to continue the same, (Sec, submitted to the Committee of the States- General by the Deputies from New Netherland, 372

Petition of the Delegates from New Netherland, stating the insufficiency of shipping accommodations, Ac, for the numbers of persons who are desirous to emigrate to New Netherland, Ac, with a certifi- cate of William Thomassen, master of the ship Valckenier, anne.X'ed 376

Resolution of the States-General on the report of their committee upon the subject of the affairs of

the West India Company, New Netherland, Ac, Ac, 377

Letter of the States-General to the Amsterdam Chamber of the West India Company, upon the fore- going resolution 378

Letter of the States-General to all the Chambers of the West India Company, except the one at Amster- dam, on the same subject, -. 379

Contract lietween the West India Company and Van der Donck and others, for the transportation of

200 persons to New Netherland, Ac 379

Resolution of the States-General thereupon 880

Resolution of the States of Holland and West Friesland respecting the Delegates from New Nether- land, Ac 380

Letter of the Groningen Chamber of the W^est India Company to the States-General respecting the

trade to New Netherland, 381

Resolution of the States- General thereupon 381

Resolution of the States-General upon the representation of the committee, on the affairs of the West India Company, that Director Stuyvesant be ordered not to molest the Delegates from New Nether- land, who are about to return, Ac, Ac 382

Letter of the States-General to Director Stuyvesant 382

Resolution of the States-General to grant Manorial privileges to John van Rensselaer, Ac, Ac 383

Resolution of the States-General to admit Dirck van Suhelluyue to practice as Notary public in New

Netherland 334

Commission of Dirck van Sehelluyne, as notary in New Netherland, Ac 384

Resolution of the States of Holland upon the petition of the Deputies from New Netherland about the

transport of emigrants, Ac 385

Memorial of the Delegates from New Netherland to the committee of the States-General respecting the

state of affairs in New Netherland, Ac, (with) 385

December 17. November 29. December 13.

1650 April 11.

April 11.

April 11.

April 11.

Extract of a letter from Janneken Melyn, dated at New Netherland, 386

Extract from the minutes of the Council at New Netherland, 386

Protest of Vice-Director van Dinclagen against Director Stuyvesant, for having exported horses to

Barbadoes, 387

Draft report of the Committee of the States General to whom was referred the Remonstrance from New

Netherland, with provisional articles for the government, Ac, of that country 387

Remarks of the West India Company upon the foregoing report 391

Preamble to the proposed provisional articles, Ac, with remarks of the West India Company, 393

Memorial of Adriaen van der Donck to the Committee of the States-General, demanding that Secretary

van Tienhoven be examined on interrogatories, Ac, 395

J^l CONTENTS.

1650. Pace.

April 11. Resolution of the States-General upon the proposed provisional articles, <tc., 396

April 11. Resolulion of the States-General, authorizing the sending, <tc., of arms and ammunition to Kew Nether- land, to be distributed under the direction of the government there 397

April 12. Memorial of the Delegates from New Netherland to the States-General respecting the hostilities carried

OQ by the Spaniards, notwithstanding the peace, (with) 397

April 12. Deposition of Wilhelm Noble, respecting the Spaniards, &.C., <fec., 398

April 12. Resolution of the States-General to write to Director Stuyvesant to publish the treaty of peace (of West- phalia) in New Neflierland, <tc 399

April 1 2. Letter of the States-General to Director Stuyvesant thereupon, 399

April 14. Resolution of the States-General, referring the draft of the provisional order for the government, &c.,

of New Netherland, to their committee, itc, &c 400

May 13. Extract of the Points, upon which the committee of the States-General were charged to report, 400

May 24. Draft of Freedoms and Exemptions, proposed by the West India Company for the approval of the com- mittee of the States-General, 401

June 8. Resolution of the States-General, upon the receipt of a letter from the Provincial Court of Holland, <tc.,

in the case of Blommaert et al. vs. the guardians of Van Rensselaer 406

June 14. Resolution of the States-General, approving, &c., the sentence (which is inserted at length) of the

Court of Holland, in the case of Samuel Blommaert et al. vs. Wouter van Twiller et al., executors

of the late Kiliaen van Rensselaer, 406

June 30. Resolution of the States-General to grant to Cornells Melyn a passport, or safe conduct, for his return

to New Netherland, &c., 407

June 30. Letter of protection of the States-General in favor of Cornelis Melyn, who is about to return to New

Netherland 408

July 1. Resolution of the States-General, approving the draft of the foregoing, 409

July 21. Resolution of the States-General, instructing their committee upon the affairs of the West India

Company to examine Cornelis van Tienhoven, now at the Hague, upon certain points respecting

matters in New Netherland, &e., 409

July 21. Interrogatories upon which the committee of the States-General is to examine Secretary Cornelis van

Tienhoven 409

July 20. Extracts from the papers of Director Kieft, viz : 414

1641. August 29. Proposals of Director Kieft to the commonalty, and the election, in consequence, of the Twelve Men,. . 414 1642.

January 21. Resolution of the Twelve Men, on a proposed expedition against the Indians, 415

1643.

February 25. Commission to Maryn Adriaensen to attaet the Indians at Corlaer's Hook, 416

February 27. Petition of the inhabitants of Long Island for leave to attack the Indians, with the answer thereto, ... 416 1650.

August 9. Report of the Committee of the States-General on Mely n's papers 417

August 9. Resolution of the States-General upon the foregoing report, <tc 418

August 17. Letter of Director Stuyvesant to the States-General 418

October 15. Resolution of the States-General thereupon, 420

September 1 3. Letter of the Selectmen of New Amsterdam to the States-General 420

November 18. Resolution of the States-General, referring the foregoing letter, and one from Adriaen van der Donck,

to their committee, <to., 421

November 29. Secretary van Tienhoven's answer to the Remonstrance from New Netherland 422

Extract of the observations by the committee of the Stockholders of the West India Company, respect-

ing

the affairs in New Netherland, &c., 432

January 14. Resolution of the States-General, referring a memorial of Adriaen van der Donck, Delegate from New

Netherland 433

January 14. Resolution of the States-General, ordering their proceedings about the East and West India Companies

to be continued to be kept in separate registers 433

February 7. Order of the Committee of the States-General, that Cornelis van Tienhoven do answer the interrogato- ries touching the origin of the war with the Indians, 433

March 14. Resolution of the States-General to write to the Amsterdam Chamber of the West India Company to

send Jan Claessen Damen and Cornelis van Tienhoven to the Hague, &c 434

CONTENTS. Ixili

1651. Page.

March 14. Letter of the States-General to the West India Company thereupon 434

March 21. Resolution of the Stales-General, referring the answer of the West India Company, 436

April 21. Resolution of the States-General to write to the West India Company not to allow Secretary Tan Tien-

hoven to return to New Nctherland, and also that they instruct the captain of the ship Waterhont,

not to receive him on board, 435

April 21. Letter of the States-General to the West India Company thereupon 435

August 19. Memorial to the States-General from certain inhabitants and merchants of Holland, trading to Virginia,

Ac, complaining of the conduct of the English, Ac, 436

November 23. Secret resolution of the States-General, recoinnjending the subject of the trade to Virginia, Ac, to the

serious consideration of their Ambassadors to England, Ac, 437

1652. February 10. Memorial of Adriaen van der Donck, Delegate from New Netherland, to the States-General, respecting

affairs in that country 438

1650.

December 22. Letter to the States-General from the Selectmen in New Nctherland 44I

December 22. Declaration of Vice-Director van Dinclagen and Fiscal van Dyck, before a notary at Manhattan,

respecting the conduct of Director Stuyvesant, 441

1652.

February 10. Resolution of the States-General, referring the foregoing documents 442

February 16, Report of the committee of the States-General, to which was referred the memorial, Ac, presented by Adriaea van der Donck, on the 10th instant, and the resolution of their High Mightinesses

thereon 443

February 16. Extracts and copies of letters, journals, Ac, from New Nctherland, viz:

1650. August 1*7. Extract of a letter from the Selectmen to Adriaen van der Donck— condition of things at the

Manhattans 444

September 10. Extract of two letters from Augustin Herman — Stuyvesant does as he pleases, 444

September 13. Extract of a letter from Jacob van Couwenhoven and Dierck van Schelluyne — Selectmen misrepre- sented, 445

September 8. Extract of a letter from Vice-Director Dincklage — law is violated 445

September 13. Extract of a letter from the Selectmen, complaining of all redress being postponed, 445

July 4. Extract of the journal kept by order of the commonalty — Stuyvesant appropriates to himself the pew

in the church belonging to the Selectmen 445

September 12. Extract of a letter from Vice-Director Dincklage — abuses as notorious as the sun at noonday, 446

September 6. Extract of a letter from the Selectmen — reliance still placed on their High Mightinesses' promises 446

Extract of a memoir sent by Vice-Director van Dincklage — Stuyvesant violates his promises 446

October 6. Extract of a letter from Jacob van Couwenhoven and Dirck van Schelluyne— condition of the country

worse and worse — Stuyvesant gone to New England, 446

September 13. Letter of the Selectmen of New Amsterdam to the States-General, again applying for redress of the

public grievances, 447

Letter of the Selectmen of New Amsterdam to the committee of the States-General, to the like effect, 448 August 29. Protest of the Selectmen of New Amsterdam against the Director and Council, for refusing to recog- nize them and for having deprived them of their pew in the church, 448

November 30. Extract from the journal of the Selectmen — guns sold to the Indians of Cannarse (L. I.), 449

December 22. Extract of a letter from the Selectmen — arrival of Melyn — vindicate their conduct 449

November 3. Extract of a declaration of Vice-Director van Dincklage as to what the Fiscal told him, 449

November 3. Extract of a declaration of Jochem Pieters Cuyter — the Chamber of Amsterdam will uphold the Director,

even unto blood, 450

December 22. Extract of a letter from the Selectmen — are nothing but ciphers — ignored by Stuyvesant, whom the

Vice-Director and Fiscal protest against, 450

November 26. Extract of a letter from the Selectmen — visit of Stuyvesant to Hartford— urge Van der Donck to renewed exertion — Swedes on the South river unresisted— Stuyvesant instructed not to heed any

passport from their High Mightinesses 450

1651. September 12. Extract of a letter from the Selectmen — they are dismissed from office and menaced with prosecution, 452 October 18. Extract of a letter from Notary van Schelluyne — dare not prepare any more writings — living like

sheep among wolves , 452

Ixiv

CONTENTS.

1651. September 19. September 20.

October II.

February 28.

September 17.

1652. February 16.

February	16.
February	23.
February	24.
March	2.
March	2.
March	1.
March	8.
March	8.
March	13.
March	15.
March	16.
March	6.
April	13.
April	22.
April	22.
April	26.

April

April	27.
April	27.
April	27.
April	27.
April	27.
April	27.

May

May

May May

May

Page.

Extract of a Latin letter from Vice-Director van Dincklage — the older Stuyvesant gro-ws the worse he gets, 453

Extract of a letter from Augustin Herman — Van Tienhoven returned, and exposed by the basket- maker's daughter, 453

Extract of a letter from Notary van Schelluyne — continues to be persecuted — protest from Fiscal

van Dyck 454

Extract of a counter protest of Vice-Director van Dincklage against the Director and Council, with a

few of his charges against them 454

Extract of the declaration of Brant van Slechtenhorst, Director of the Colonic Rensselaerswyck — Vice- Director van Dincklage thrust out the Council and committed to the guard-house 456

E.'itract of a letter from Vice-Director van Dincklage — waste of the public property, 457

Memoir of Adriaen van der Donck respecting the ancient boundaries of New Netherland, as first occupied in 1609 ; the usurpations by the English from time to time, and what was ceded to them

by Director Stuyvesant 457

News from New England in 1650, 460

Letter of the States-General to the different Chambers of the West India Company, about New Nether- land— provisional order 462

Letter of the Amsterdam Chamber of the West India Company to the States-General, in reply, 462

Resolution of the States-General thereupon 463

Letter of the Dordrecht Chamber of the West India Company to the States-General, (with) 463

Observations of the Dordrecht Chamber respecting the government of New Netherland, <S:c 463

Resolution of the States-General thereupon, 465

Letter of the Zealand Chamber of the West India Company to the States-General 465

Resolution of the States-General thereupon, 466

Letter of the Delft Chamber of the West India Company to the States-General 467

Resolution of the States-General thereupon 467

Resolution of the States-General upon the petition of Engletje Wouters 467

Letter of the States-General to the Director and Council at New Netherland thereupon, 468

Letter of the Groningen Chamber of the West India Company to the States-General, 468

Resolution of the States-General thereupon, 469

Resolution of the States-General, upon the petition of John and Charles Gabry, to write to Stuyvesant

in their behalf, 469

Letter of the States-General to Director Stuyvesant thereupon 469

Resolution of the States-General to grant to Adriaen van der Donck, Patroon of Colendonck, in New

Netherland, " veniam ^estandi et disponendi," as formerly granted to Van Rensselaer 470

Patent to Adriaen van der Donck, investing him with a right to make a testamentary disposition of his

property in New Netherland, 470

Resolution of the States-General, recalling Director Peter Stuyvesant 471

Letter of the States-General to Stuyvesant thereupon 472

Letter of the States-General to the West India Company thereupon 472

Resolution of the States-General, on the petition of Jan van Buren, to write to the Director and Council in New Netherland to sustain Dirck van Schelluyne in his profession as notary in New

Netherland 472

Letter of the Slates-General to Stuyvesant thereupon, 473

Resolution of the States-General, referring to their committee a memorial of Martin Beekman and

Cornelis Melyn, complaining of Director Stuyvesant, &c., 473

Memorial of Adriaen van der Donck to the committee of the States-General, stating his intended

return to New Netherland, <tc., ifec 473

Resolution of the States-General thereupon, 474

Secret resolution of the States-General respecting the answer of the Council of State, in England, to

the Ambassadors of the United Netherlands, upon the 36 Articles of the proposed Treaty 475

Secret resolution of the States-General upon the foregoing matter, 475

Resolution of the States-General, revoking their letter of recall to Stuyvesant, of the 27th of April last,

and ordering Van der Donck to deliver up the eame, &c. 475

Memorial of Adriaen van der Donck to the States-General respecting various matters connected with

hia visit to Holland on behalf of the commonalty at New Netherland, &c 476

CONTENTS.

Ixv

1662, p^OE.

May 24. Resolution of the States-General thereupon 473

May 24. Letter of the States-General to the different Chambers of the West India Company upon the foregoing

matter 4Y8

May 28. Letter of the Amsterdam Chamber of the West India Company, to the States-General, respecting their

High Migtinesses' resolution of 16th May, revoking Stuyvefaat's ree.ijl, &c 479

May 28. Resolution of the States-General thereupon 4»jg

June 20. Minute of the receipt of a letter from A. V. de Jonge, Accountant-General of the West India Company,

in place of Samuel Blommaert, lately deceased, &e., 4g0

June 22. Resolution of the States-General, referring a letter from the Amsterdam Chamber of the West India

. Company in answer to their High Mightinesses' letter of 24th May, to a committee, &c 480

June 24. Letter of the Dordtrecht Chamber of the West India Company to the States-General, in answer to

theirs of 24th May 4gO

June 24. Resolution of the States-General thereupon 481

July 17. Secret resolution of the States-General on the commencement of the war with England, 481

July 17. Secret resolution of the States-General to send a frigate to New Netherland, &c., 482

July 22. Secret resolution of the States-General ou the subject of the preservation of New Netherland, &c., 482

July 22. Secret resolution of the States-General to write to Director Stuyvesant, that in the present situation of

affairs between England and the United Provinces, he keep a careful watch, and that no person be

employed, of whose devotion to the State he is not assured, &c., <fec .■ 482

July 22. Letter of the States-General to Stuyvesant thereupon, 4g3

July 31. Secret memoir of the Directors of the West India Company to the committee of the States-General, re- specting the preservation of Brazil and New Netherland, <tc 483

July 31. Secret resolution of the States-General upon the report of their committee, (fee, (fee 484

August 6. Memorial of Adriaen van der Donck to the States-General, asking for speedy action on his memorial

already presented, ifec • 435

August 5. Resolution of the States-General, referring the foregoing memorial to their committee, <fec 486

August 7. Proposals of the Dutch for Free Trade and for the settlement of the boundary of New Netherland, with

the answer of the English Council of State thereto 4gg

August 13. Resolution of the States-General, referring back to their committee the memorial of the West India

Company, of July 31st, respecting the preservation, Ac, of Brazil and New Netherland 487

September 3. Resolution of the States-General on the projected Invasion of New Netherland, Ac, 487

September 3. Letter of the States-General to the Amstesdam Chamber, thereupon 488

September 18. Defence of Hendrick van Dyck, Fiscal in New Netherland, (with) 489

September 18. Letter of Hendrick van Dyck to the States-General, 49I

1646.

July 28. Certificate that Director Stuyvesant hath taken the oath of office 4 92

July 10. Commission of Fetrus Stuyvesant as Director of Curasao, 492

1645.

May fi. Commission of Fetrus Stuyvesant as Director of New Netherland, 492

May 5. Commission of Lubbertus van Dinolage, as Vice-Director of New Netherland 493

June 23. Commission of Hendricks van Dyck, as Fiscal of New Netherland , 494

1652. September 16. Instructions to the Director and Council of New Netherland, dated 7th July, 1645, with Van Dyck's

comment on each article, 495

Letter of the States-General to the Director and Council of New Netherland, dated 1st April, 1650, with

Van Dyck's commentary, showing how it was not obeyed 502

Instructions to Hendrick van Dyck, as Fiscal of New Netherland, with his observation on each article, 604

March 28. Lampoon on Director Stuyvesant, with explanations 510

March 28. Extract from the Resolutions of the Council and Selectmen of New Netherland, dismissing Van Dyke

from office, with the comments of the latter, 510

March 28. Extract of another Resolution, with Van Dyck's comments 511

September 16. Letter of the Amsterdam Chamber of the West India Company to Fiscal Van Dyck, dated 9th April,

1652, with the latter's answer 612

1651. December 6. Declaration of Elizabeth Jans, inn-keeper of Amsterdam,