Qass. 
 Book 
 
 COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT 
 
THE EARLY 
 
 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES 
 1660-1825 
 
 BY 
 
 BENJAMIN MYER BRINK 
 
 Ubat our (Ibil^ren ma^ be patriots 
 we tell tbem of our jf atbers 
 
 WITH SIXTEEN ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 
 KINGSTON, N. Y. 
 H. W. ANDERSON & SON 
 
 1902 
 
THE LIBRARY OF 
 CONGRESS, 
 
 Two CoptEs Received 
 
 JIJN. 14 1902 
 
 nC0PVR«3MT ENTRY 
 
 cLaSS CL^XXa No. 
 COPY B. 
 
 Copyright, IQ02, by 
 BENJAMIN MYER BRINK. 
 
 All rights reserved. 
 
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 . • • •• . . 
 
TO THOSE OLD FRIENDS 
 
 NOW CONSTITUTING 
 
 Sauacvties Cbapter, Saugbters of tbe Bmericau IRcvolution, 
 
 WHO WITH HIM ARE 
 
 DESCENDANTS OF THE SAME SIRES, WHO, IN 
 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 
 
 GAVE THEIR 
 
 LIVES, THEIR FORTUNES. AND THEIR SACRED HONOR 
 
 TO SECURE THE 
 
 CIVIL AND RELIGIOUS LIBERTY 
 
 WE ENJOY, 
 
 THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED 
 
 BY 
 
 THE AUTHOR. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 At the request of Saugerties Chapter, Daughters 
 of the American Revokition, the author has attempt- 
 ed to tell the story of the settlement and develop- 
 ment of the town of Saugerties, basing this work 
 upon papers contributed at various times to the 
 press. 
 
 He would acknowledge the assistance given him 
 by that chapter, not only so far as it has been per- 
 sonal, but more than this in its cultivation of a 
 spirit of true patriotism which more than justifies its 
 existence as the world may thus know that its very 
 being calls attention to all our ancestors struggled 
 for, suffered and sacrificed that they and their chil- 
 dren might be forever free. 
 
 He has attempted to tell how those ancestors 
 lived their simple and sincere lives ; to set forth 
 their manners, customs and pleasures; to record 
 how they developed their young men and maidens 
 into men and women physically, mentally and 
 spiritually, and built the township we love. 
 
 He has attempted to gather up their old Dutch 
 ballads, folk songs, riddles, nursery rhymes and 
 nonsense verses before it is forever too late. This 
 has never been done, and it can not be done by 
 the next generation. He here expresses his indebt- 
 
vi PREFACE. 
 
 edness to the many friends whose assistance was 
 indispensable. 
 
 In selecting the subjects for the ilkistrations he 
 has chosen those alone which are connected with 
 the town history. He attempted to secure a pic- 
 ture of the first physician, but failed ; and sub- 
 stituted his residence instead. The typical Dutch 
 farm house is inserted because it is typical. No 
 portrait of pastor Kocherthal exists, nor of the 
 West Camp church. The monumental tablet is 
 given instead. The house of Christian Myer is 
 included for the reason that the home of the family 
 from which came eighteen Revolutionary soldiers 
 should be held in everlasting remembrance. The 
 first minister (except Kocherthal) and the first mer- 
 chant, with his residence and store, are included ; 
 but the first lawyer could not be. There was none 
 until shortly before the date at which this story 
 stops. And the author regrets that the book has 
 not reached the standard of his wishes, efforts and 
 intentions. 
 
CHAPTER 
 
 I. 
 
 II. 
 
 III. 
 
 IV. 
 
 V. 
 
 VI. 
 
 VII. 
 
 VIII. 
 
 IX. 
 
 X. 
 
 XI. 
 
 XII. 
 
 XIII. 
 
 XIV. 
 
 XV. 
 
 XVI. 
 
 XVII. 
 
 XVIII. 
 
 XIX. 
 
 XX. 
 
 XXI. 
 
 XXII. 
 
 XXIII. 
 
 XXIV. 
 
 XXV, 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 I'AGE 
 
 Introductory and Descriptive .... 1 
 
 A Decisive Battle 7" 
 
 The Earliest Records 14 
 
 The Coming of the Palatines .... 27 
 
 The Palatines at the Camp 34 
 
 The Palatines Find Homes 42 
 
 The West Camp Church 50 
 
 The Palatine Leader 55 
 
 Sixty Formative Years 60 
 
 Saugerties Village Before the Revolu- 
 tion 67 
 
 Katsbaan Before the Revolution ... 75 
 Cedar Grove Before the Revolution . 83 
 Churchland and Plattekill Before the 
 
 Revolution 89 
 
 Saxton and Asbury Before the Revolu- 
 tion 96 
 
 Maiden and West Camp Before the 
 
 Revolution 104 
 
 Glasco and Flatbush Before the Revo- 
 lution Ill 
 
 The Legion of Honor 118 
 
 The Revolutionary War 126 
 
 Continuation of the Tappen Journal . 133 
 
 The Campaign of 1776 140 
 
 The Campaign of 1777 147 
 
 The Campaigns of 1778 and 1779 . .156 
 
 Patriotic Divines 163 
 
 An Indian and Tory Raid 168 
 
 In Captivity in Canada 177 
 
Vlll 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 XXVI. Captain Snyder's Escape . . . .183 
 
 XXVII. After the Revolution 191 
 
 XXVIII. Educational Conditions After the 
 
 Revolution 197 
 
 XXIX. The Country Doctor 203 
 
 XXX. The Old Farm Houses 210 
 
 XXXI. Farm Life in Olden Time . . . .218 
 XXXII. The Indispensable Loom ... . 226 
 
 XXXIII. Social Life in Olden Time . . . . 222 
 
 XXXIV. Interesting Documents pf the Revo- 
 
 lution 239 
 
 XXXV. The Katsbaan Church 245 
 
 XXXVI. The Beaver Creek 257 
 
 XXXVII. The Days of Sloops 262 
 
 XXXVIII. The Trip of the Clermont . . . . 268 
 XXXIX. The Formation of the Town ... 275 
 
 XL. Beginning to Grow 283 
 
 XLI. Building the Factories and Open- 
 ing the Quarries 291 
 
 XLII. Military Leaders 299 
 
 XLIII. The Saugerties Bard 310 
 
 XLIV. ''Katsbaan" 316 
 
 XLV. Old Dutch Ballads, Rhymes and 
 
 Folk Songs 324 
 
 XLVI. Saugerties Chapter, Daughters of 
 
 the American Revolution . . . 346 
 Appendix — 
 
 Saugerties Soldiers of the Revolution . 349 
 The Graves of the Patriots 353 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Site of Old Sawyer's Mill 6 
 
 Ravine Where the Indians Fought 11 
 
 The Oldest House in Town 24 
 
 The Kocherthal Tablet 57 
 
 The Post Tavern 12 
 
 The Katsbaan Church of 1732 76 
 
 The Persen Residence and Store 80 
 
 The Cedar CHpje 96 
 
 Steene Herte and Fountain 101 
 
 The House of Major Dan Wolven 106 
 
 Field Where Capt. Snyder was Captured . . .168 
 
 Residence of Dr. Kiersted 208 
 
 A Typical Dutch Farm House 215 
 
 CorneUus Persen 229 
 
 Rev. George Wilhelmus Mancius 247 
 
 House of Christian Myer 359 
 
THE EARLY HISTORY OF 
 SAUGERTIES. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 INTRODUCTORY AND DESCRIPTIVE. 
 
 The town of Saugerties is the northeast town 
 of Ulster county, New York, and extends from 
 the centre of the channel of the Hudson river 
 to the brow of the Catskills. Its northern limit 
 is the boundary line with Greene county, and 
 on the south the town of Ulster where the 
 Plattekill empties into the Esopus. Its area is 
 about 30,000 acres, and its population was in 
 1900 9,754. This had decreased in the preced- 
 ing twenty-five years from 10,934 in 1875. 
 
 The town was organized from the town of 
 Kingston, April 5, 181 1, and is thus of the 
 Nineteenth Century. But for more than one 
 hundred and twenty-five years preceding it had 
 been a large factor in what constituted the 
 town of Kingston, and Katsbaan and West 
 Camp were known throughout the colonies 
 before the Revolution ; the latter as the scene 
 where was colonized the first German emigra- 
 
2 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 tion to America in 1710, in an ill starred project 
 of the British Government for the production 
 of naval stores, which failed, and the former as 
 the location of a widely-known country store, 
 so widely, in fact, that Burgoyne had selected 
 Katsbaan as the site of one of his three 
 camps between Albany and Kingston upon his 
 intended march from the former city to New 
 York. The others were Kack's Hackey (Cox- 
 sackie) and Katskill (Leeds). It is needless to 
 add that some men from Katsbaan assisted in 
 dissuading him at a meeting they had with 
 Burgoyne at Saratoga. 
 
 The town occupies two distinct plateaus. 
 The lower one extends from the hills along 
 the Hudson to the mountain ridge, two peaks 
 of which are respectively Mt. Airy and Mt. 
 Marion. This ridge divides the town from 
 north to south into two nearly equal portions. 
 
 The eastern plateau lies upon strata of sand- 
 stone and shale along its eastern border, with 
 limestone ledges farther west. All these extend 
 in a northerly and southerly direction. The 
 upper, or western plateau lies upon a founda- 
 tion of greywacke, commercially known as blue- 
 stone, which has been for three-fourths of a 
 century the source of the chief industry of the 
 town. 
 
 The town is well watered. Along the whole 
 of its eastern border flows the Hudson. 
 
INTRODUCTORY AND DESCRIPTIVE. 3 
 
 Through the southern half come the waters 
 of the Esopus creek which have proceeded 
 from their source in the heart of the Catskills 
 for many miles in a southeasterly direction 
 until they were free from the confinement of 
 the mountains. When they reached the fertile 
 plain in the town of Marbletown they coursed 
 due north for thirty miles to Saugerties village, 
 where, after watering as productive fields as 
 the sun shines on, they empty into the Hudson. 
 Through parts of the northwestern portion of 
 the town the Cauterskill carries the rainfall 
 of the Catskills to the river, and through the 
 western part the Plattekill performs the same 
 service. The Beaver drains the upper and 
 lower plateaus in a ten mile course, and in the 
 northeast the little, though historic Saw creek 
 does like duty. It is a peculiarity that all of 
 these streams except the Plattekill and Saw 
 creek flow north. 
 
 It is contemplated in this history to tell the 
 story of the settlement of the town and its 
 growth ; to show the nationality and character 
 of those who were the pioneers, and from whom 
 the people of the town descended until its 
 development into a manufacturing centre upon 
 the purchase of its immense water power at 
 Saugerties in 1825. In carrying out this inten- 
 tion the first important event will be the coming 
 of the Palatines in 1710 and the story of the 
 
4 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 two churches which they founded at West 
 Camp and Katsbaan ; the second, the service 
 of townsmen in the French and Indian War, 
 and the third, the story of their connection 
 with the fight for our civil liberties. In this 
 connection it may be said that the dangers to 
 the patriot cause from the invasion of Bur- 
 goyne in 1777 called into military service in 
 the field during the summer and autumn of 
 that year practically the whole male popula- 
 tion, young and old, of the town capable of 
 bearing arms. Even men who had been Tories 
 at the beginning of the war were compelled to 
 assist or leave the country. A few families did 
 so and went to Canada. A few more remained 
 loyal to the British Crown, but the most of 
 those who had been opposed to the cause of 
 the patriots in 1775 became, under the stress 
 of events, at least nominal patriots. This will 
 explain why names of certain Tories are found 
 on the list of the patriots who served in the 
 army. 
 
 This town was included in the charter given 
 to Kingston in 1667, and when, on the 19th 
 day of May, 1687, Gov. Dongan issued the 
 patent for the grant of the large territory to 
 the freeholders of the town of Kingston in 
 trust, which was for more than one hundred 
 years known as "The Kingston Commons," it 
 comprised all the town of Saugerties south and 
 
INTRODUCTORY AND DESCRIPTIVE. 5 
 
 west of Sawyer's creek, with the exception of 
 the four Meals and Hayes patents, until the 
 bounds of the great Hardenbergh patent were 
 reached at the foot of the Catskill mountains. 
 Thus most of the early settlers derived the 
 titles to their farms and homes from the trus- 
 tees of Kingston Commons. 
 
 Although a part of the town of Kingston, 
 this town did not participate in its Indian 
 troubles of 1655 to 1663. There is no cer- 
 tainty of any permanent settler within the 
 borders of the town of Saugerties at that time. 
 The question of ** the old sawyer," or " little 
 sawyer," will be. taken up in a subsequent 
 chapter. But aside from him there is no rec- 
 ord of a settler within this town before 1688, 
 when Cornelius Lambertsen Brink acquired 
 lands on the southern border of the town at 
 the junction of the Plattekill and Esopus, and 
 built the stone house still standing. He had 
 been a captive taken at the massacre at Esopus 
 (Kingston) in 1663. With twenty-two others 
 he was rescued after a captivity among the 
 savages of just three months. 
 
 Nor were there any Indian troubles within 
 the town except when, during the Revolution, 
 the savages were incited by the Tories. Per- 
 manent settlement was not made until after 
 the treaties between the Indians and colonial 
 Governors Stuyvesant and Andros had extin- 
 
6 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 guished all Indian titles, and thus the early- 
 settlers were able to live without the dread of 
 a nnidnight attack by a savage foe with all the 
 horrors of the tomahawk and scalping knife. 
 
 Indian villages did not exist within the bord- 
 ers of the town. It was a sort of neutral ground 
 between the Katskill Indians on the north and 
 the Esopus Indians on the south. Evidences 
 such as arrowheads, knives and axes of stone 
 are continually found here which show it to 
 have been in their occupancy. The journal of 
 Capt. Martin Cregier in 1663 tells of the Indian 
 maize plantation just north of the present vil- 
 lage of Saugerties, and there are other evidences 
 about town that Indians were often here. It 
 is safe to say that no permanent Indian village 
 existed within the limits of the town of Sau- 
 gerties. 
 
 In the earlier chapters of those to follow 
 much will appear concerning an "old sawyer," 
 or a " little sawyer" who is only known by that 
 appellation. He had a sawmill at the mouth 
 of the little stream still known as the Saw 
 creek, and by the Dutch his mill was spoken 
 of in the possessive case as " de zaagertje's," or 
 the sawyer's. From this came the name of the 
 stream on which his mill was erected, then of 
 the locality, in time of the town and lastly of 
 the village. 
 
•I.f 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 A DECISIVE BATTLE. 
 
 " The Journal of the Esopus War," by Capt. 
 Martin Cregier, describes the destruction of 
 Wiltwyck (Kingston) by the Esopus Indians 
 in 1663, the capture of many of the women 
 and children, and the military expedition that 
 effected their release. A detachment of the 
 command, under Sergeant Niessen (Niese), 
 proceeded to Saugerties, while the main force 
 under Capt. Cregier tracked the savages and 
 their captives up the Wallkill valley. Capt, 
 Cregier's "Journal" says of Niessen's detach- 
 ment : 
 
 "July 12, 1663. Sergeant Niessen returned 
 with his troops bringing one squaw and three 
 children which they had captured. Examined 
 the squaw. She answered that some Kattskill 
 Indians lay on the other side near the Sager's 
 Kill, but they would not fight with the Dutch. 
 On the i6th, some Mohawks arrived and went 
 to see the Esopus Indians, and fetched from 
 them some captive Dutch women." There is 
 a text for a long sermon here. It is one inci- 
 dent in a story which had begun forty-five 
 
8 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 years before, and was to be continued one 
 hundred years more until the power of France 
 on this Continent would be overthrown under 
 Montcalm at Quebec by the British under 
 Wolfe. A crisis in that long struggle culmi- 
 nated on the borders of our town of Saugerties. 
 It is necessary to go back to the days of Hud- 
 son to see why the Katskill Indians would not 
 fight the Dutch, and the Mohawks compelled 
 the Esopus Indians to release their Dutch cap- 
 tives. 
 
 In August, 1609, Henry Hudson discovered 
 the beautiful river which bears his name and 
 ascended it as far as Waterford. While he was 
 prosecuting his voyage Samuel de Champlain 
 in Canada was carrying on the work begun by 
 Jacques Cartier, and had just discovered lovely 
 Lake Champlain, and was proceeding south 
 upon its waters. Thus representatives of these 
 two nations of Europe almost met. Almost, 
 but not quite. Champlain retired to Quebec 
 and Hudson returned to Europe to report 
 to his employers. A trading company was 
 formed in Amsterdam to prosecute the trade 
 for furs along the river and a trading post was 
 established about four miles south of Albany, 
 and here the Dutch unconsciously prepared 
 for the death grapple which their successors, 
 the English, would have with the French for 
 one hundred and fifty years until the Continent 
 
A DECISIVE BATTLE. 9 
 
 became the home, not of absolutism, but of 
 freedom, by a masterly act of John Jacob 
 Eelkens in 1618. 
 
 In the opening h'nes of "The Song of Hia- 
 watha" Longfellow sings : 
 
 ' ' In the vale of Tawasentha, 
 In the green and silent valley, 
 There he sang of Hiawatha." 
 
 This green valley was on the west side of 
 the Hudson, six miles south of Albany, at 
 what is now Norman's Kill. And here in the 
 spring of 1618, Eelkens, the commander of the 
 trading post, assembled the representatives of 
 the Five Nations and entered into a treaty of 
 peace and amity with them which was never 
 broken, though troubles and difificulties often 
 arose. And to this amity the English suc- 
 ceeded upon the passing of the province into 
 their hands and the French, despite all their 
 efforts, could never detach them, or weaken 
 that friendship. In the words of representa- 
 tives of these Indian tribes in 1737, one hun- 
 dred and nineteen years after this, addressed 
 to the English Governor of this province " In 
 ancient times when our fore-fathers first met 
 at this place we will tell you what happened 
 before there was a house in this place, when 
 we lodged under the leaves of the trees, the 
 Christian and we entered into a covenant of 
 
10 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 friendship." John Fiske says of this treaty that 
 " It was never violated or seriously infringed. 
 The Five Nations were all more or less stead- 
 fast allies of the Dutch, and afterwards of the 
 English until 1763." 
 
 The Indians of North America belonged to 
 two great families, the Iroquois and the Algon- 
 quin peoples. The seat of the former was the 
 Mohawk valley and the lake region of New 
 York. The five nations, or tribes, were savage 
 and powerful warriors and dominated the Con- 
 tinent. The tribes of the Hudson and of New 
 England and Canada were Algonquins. But 
 the aggressive Iroquois were forcing them into 
 subjection and at last became their tributary 
 lords. 
 
 Early in 1628 the Mohegans of the upper 
 Hudson, the Hoosic and the Hoosatonic valleys 
 were driven from their haunts by the Mohawks 
 and an Indian war was begun. To resist their 
 aggressions the Mohegans had allied them- 
 selves with the Katskill tribe and the Esopus 
 Indians and with other scattered bands along 
 the upper waters of the Delaware and Scho- 
 harie. But the terrible Maquas, or Mohawks, 
 had pressed down the Catskill creek from Scho- 
 harie on frequent raids. At last the Mohegans 
 intrenched themselves at the junction of the 
 Cauterskill and Catskill creeks and built another 
 fort at Jefferson Flats, west of Catskill. These 
 
^-^- 
 
o 
 
 O 
 
 <: 
 
 G 
 
 W 
 K 
 «-(■ 
 
A DECISIVE BATTLE. 11 
 
 forts were stockades of logs set close to each 
 other perpendicularly in the ground, and they 
 remained long after the Dutch had settled the 
 region. 
 
 Tidings of their purpose and of their prepa- 
 rations for defense reached the Mohawks and 
 they determined once for all to subdue the 
 river Indians. Down the Catskill creek from 
 Schoharie they descended upon the Mohegans 
 at their forts. The fighting was fierce and the 
 Mohegans were driven out. A stand was next 
 made at the spring along the Saugerties road 
 to Catskill just where the watering-trough is 
 standing above the Embocht school house. 
 But the onset of the Mohawks was irresistible. 
 They were driven down to the present Ulster 
 county line and took refuge on Wanton Island 
 in the Hudson, recently the site of the National 
 Ice Company's ice house. Here they fought 
 with the energy of desperation and the Mo- 
 hawks were unable to dislodge them. The 
 Mohawks withdrew and built their camp-fires 
 quite a distance at one side and appeared to be 
 thoroughly discomfited. The Mohegans were 
 deceived into abandoning the island to fall 
 upon their enemies, who, finding them at last 
 on the main land, and taking them in flank and 
 rear along the road to the present Smith's 
 Landing, and in the ravine just east of the 
 old Connelly blacksmith shop, fell upon them 
 
12 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 at dead of night with unearthly cries and with 
 fearful slaughter. Most were killed and many 
 were made prisoners. The power of the river 
 Indians was forever broken and the Iroquois 
 dominated the Continent. The tribes of New 
 England and Canada submitted and an annual 
 tribute of wampum and dried clams was exacted 
 by the conquerors. 
 
 Regularly every year this was collected. Two 
 Indians would start from the Mohawk castle, 
 proceed down the river of that name to the 
 mouth of the Schoharie, paddle up that stream 
 to its upper waters, then carry their birch bark 
 canoe by a short portage to the upper waters 
 of the Esopus creek and follow that stream to 
 its mouth at Saugerties, collecting tribute as 
 they went. Such was the prowess of the fear- 
 ful Iroquois that no one molested the embassy. 
 From Saugerties they paddled up the Hudson 
 either to Roelof Jansen's Kill (Livingston 
 creek) and ascended that stream, or followed 
 the Hudson to the Hoosic river above Troy 
 and entered the country of the New England 
 Indians from thence. But wherever they went 
 they were received with respect founded on the 
 fear their reputation inspired. 
 
 Many were the efforts made by the French 
 to detach them from the Dutch and English. 
 But down to the day in 1763, when Montcalm 
 and Wolfe both went to the grave at Quebec 
 
A DECISIVE BATTLE. 13 
 
 and the flag of France on this Continent 
 was forever furled, these efforts were unavail- 
 ing. Did Gov. Stuyvesant or Gov. Andros 
 negotiate a treaty with the Esopus Indians at 
 Kingston? Some Mohawk chieftain was pres- 
 ent to approve, or not. Did the Indians about 
 New York city confer with the colonial author- 
 ities? An Iroquois chief was there. Did New 
 England ofificials negotiate with red men ? The 
 consent of the Maquas was necessary. No 
 wonder that the captive Katskill Indian told 
 Capt. Creiger that her people would not fight 
 the Dutch. Thus though Saugerties was neu- 
 tral ground nevertheless on its borders occurred 
 a battle of tremendous consequence to the 
 future of America in its coming fight for free- 
 dom. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE EARLIEST RECORDS. 
 
 In the preceding chapter it is said that a 
 squaw informed Sergeant Niessen and his 
 troops that "some Kattskill Indians lay on 
 the other side near the Sager's Kill, but they 
 would not fight with the Dutch." This is the 
 earliest mention of the Sawyer's creek in the 
 old records and is under the date of July 12, 
 1663. It establishes the fact that the sawyer 
 from whom the town took its name had had a 
 mill there long enough before 1663 to name 
 the little stream. 
 
 The Indian treaties with Governors Stuy- 
 vesant in 1658 and 1664, and Nicolls in 1665 
 had extinguished the titles of the red men to 
 the lands at Kingston and to the west and 
 south of that place. The time had arrived 
 when this should be done to the territory north. 
 Therefore, in the spring of 1677, Governor Sir 
 Edmund Andros summoned the Esopus Indians 
 to a conference at Kingston with himself and 
 the magistrates of the town. The meeting was 
 held on the 27th of April, 1^77, and the follow- 
 ing is the ofificial account of the proceedings: 
 
THE EARLIEST RECORDS. 15 
 
 Conference Between Governor Andros and 
 THE Esopus Indians. * 
 
 Kingston, the 27th of Aprill, 1677. 
 
 Present — His Honor the Governor, Capt. Salis- 
 bury, Capt. Chambers, Mr. West and the Magis- 
 trates, and Geo. Davit, Interpreter. 
 
 His Honor, the Governor, asked the Esopus 
 Sachems, Sewerakan, Pomerewague, Kaelcop, An- 
 krop and the majority of the Esopus Indians, women 
 as well as men and youths, whether they had any 
 claims upon the land, occupied by us in pursuance of 
 the agreement made with His Honor, Governor 
 Nicolls, They went out and after some time spent 
 in deliberation, Kaelcop said that they did not think 
 they had sold land so far North, but they were well 
 satisfied we should have it provided His Honor 
 would give him a blanket, a shirt and a loaf of 
 bread. The Governor then inquired whether it 
 would satisfy them completely, to which he replied, 
 ''Yes, but if His Honor would add a piece of cloth 
 it would be well." He and the Sachems and all the 
 other Indians were told to point out, or describe the 
 boundaries as they were to be now. They described 
 them as follows : — Beginning at the Ronduyt Kil, 
 thence to a Kil called Kahakasnik North along the 
 hills to a Kil called Magowasinginck, thence to the 
 second fall, Easterly to Frudeyachkanieck on the 
 " Groote Revier," along the river South to Ronduyt 
 Kil, with everything lying within these boundaries, 
 good and bad, hills, valleys, waters, etc. 
 
 Kaelcop further declared that he had ceded to 
 the old sawyer his claim upon a kil called the 
 Sawyer's Kil, and the land stretching up to the 
 boundary of the land belonging to the Katskil 
 Indians along the river as far as the mountains above. 
 
16 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 Whereupon His Honor, the Governor, asked the 
 Sachems and all the other savages, old and young, 
 whether this was so ; they should give a free and 
 fearless answer. They replied it was so and nobody 
 else had any claim upon the land. Questioned 
 once more if they were satisfied with the aforesaid 
 payment they said ''Yes, fully." His Honor then 
 gave to Kaelcop in presence of all the others the 
 articles agreed upon as full pay, to wit : A blanket, 
 a piece of cloth, a shirt, a loaf of bread and baize 
 for socks. All being well satisfied, His Honor said 
 he intended to have the boundaries reviewed for 
 better satisfaction and desired Kaelcop and some 
 other Indians to go along and point out the land- 
 marks for which they should receive extra pay. 
 They accepted the proposition with thanks, and said 
 they were ready to go at any time. 
 
 Signed, 
 
 Kaelcop, for the Amogarickakan family. 
 
 Ankerop, for Kettsypowy. 
 
 KuGAKAPO, for the Mahow family. 
 
 Wengiswars, for the Kahatawis family. 
 
 Pamiere Wack, Sachem ; Senera Kau, Sa- 
 chem ; Mamarij Backwa, Sachem ; in 
 the name of all Esopus Indians. 
 
 In presence of His Honor and the undersigned : 
 
 Thomas Chambers, Hendrick Jochemsen, 
 
 G. Hall, Joris Davit, 
 
 JoosT, Sylvester Salisbury, 
 
 DiRCK Schepmoes, Will Rodeney, 
 
 E. Whittaker, John West, 
 
 Wessel TenBroeck, N. DeMeyer. 
 
 Testis, 
 
 Wm. La Montanye, Sec'y. 
 
THE EARLIEST RECORDS. 17 
 
 Thus is recorded in this Indian treaty of 
 1677 the fact that " the old sawyer" had secured 
 an Indian title to the Saw creek not only, but 
 to the land stretching from it to the lands of 
 the Katskill Indians, and as far back as the 
 mountains. The Indians always respected the 
 treaty, and no trouble with the whites ever 
 arose over the lands thus conveyed. So this 
 old sawyer, so far as Indian title could make 
 him, became the largest landholder the town 
 ever had. At least 15,000 acres must have 
 been conveyed him. But there is nothing to 
 show that he ever sought confirmation of his 
 title from the colonial authorities, and in fact 
 no one knows the name of him who gave the 
 name to the town of Saugerties. Nor has any 
 investigation ever disclosed when he secured 
 this Indian grant, nor when he first came here. 
 Cregier's Journal shows the stream thus named 
 fourteen years before the Andros treaty, or in 
 1663, so that he must have been here as early 
 as the first settlement of Kingston. For this 
 sawmill must have been there long enough 
 before that date to have named the little 
 stream. The date mentioned there, July 12, 
 1663, is the earliest mention of Sager's creek in 
 any record. The entry in that "Journal" is 
 given in the last chapter. 
 
 On the 28th of August, 1683, Col. Thomas 
 Dongan arrived in New York to be governor 
 
18 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 of the colony. In a few days he issued writs 
 for the choice of representatives of the free- 
 holders in a general assembly. On the 17th of 
 October, 1683, this assembly met. It was the 
 first meeting of representatives of the people 
 in a legislative assembly in the colony of New 
 York. At this first meeting of a legislature 
 one of the first acts was to divide the province 
 into counties, and twelve were created. One 
 of these was Ulster. Its description includes 
 these words " all the village neighborhoods and 
 Christian habitations on the west side of the 
 Hudson river from the Murderer's Creek to the 
 Sawyer's Creek," thus having its southeast 
 limit at the mouth of the creek entering the 
 Hudson just above Cornwall, at the High- 
 lands ; and its northeast in the present village 
 of Saugerties where the Saw creek empties 
 into the same river. Before the date of the 
 organization of Ulster county, November i, 
 1683, there is no record of a conveyance of 
 land and, presumptively, no settler. 
 
 This was not to remain so long. On the 
 15th of April, 1685, George Meals, a resident 
 of Albany, and Richard Hayes a resident of 
 Kingston, and both in the British service, 
 secured from the colonial authorities four con- 
 siderable parcels of land in the town of Sau- 
 gerties, the patents not being issued until May, 
 1687. One of these was for a swamp of three 
 
THE EARLIEST RECORDS. 1 9 
 
 hundred acres, now known as '* The Big Vly," 
 situate in the north of the town and lying 
 partly in Albany (now Greene) county. An- 
 other was situate on "The Old Kings Road" 
 along the Beaver creek, containing, the farm 
 known as the Kemble place, and was of two 
 hundred and fifty-two acres ; the third lay just 
 north of the present village of Saugerties, on 
 both sides of the Sawyer's creek, and contained 
 two hundred and one acres and the fourth, the 
 largest of all, was on both sides of the Esopus 
 creek at its mouth and contained four hundred 
 and forty-one and three-fourths acres. It was 
 described to be at a place ** called The Sagier's." 
 The bounds began on the Hudson just taking 
 in the falls at the mouth of the Saw creek and 
 proceeded in a direct line along the present 
 Division street of Saugerties village to about 
 the present bridge below the Geo. W. Wash- 
 burn place which spans the Tannery brook. 
 From thence it crossed the Esopus in a direct 
 line and ascended the hill to a point just west 
 of the Richard C. Washburn place. From 
 thence it proceeded in a straight line until 
 near the southerly bounds of the cemetery 
 on Barclay Heights and thence to the river. 
 November 22, 1687, George Meals and Sarah, 
 his wife, conveyed all their interest in the 
 patent to his partner, Richard Hayes, and on 
 the same day Hayes sold his interest in this 
 
20 HISTOR Y OF SA UGER TIES. 
 
 patent, so far as the south side of the creek 
 was concerned, and also in the Big Vly, to John 
 Wood. And on Oct. i, 1694, Sarah, wife of 
 the late George Meals, conveyed to Wood the 
 interest her husband and she had in the same 
 and which he in his lifetime had sold to Wood. 
 Then Richard Hayes and Goodwith, his wife, 
 sold the remainder of the village patent to 
 John Hayes, and on August 16, 1712, he con- 
 veyed the same to John Persen. So far there 
 had been no settlement on this tract. John 
 Persen became a settler. He built a grist mill, 
 established a ferry across the Esopus and in 
 his will, in 1748, bequeathed house, lands, mill, 
 negro slaves etc. to his wife. His daughter. 
 Vannitje, was the wife of Myndert Mynderse 
 who built the stone house on his estate which 
 is now the residence of F. T. Russell, whose 
 wife is a descendant. But up to the date of 
 the purchase by Persen (1712) there is no evi- 
 dence of any settler in the bounds of the 
 village. This date is subsequent to the coming 
 of the Palatines to West Camp, Oct. 4, 1710. 
 The records of conveyances of real estate show 
 that none of the Palatines settled in this village 
 until some years later. So it seems clear that 
 John Persen was the first settler within its 
 bounds, unless the nebulous sawyer be excepted. 
 John Persen was born in Kingston where he 
 was baptized Sept. 2, 1683. He was the son 
 
THE EARLIEST RECORDS. 21 
 
 of Sergeant Jan Hendricks Persen of the New 
 Netherland army and Annetje Mattys, his wife. 
 Both came to Kingston from Albany. John 
 Persen m.arried Anna Catryna Post, daughter 
 of Jan Jansen Postmael spoken of below. 
 Cornelius Persen, who kept the store in Kats- 
 baan, was a grand nephew of John. 
 
 On May 19, 1687, the same month in which 
 the Meals and Hayes patents were issued, Gov. 
 Dongan granted a large territory of land to 
 *' the Inhabitants and Freeholders of the town 
 of Kincrston" for their benefit. This tract 
 practically covered the present towns of Eso- 
 pus, Ulster, Kingston and Saugerties, except 
 what lay northeast of the Saw creek in the last- 
 named town, for the triangle between that 
 creek and the river in which is now West Camp 
 and Maiden was then part of Albany county. 
 The patent ordained and declared said inhab- 
 itants and freeholders a body corporate and 
 politic with succession forever, with full power 
 to hold and convey real estate and personal 
 property of every kind, and to sue and be sued 
 in the corporate name, and provided for an 
 annual election on the first Tuesday of March 
 of twelve trustees, to hold ofTfice for one year. 
 Thenceforth all applications for lands within 
 the present town of Saugerties west of the Saw 
 creek were to be made to the trustees of Kings- 
 ton Commons instead of the colonial author- 
 ities. 
 
22 HISTOR Y OF SA UGER TIES. 
 
 Now who was the first settler in this town ? 
 In 1763 upon the whole territory north of the 
 Esopus and within the village corporation of 
 to-day there were less than a dozen families 
 viz : Wilhelmus Burhans, Myndert Mynderse, 
 Isaac Post, Egbert Schoonmaker, Samuel 
 Schoonmaker, Hiskia Du Bois, Jan Post, 
 Abraham Post, Petrus Myer, Johannes Myer 
 and Jecobus Post. The most numerous of 
 these families are the Posts. They were de- 
 scended from Jan Jansen Postmael, spoken of 
 above, who emigrated from Harlingen, in Fries- 
 land, Holland ; married Jannitje Le Sueur, 
 daughter of Francois Le Sueur, and settled in 
 Harlem, New York. Afterwards he came to 
 Kingston where his son married Cornelia Yssel- 
 steyn in 1702. Their son Abraham, born in 
 1708, married Maria, daughter of Myndert 
 Schutt, who had the patent north of Maiden 
 which will be described in a subsequent chap- 
 ter, and Myndert Schutt had married Sarah, 
 a sister of John Persen spoken of above. The 
 Post families of the town were descended from 
 Abraham, who was not born until 1708, and 
 whose parents lived in Kingston. The first 
 conveyance of land to Abraham Post bears 
 date Feb. 28, 1735. 
 
 Wilhelmus Burhans obtained his property in 
 1740 from the Meals patent. He was the 
 father-in-law of John Brink, Jr., and this place 
 
THE EARLIEST RECORDS. 23 
 
 was known as the Brink place until very 
 recently. It was at the mouth of the Saw 
 creek on the Hudson and was the site of the 
 mill of " the old sawyer." Myndert Mynderse 
 obtained his property, as said above, through 
 the deed to his father-in-law, John Persen in 
 1712 ; Egbert Schoonmaker's deed is dated 
 Jan. 6, 1756; Samuel Schoonmaker's dates to 
 March 4, 1734; Hiskia Du Bois, March 2, 
 1722 ; while Petrus and Johannes Myer were 
 descendants of the Palatines of October, 17 10. 
 
 Passing over the town the same conditions 
 prevail. Aside from those of Palatine origin, 
 and thus Germans and not earlier than 1710 
 there were the following early Dutch settlers : 
 Harmanus Hommel on the Luther Myer farm 
 in Hommelville, March 4, 1727; Evert Wyn- 
 koop at the same date bought what is now the 
 Rio Alto Stock Farm ; and Arie Newkirk 
 bought a part of the Meals and Hayes tract 
 along the Old Kings Road on the same day. 
 Nicholas Trumpbour purchased the Evert Sax 
 farm in Katsbaan March 3, 1735 ; Coenraedt 
 Reghtmyer the Winne farm in Katsbaan Feb. 
 24, 1738, and Hermanns Reghtmyer the pres- 
 ent Rightmyer farm in Katsbaan in the same 
 year. 
 
 One of the earliest deeds given by the trus- 
 tees of Kingston Commons was of a small place 
 on the Old Kings Road to Johannes Minqua 
 
24 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 (or John the Minqua, or Mohegan), which sug- 
 gests that he may have been a full, or at least 
 a half-blood Mohegan, or Delaware Indian. 
 The deed is dated March i, 1715. 
 
 There are no grants of land preceding the 
 date of the Palatines (1710), except the Brink 
 patent at Mt. Marion ; the Paulison, the Trap- 
 hagen and the Winne grants. Of these the 
 Traphagen and the Paulison grants were sold ; 
 the Winne grant was made in 1692 and that of 
 Brink, which was the earliest of all and made 
 Feb. 6, 1688. This is the oldest grant in the 
 town except the Meals and Hayes patents 
 which precede it by about eight months. It is 
 stated in a former chapter that Cornelius Lam- 
 bertsen Brink immediately built upon his land 
 the old stone house which still stands upon the 
 hill just north of the covered bridge over the 
 Plattekill at the town of Ulster line, and much 
 of the tract is still in the possession of Charles 
 Brink, a descendant. 
 
 As a summary of this investigation it appears 
 to the writer that the first actual settler of the 
 town of Saugerties, aside from the undeter- 
 mined *' old sawyer," was his great-great-great- 
 great grandfather, Cornelius Lambertsen Brink, 
 who came into this town about February 6, 
 1688. 
 
 Thus the year 1700 saw but two settlers 
 within the limits of the town, Cornelius Lam- 
 
v3 
 
 a 
 
THE EARLIEST RECORDS. 25 
 
 bertsen Brink and Petrus Winne, unless the 
 sawyer was still living here. Who was he? 
 Jonathan W. Hasbrouck, who spent many 
 years gathering materials for a history of Ulster 
 county, which he never completed, speaks of 
 a Jacob Pietersen who lived at Saugerties about 
 1660, but does not give authority. He may 
 have been, if he ever existed, the sawyer. The 
 Seventeenth Century closed and a decade of 
 the Eighteenth passed without another con- 
 veyance of land within the bounds of the town 
 of Saugerties. It is probable that some trapper 
 may have made a temporary home in the wild- 
 erness which he shifted as game appeared more 
 plenty elsewhere. The trustees disposed of 
 the land on such easy terms that it was not 
 difficult to acquire homes and farms. Still, 
 before 1 710, but few were applied for. 
 
 In connection with the sawyer another ques- 
 tion arises: " For whom did the sawyer saw?" 
 A sawmill is not constructed to have its product 
 used, or consumed, solely by its owner living 
 under primitive conditions in an unsettled 
 wilderness. The Indian chief, Kaelcop, speaks 
 of him, as before stated, as being here in 1677, 
 while Capt. Cregier mentions Sager's creek in 
 1663, fourteen years previously, and twenty- 
 four years before the Meals and Hayes patents 
 and fifty years before John Persen settled in 
 this village and built the grist mill on the 
 
26 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 Esopus. There were no roads at that early 
 date as the Old Kings Road, the earliest in the 
 town, \vas the " ffootpath to Albany" as late 
 as 1670 and not laid out as a road until 1703. 
 It has been said that he sawed for Livingston, 
 the first proprietor of Livingston Manor. But 
 this Livingston was not born until 1654 and 
 received his grant in 1686 which was by royal 
 charter erected into a manor in 171 5. And 
 any one who knows the conditions of the Hud- 
 son at the mouth of the Saw creek would 
 hardly claim that the product of a saw mill 
 could be readily shipped in anything but a 
 flat-bottomed scow. The sawyer is mysterious 
 and his customers seem mythical, but his exist- 
 ence seems a sufficientlv attested fact. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE COMING OF THE PALATINES. 
 
 As the year of our Lord 1710 was drawing' 
 to its close there seems to have been but two 
 families settled within this town, both of whom 
 were living on the southern border on the Eso- 
 pus creek and the Plattekill. Since Petrus 
 Winne had obtained his grant in 1692 no one 
 had sought and secured a home within the 
 limits of this town. During those twenty years 
 its solitudes remained unbroken. Kingston on 
 the south slowly added to its population, and 
 Katskill (Leeds) on the north had had an un- 
 troubled existence and quiet growth since 1644. 
 But it was still the smallest of hamlets. Be- 
 tween the two settlements lay the primitive 
 wilderness and at the time of which we speak 
 almost untrodden by the red sons of the forest. 
 Their titles had been extinguished for a third 
 of a century, yet their successors seemed in no 
 hurry for its possession. In truth the whites 
 who could settle were very few. Emigration^ 
 which had but just begun to any extent at the 
 close of Dutch supremacy, had not yet awak- 
 ened under their British successors. In Octo- 
 
28 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 ber, 17 10, it was to come in as a flood, and the 
 present northeast corner of both the town of 
 Saugerties and the county of Ulster was to be 
 the scene. At that date, and for fifty years 
 longer, this spot was part of the county of 
 Albany (Greene) county. But as it was added 
 to Ulster in 1767, and is still in this county its 
 history will be treated as the history of the 
 town of Saugerties. For in October, 1710, the 
 -colony of Palatines came to East Camp and 
 West Camp. It was the largest emigration at 
 any one time in colonial days, and it brought 
 into Ulster county a colony of Germans to 
 become pioneers and founders with the Dutch 
 in Kingston, and the French in New Paltz. 
 
 Who were the Palatines? Whence came 
 they, and why? They came from their homes 
 on the sunny, castled Rhine along which his- 
 tory has been made since civilization began. 
 There has always been a '* Wacht am Rhein." 
 It has always been the battlefield of Europe. 
 Into the history of the Palatinate this history 
 cannot go. It can only briefly state the causes 
 of the emigration. 
 
 There are two Palatinates in Europe, the 
 Upper and the Lower. With the Upper, or 
 Bavarian, this history has no concern. It has 
 to do with the Palatinate of the Rhine, the 
 Lower Palatinate. It might be somewhat in- 
 definitely said to be Alsace and Lorraine of 
 
THE COMING OF THE PALATINES. 29- 
 
 what was France to 1871, and Wurtemburg 
 and Baden in Germany. Its capital was Hei- 
 delberg. Its principal cities were Mayence, 
 Mannheim, Spires and Worms among many 
 other historic ones. 
 
 The people were mostly Protestant, and 
 about equally divided between the Lutheran 
 and the Reformed faiths. In 1685, the year 
 the Meals and Hayes grant was made, which 
 was the first step towards the settlement of 
 this town, Louis XIV. revoked the Edict of 
 Nantes, which had given safety to the Hugue- 
 nots of France, and eighty years of prosperity 
 to that kingdom. At once the flight of the 
 best of Frenchmen began. Tens of thousands 
 fled to the Pfals, as they termed the Palatinate, 
 which name survives in our New Paltz. And 
 the anger of Louis was kindled against the 
 Palatinate where already his covetous eyes had 
 been resting. From that time these beautiful 
 Rhine provinces were almost unceasingly har- 
 ried by the hosts of France. Lust and rapine 
 stalked rampant through the land. The story 
 of the wars of the Grand Alliance, of the 
 Spanish Succession, or of any of those which 
 during the next twenty years " made the Pal- 
 atinate a cinder," would be of interest but can 
 not be told here. Every great city on the 
 Rhine above Cologne was taken and sacked. 
 The Elector Palatine, from the walls of Mann. 
 
30 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 heim, one day counted no less than twenty- 
 three towns and villages in flames. The brutal 
 soldiers of Louis even broke into the imperial 
 tombs in Spires and scattered the dust and 
 bones of the emperors. Many are the ruins 
 to-day along the castled Rhine which tell of 
 the atrocity of the army of the Grande Mon- 
 arque. 
 
 More than all the people suffered. Frozen 
 
 corpses lay over the fields, which in life they 
 
 had plowed and reaped. The conflagration of 
 
 Chicago did not sweep more insatiably than 
 
 did the besom of French destruction over this 
 
 land of the Rhine. Thousands of families 
 
 were homeless, and in direst straits wandered 
 
 through Germany, Holland and England. 
 
 Many permanently settled in those countries, 
 
 but the years 1708 and 1709 found 13,000 in 
 
 England still unprovided for. Queen Anne 
 
 was then on the throne and was first cousin to 
 
 their Prince. The Palatines never wearied of 
 
 singing her praises. One day a band of these 
 
 refugees led by one of their pastors, Rev. 
 
 Joshua Kocherthal, marched through the 
 
 streets of London. Their shovel hats, quaint 
 
 garments and wooden shoes were objects of 
 
 great curiosity to every observer. Their leader, 
 
 pastor Kocherthal, was a tall, grave man of 
 
 mature years. The queen sent for him and he 
 
 presented a petition for her favor as he, with a 
 
THE COMING OF THE PAL A TINES. 3 1 
 
 company of forty-one souls, who had taken the 
 oath of allegiance to her, were about to depart 
 for America. She questioned him minutely, 
 and he described himself and his people. She 
 was impressed by his sincerity, ability and force 
 of character and granted his request. He 
 brought his little colony here and settled them 
 on the Hudson where is now the city of New- 
 burgh. 
 
 As soon as he saw the colony firmly planted 
 he sailed for England. These few colonists 
 could be cared for. There were thousands 
 more in England who needed him. He had 
 another interview with the queen whose sym- 
 pathies were aroused, as were those of the 
 court and people. Collections had been taken 
 in the churches for their support. This history 
 will not tell the long story. Nor speak of the 
 serious problem before the government. At 
 last some wiseacre conceived the idea that Eng- 
 land, which was entirely dependent upon other 
 nations for naval stores, might produce them 
 herself from the pines upon the Hudson and 
 it was decided upon. Six thousand acres of 
 land were purchased from Robert Livingston 
 on the east side of the river and the FuUerton 
 tract of eight hundred acres on the west side, 
 and towards the end of January, i/io, ten 
 ships, upon which about 3,000 souls embarked, 
 set sail for the Hudson river. After weary 
 
32 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 years of death and destruction, after wander- 
 ings over Europe the largest exodus that ever 
 took ship to seek a new home sailed away. To 
 what? Before them a vast and stormy wintry 
 sea. Beyond it a vague wilderness and to most 
 of them twenty years more of wandering be- 
 fore final homes were found in Pennsylvania. 
 As the last of the emigrants embarked, a boat 
 was overturned and its occupants were drowned. 
 Then a great storm arose, separated the ships, 
 and for five months these poor exiles were 
 tossed about in their packed vessels during the 
 most inclement of winters with scant provisions 
 and with a mortal sickness on board, beating 
 against adverse winds in search of a home. 
 Before June 13, 17 10, when they reached New 
 York, 470 had died. Their voyage was one of 
 the most terrible in history. And they little 
 knew what was worse than all. A semi-serf- 
 dom awaited them. These people are usually 
 spoken of as '' poor Palatines." And they were. 
 They possessed absolutely nothing materially. 
 Lust, rapine, murder, outrage and war for 
 twenty years had taken care for that. Once 
 they had not been so. Their land had been 
 the garden of Europe. Who that has sung 
 " Bingen on the Rhine" of the Palatines needs 
 such information? And they had more. No 
 one who has ever seen the documents signed 
 by these Palatines needs be told that they 
 
THE COMING OF THE PA LA TINES. 33 
 
 came from lands of school houses. They were 
 the signatures of hands that were used to pens. 
 They came to West Camp Oct. 4, 17 10. Bark 
 and log huts were built for winter quarters. 
 Here they shivered and suffered. But they 
 built a church that very winter. And in Jan- 
 uary, three months after their landing, they 
 had a school house. And it was made of 
 sawed boards. Think what this means ! Think 
 what these exiles had passed through ! Think 
 where they were ! They could keep their 
 weary bodies alive somehow. But mind and 
 soul must have the best obtainable in this 
 howling wilderness. The world has long ad- 
 mired the high ideals the Pilgrims at Plymouth 
 rock had set before them. But the relative 
 needs of body, mind and soul were nevermore 
 clearly seen, nor more quickly provided for 
 than by these exiles from their home along the 
 sunny Rhine who, in the direst straits of pov- 
 erty, in semi-serfdom, in mid-winter, while 
 shivering frames lacked nutritious food, first of 
 all built themselves a school and a church. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 THE PALATINES AT THE CAMP. 
 
 On June 13, 1710, the first of the ten vessels 
 which had sailed from England dropped her 
 anchor in New York harbor. The new governor 
 of the colony, Col. Robert Hunter, came with 
 her, and on June 16, reports that ** three of the 
 Palatine ships are wanting, and those that have 
 arrived are in a deplorable condition." And 
 they were. Many cases of contagious diseases 
 were among the colonists. So it was decided 
 to disembark them upon Nutten (now Gov- 
 ernors) Island where huts were built for them. 
 Not until the end of July did all the ships 
 report, and even then one had never come 
 farther than the eastern end of Long Island 
 where she went ashore. Her passengers were 
 saved, but the goods were much damaged. 
 Since they sailed from England in the latter 
 part of January, 1710, four hundred and sev- 
 enty of their number had died at sea and 
 within eighteen months that number had in- 
 creased until one-fourth of the 3,000 who had 
 embarked had perished. 
 
 The death of so many of these emigrants 
 
THE PALATINES AT THE CAMP. 35 
 
 left more than three hundred widows, single 
 women and children upon Gov. Hunter's hands. 
 The London Board of Trade in their wisdom 
 had decided to send the Palatines to the Hud- 
 son river to make naval stores from the pines, 
 and had caused them, on Dec. 21, 1709, to sign 
 a covenant before they sailed by which they 
 agreed to " repay to Her Majesty the full sum, 
 or sums of money in which we are indebted to 
 Her Majesty," by " the production or manu- 
 facture of all manner of naval stores." They 
 farther promised not to leave the lands allotted 
 to them on any manner of pretense. For this 
 purpose they had been transported and now 
 Gov. Hunter set about colonizing them. 
 
 His first step, after placing the people on 
 Governors Island, was to find the most promis- 
 ing place in which the Palatines could accom- 
 plish the desire of the Board of Trade. He 
 immediately dispatched the surveyor-general 
 to the Mohawk river and to Schoharie to locate 
 a site. During his absence he issued an order 
 apprenticing the orphan children around in the 
 province and they were distributed from Liv- 
 ingston's Manor to Long Island. This in 
 those days meant a final separation in most 
 cases. It was the first act of the authorities 
 which embittered the people against the gov- 
 ernor. The report of the surveyor-general 
 recommended the settlement of the colony 
 
36 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 upon the banks of the Hudson at what became 
 East Camp and West Camp. This was the 
 second of their grievances. They had met in 
 England a deputation of Mohawks from whom 
 they had obtained a promise of lands at Scho- 
 harie, and they came to this country believing 
 they were to be sent there. They began to 
 complain that faith was not kept with them. 
 In vain did the governor tell them that Scho- 
 harie was on the frontier and could not be well 
 defended ; that there were no pines there for 
 the naval stores ; that were there pines there 
 in paying quantities there was no means of 
 transporting the product to navigable waters. 
 They answered that they had been promised 
 lands in Schoharie, and it was a violation of 
 agreement not to be sent there. 
 
 The governor was inexorable and about 
 Oct. 1st he bought the land on the east and 
 west sides of the Hudson. He made a con- 
 tract with Robert Livingston to feed them, and 
 on the sixth of October he began their sup- 
 port. On November 14, 1710, Gov. Hunter 
 writes : '* I have just returned from settling the 
 Palatines on Hudson's river. Each family hath 
 a sufificient lot of good arable land, and ships 
 of fifteen foot draught of water can sail as far 
 as their Plantations. They have already built 
 themselves comfortable huts and are now em- 
 ployed in clearing the ground. In the Spring 
 
THE PALATINES AT THE CAMP. 37 
 
 I shall set them to work in preparing the 
 trees." 
 
 The colony was composed of seven villages, 
 the four in East Camp being Hunterstown, 
 Queenstown, Annsbury and Haysbury, and the 
 three in West Camp were named Elizabeth- 
 town, Georgetown and Newtown. As stated 
 in the last chapter no sooner had huts to shelter 
 them been constructed than the colony began 
 to erect a church in which the two pastors, 
 Rev. Joshua Kocherthal, the Lutheran, and 
 Rev. John Frederick Hager, the Reformed, 
 officiated. And here for twenty years they 
 lived in religious harmony until those of the 
 Reformed faith built the church at Katsbaan 
 on the west side, and that of Germantown on 
 the east side of the river and left the church 
 at West Camp to the use of the Lutherans of 
 of the colony. With the church arose the 
 school. Three months had but just passed 
 when a school house " of sawed boards" is 
 reported, and these poverty-stricken colonists, 
 who protested that their children had been 
 taken from them and apprenticed to strangers, 
 had gathered the rest for instruction under a 
 teacher who is said to have been a man by the 
 name of Johannes Mattice Jung (Young). 
 
 In their huts of logs, brush and bark the Pal- 
 atines passed the winter of 1710-11 shivering 
 and suffering. Tradition, which fixes their 
 
38 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 coming on Dec. 24, says that the winter was 
 mild and open and the river did not freeze 
 over. But tradition, as it so often is, is griev- 
 ously at fault. According to the complaints 
 they made to the government the winter was 
 severe. They suffered greatly from the bitter 
 cold in their huts and tents in the wilderness, 
 and the insufficient clothing furnished. Further 
 than this they charged Livingston with provid- 
 ing food poor in quality, and inadequate in 
 quantity. What ground for these charges there 
 was cannot be ascertained. Nor how far their 
 natural disappointment was a factor. It must 
 be remembered that they had been full of 
 enthusiasm. The queen and the government 
 had been generous to them in England. 
 
 But they were now under men who were 
 attempting to make an enterprise financially 
 successful. The English government had in- 
 vested 8,000 pounds sterling in the scheme. 
 But every future dollar came from the pocket 
 of Gov. Hunter until he had sunk about 
 $130,000, and when it failed it was never 
 refunded him. The situation of the Palatines 
 was almost destructive of the last trace of 
 enthusiasm not only, but of hope. Unwit- 
 tingly it may be, but no less surely, they had 
 bound themselves by a covenant to reimburse 
 the cost of their transportion by a serfdom 
 which might last many years ; it was the dead 
 
THE PALATINES AT THE CAMP. 39 
 
 of winter in an inhospitable climate, in a howl- 
 ing wilderness, in sheds of bark and logs, and 
 with many relatives bound out among strangers 
 and from whom they might never learn tidings. 
 This happened in some cases at least. No 
 wonder there was dissatisfaction and com- 
 plaint. And all this was aggravated by the 
 attitude of the officials placed over them, who 
 carried themselves as masters among slaves. 
 
 As the snows disappeared the people began 
 to work preparing the pines for a flow of tur- 
 pentine. Jean Cast, a Frenchman, who had 
 been left by the governor as his personal rep- 
 resentative at the Camp, writes under date of 
 March 14, 171 1, ''The people are willing to 
 take their share of the salt beef which they 
 hitherto were unwilling to accept. While thus 
 occupied a great many of the settlers came 
 from all the villages to receive the tools sent 
 them from New York ; they all without excep- 
 tion evinced a modesty, civility and respect 
 which surprised, as much as it delighted me. 
 They have all exhibited equal readiness to clear 
 and prepare their gardens and have invited me 
 to spend a week with them." 
 
 But dissatisfaction increased. It soon be- 
 came apparent that the project would never 
 succeed. The trees were mostly white pine, 
 and although there were many pitch pines they 
 were but small. The children were set at work 
 
40 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES, 
 
 gathering pine knots, of which the forest was 
 full and from them about sixty barrels of tar 
 were made. This seems to have been the sole 
 result of the undertaking. By May, i/ii, the 
 murmurs of the people were so persistent that 
 the governor came up to the Camp and found 
 a mutiny brooding. They demanded to be 
 sent to Schoharie and claimed to have been 
 cheated in the contract they signed. He paci- 
 fied them and returned to New York, but was 
 overtaken before he reached the city with tid- 
 ings that the mutiny had broken out again. 
 He was compelled to put it down with a force 
 of soldiers. The Palatines returned to their 
 villages and to their tasks. All through the 
 following summer they labored on, resignedly 
 and steadily. They worked at the trees pre- 
 paring 15,000 a day until over 100,000 had been 
 made ready. But by the winter of 171 1 -12 
 their patience was exhausted. Fresh troubles 
 arose. It was upon the same grievances. Still 
 they remained quiet until the spring when the 
 governor ordered from Albany an additional 
 force of a lieutenant and thirty men. From 
 this time the colonists appear to have been 
 under a kind of compulsory servitude, a slav- 
 ery. No wonder they were in a state of 
 chronic revolt. They tell the story of the pre- 
 ceding winter in a "Statement of Grievances" 
 sent to the king. The winter was " very severe 
 
THE PALATINES AT THE CAMP. 41 
 
 and no provision to be had and the people bare 
 of clothes, which occasioned a terrible conster- 
 nation among theni and particularly from the 
 women and children the most pitiful and dolor- 
 ous cries and lamentations that have perhaps 
 ever been heard from any persons under the 
 most wretched and miserable circumstances, so 
 that they were at last, much against their wills, 
 put under the hard and greeting necessity of 
 seeking relief from the Indians." 
 
 In April, 1712, some of them upon the east 
 side of the river deserted and crossing sought a 
 refuge among their brethren of West Camp 
 and many passed over to the Dutch across the 
 Sawyer's creek in Ulster county. But the 
 magistrates of Kingston, responding to the de- 
 mands of the authorities of the Manor, sent 
 them back. They then determined to go to 
 Schoharie and some of them started, but were 
 compelled to return by force. Finally on Sep- 
 tember 13, 1712, the governor decided that the 
 scheme was a failure and gave permission to 
 the Palatines to shift for themselves. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE PALATINES FIND HOMES. 
 
 The release of the Palatines from the con- 
 tract to labor in making naval stores in payment 
 of the cost of their transportation to America 
 was accompanied by the notice that the " con- 
 tract is still binding and they must return on 
 call." But the failure was so complete that no 
 call was ever made and the colonists became 
 freemen. The Palatines on the Manor took 
 steps at once to secure that freedom. About 
 one-third of those on the east side of the river 
 remained there. The rest migrated to Scho- 
 harie. With their troubles in acquiring title 
 to the lands there and their dispersion to the 
 Mohawk and Pennsylvania we have nothing to 
 do here. Nor with the small band that founded 
 Rhinebeck and named it after their loved river 
 in the homeland. We must follow the Pala- 
 tines of our town. 
 
 It is difificult to determine the relative num- 
 bers of the colonists on either side of the river. 
 The colony had more than seven times the 
 acreage on the east side that it had on the 
 west side of the Hudson. Cobb's "Story of 
 
THE PALATINES FIND HOMES. 43 
 
 the Palatines" takes it for granted that there 
 was almost no tar-making on the west side. 
 But to one familiar with the soil on either side 
 of the river it would seem that the west bank 
 would be a natural home of the pine. The 
 soil fulfils the pine land conditions better. 
 Besides there is direct evidence of tar-making 
 at West Camp. At a meeting of the Palatine 
 commissioners on July 4, 171 1, it was resolved 
 that " Every two Palatine Coopers, whereof 
 there are 12 on this (east) side and 4 on the 
 other (west) side of Hudson's river have four 
 Palatines for their assistants, to cut down, saw, 
 and split the timber and assist in making the 
 barrel staves fit for the containing Tarr for 
 Transportation, and that the respective List 
 masters, or heads of Every Village on this side 
 Doe detach 24 men, and 12 men on the other 
 (west) side every munday in their turn -^^ * * 
 and there work till Saturday night." The list 
 masters (foremen) for the west side of the river 
 to supervise the tar-making were for Elizabeth- 
 town, John Christopher Gerlach ; for George- 
 town, Jacob Manck ; for Newtown, Philip Peter 
 Grauberger. But whatever the fact, one thing 
 is beyond dispute. The colonists at West 
 Camp remained where they were. They did 
 not go to Schoharie. The names of those pos- 
 itively known to have been here from the first 
 show that these families are in our town to this 
 
44 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 day in their descendants. There is one thing 
 remarkable. Although the purchased lands 
 upon the east shore were so much more than 
 upon the west it seems that the headquarters 
 was on this side. Here was built the church. 
 Here pastor Kocherthal lived, died and was 
 buried. Here the colonists were content to 
 stay. 
 
 It is an interesting question what was the 
 number of Palatines who came to the Camp, 
 and how many remained. But it is somewhat 
 difficult to answer. There is a discrepancy in 
 the different accounts of the number of those 
 who sailed from England in January, 1710. 
 The journal of Conrad Weiser gives 4,000. 
 Other accounts state the number at above 
 3,000. This number is probably nearer the 
 truth. On February 8, 171 1, the Lords of 
 Trade report to Queen Anne that the number 
 of Palatines settled at the Camp is 2,227. Of 
 these the names of 82 heads of families, and 
 a total of 257 persons is given as having win- 
 tered at West Camp. On March 25, 171 1, the 
 subsistence of 1,437 persons is reported. A 
 report made May i, 171 1, says that 1,761 per- 
 sons were here, of whom 583 are at West 
 Camp. The number given on June 24, 171 1, is 
 1,874, of whom 639 are at West Camp. Octo- 
 ber 24, 171 1, the number at the Camp is only 
 1,422. The last report of all is made a number 
 
THE PALATINES FIND HOMES. 45 
 
 of years after this, and after the exodus to 
 Schoharie, when 68o persons are reported at 
 Schoharie, 232 at West Camp and those at 
 East Camp are 359, with 140 at Rhinebeck. 
 At this time 40 are said to be in Kingston, or 
 probably, Kingston Commons, meaning else- 
 where in this town than in the vicinity of West 
 Camp. It is expressly said that no widows or 
 orphans are included in this statement. 
 
 In the covenant made between the Board of 
 Trade and the Palatines while in London, a 
 promise was made of an allotment to each per- 
 son of forty acres of land free of taxes, or rents 
 for seven years from the date of the grant, and 
 to be made at the conclusion of their service. 
 This was never made them. And when they 
 were released and bidden to seek for them- 
 selves, most of those at West Camp passed 
 over from the Fullerton patent to the Kingston 
 Commons seeking homes. In another chapter 
 we will see the effect of this upon the church 
 at West Camp for a generation and a half. 
 
 Nevertheless some families remained at West 
 Camp and acquired good titles to homes and 
 farms. On Oct. 10, 1715, Gov. Hunter reported 
 that the Palatines who were supporting them- 
 selves not only did so very comfortably, but 
 the more industrious really began to make 
 money. On July 7, 1717, he reports that all 
 earn a living and some are grown rich. 
 
46 HISTOR Y OF SA UGER TIES. 
 
 There is one quaint estimate of what the 
 colony would need made in November, 1710, 
 a month after the settlement, which, after giv- 
 ing the number of sets of harness, blacksmith's, 
 carpenter's and other tools and implements, 
 says that "some things are wanted forth with, 
 as a church for divine service in each of the 
 settlements ; a warehouse in ye same and house 
 for ye ofificers ; 3 pair of millstones; 250 cows 
 and 600 sowes." Also wanted " 100 pounds 
 in New York money to pay a Phisitian general, 
 40 pounds to pay 2 surgeons; 20 pounds to 
 pay 2 schoolmasters. Four nurses are wanted 
 for ye hospital at 216 pence a week. The sub- 
 sistence of the above will be paid." 
 
 A full list of the Palatines who came to New 
 York with Gov. Hunter, in June, 1710, was 
 never made, nor of those who came to the 
 Camp. And the constantly changing numbers 
 increases the difficulty of mentioning them. 
 But the following names of those who settled 
 on the west side of the river are taken from the 
 records, mentioning only those whose descend- 
 ants are found in this town. Peter Maurer, 
 (Mower), wife and an adult woman ; Frederick 
 Mirckle (Markle), wife, 2 lads and 3 girls ; Val- 
 entine Wolleben (Wolven) and wife ; Philip 
 Wolleben ; John Becker and son ; Albert Ded- 
 crick Marterstock and wife ; John Eberhard ; 
 Peter Wolleben, wife and three children; An- 
 
THE PALATINES FIND HOMES. 47 
 
 thony Kremer (Cramer) ; Stephen Frolich 
 (Freligh), wife and 3 children ; Gartrud Eiker- 
 tin (Eckert) and 2 children ; Peter Becker and 
 wife ; Valentine Ffaulkinberg, wife and one 
 child; Wilhelm Muller (Miller) ; Elizabeth Jung 
 (Young) and 3 children; Elizabeth Bayherin 
 (Bear) and one child ; John Michael Emerick 
 and wife ; Peter Diebel (Dibble), wife and 
 child ; Catherine Schultzin ; Christian Myer 
 and wife ; Peter Overbach and wife ; Hyerony- 
 mous Schib (Shoub) and wife. These spent 
 the first winter at West Camp. Among those 
 who came up from New York in the spring of 
 171 1, and during the summer are Palatines by 
 the names of Young, Plank, Bronck, Dederick, 
 Schutt, Newkirk, Eligh, Wanamaker, Valk, Sax, 
 Snyder, Romer, Felton, Hoffman, Schumaker, 
 Hauver, Hagedorn, Schaffer, Keyser, Sagen- 
 dorf, Riffenberg, Linck, Hoff, Winter, Dill, 
 Sharpe and Kieffer. And from those who 
 came in 1708 to Newburgh there came the 
 following: Daniel Fiero, Andreas Valck and 
 Isaac Turck and their families. 
 
 It is not within the scope of this history to 
 trace these families along the lines descending 
 from this Palatine stock. Descendants of most 
 are residents of this town to-day. The earliest 
 homes of many of them will be located in 
 subsequent chapters. 
 
 So Saugerties received its strongest element 
 
48 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 and the most numerous. At this time there 
 was but a handful of settlers within our borders 
 and these were Dutch. Some of the earliest 
 deeds granted were to Palatines. A few 
 Huguenot families were early resident. And 
 one or two English. But this influx of at least 
 two hundred and fifty people was enough to 
 stamp a character upon the community for 
 generations. They were an intelligent people. 
 Their signatures show that they were used to 
 handling a pen. The journal of Weiser is well 
 written. Their first act, which built a school 
 house immediately, proves it. And the next 
 chapter but one will show their leader, Koch- 
 erthal, to have been a man of fine education. 
 They were God-fearing, for their earliest record 
 is that they built a church forthwith, as well as 
 a school house. They were liberty loving. 
 Their semi-serfdom was irksome, and only 
 acquiesced in because they felt indebted to the 
 queen and her government for assistance. And 
 they were patriotic. Their record of service for 
 their adopted country is noble. The first win- 
 ter they sent a company of volunteers for 
 service against the French in Canada. And 
 during the Revolutionary war no patriots were 
 more self-sacrificing than they. Among the 
 apprenticed orphan children, previously spoken 
 of, was one named John Peter Zenger, who, in 
 .after years, established a paper in New York 
 
THE PALATINES FIND HOMES. 4^ 
 
 and fearlessly criticised the arbitrary colonial 
 government. He was arrested and imprisoned. 
 His trial and triumphant acquittal established 
 the freedom of the press in America, and would 
 be an interesting story, but it does not particu- 
 arly relate to the history of our town. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 THE WEST CAMP CHURCH. 
 
 No sooner had the Palatines been landed on 
 the shores of the Hudson at the Camp than 
 they took steps to provide a place for the 
 public worship of God. The authorities had 
 been advised that two such buildings be erected, 
 one on either side of the river. But without 
 waiting for the action of the civil authorities 
 the people themselves provided a place at 
 West Camp. And they did this the first 
 winter they were there. It has been often 
 said that pastor Kocherthal was not with the 
 colony at the Camp during the winter of 
 1710-11. But the baptismal register shows 
 baptisms during these months. If this be 
 answered that he was with the colony at New- 
 burgh and the baptisms were there it is sub- 
 mitted that Jean Cast, writing from West 
 Camp, March 27, 171 1, reports a conversation 
 with Kocherthal regarding the repugnance of 
 his flock to the making of tar and other naval 
 stores which unmistakably establishes the fact 
 of his presence there. 
 
 The church at West Camp was erected 
 
THE WEST CAMP CHURCH. 51 
 
 almost upon the site of the present one. As 
 the colony reached West Camp on or about 
 Oct. 4, 1710, it is probable that divine services 
 were immediately held and have continued 
 from that date, with an exception to be men- 
 tioned. The building was erected for the wor- 
 ship of the colony, which was composed of 
 Lutherans and those of the Reformed faith. 
 There were two pastors, the Rev. Joshua Koch- 
 erthal, Lutheran, and the Rev. John Frederick 
 Hager, Reformed. Hager resided at East 
 Camp, and we find them jointly reporting the 
 number of families under their charge in 1718. 
 In October, 1715, Hager petitioned Gov. 
 Hunter for leave and help to build a church 
 at East Camp, promising that services should 
 be performed after the liturgy of the Church 
 of England. Nothing resulted from the peti- 
 tion. 
 
 Tradition has always held that a bell was 
 presented to the church by Queen Anne which 
 has since disappeared. But it seems that tra- 
 dition must be m error. The church records 
 kept by Kocherthal do indeed mention the bell 
 given by Her Majesty. But Kocherthal had 
 brought over the Quassaick (Newburgh) colony 
 in 1708, two years before he brought the Camp 
 colony. With the first colony he brought the 
 bell as his records, which cover both colonies, 
 show. They also show that the bell was loaned 
 
52 HISTOR Y OF SA UGER TIES. 
 
 to the Lutheran church in New York, where it 
 remained for more than twenty years, when it 
 was brought to Newburgh in 1733. Kocherthal 
 died in 1719, when about to journey once more 
 to England with a Palatine commission to 
 secure the promises covenanted to the colonists. 
 The church was served by Hager for a while 
 and then by the Rev. John Jacob Ehle, Re- 
 formed, and the Rev. Daniel Falckner and the 
 Rev. W, C. Berckenmayer, Lutherans, the last a 
 son-in-law of Kocherthal. These services were 
 continued occasionally until 1729. In 1727, 
 the present Reformed Church was organized at 
 Germantown, and in 1730, the Rev. George 
 Wilhelmus Mancius came from Holland to the 
 Camp, and finding most of the colony settled 
 upon lands of the Kingston Commons and 
 worshipping on the Kats Baan became their 
 pastor. In 1732, upon his incitement, they 
 erected the old stone church there. From this 
 time the records cease at West Camp until 
 after the death of Mancius in 1762. In 1765, 
 they began again, and in 1775, the Rev. Philip 
 Groz was settled as pastor in West Camp. 
 The old church was replaced by a new one 
 about 1791-2, and was afterwards rebuilt. In 
 1871, it was torn down after the erection on a 
 site but a few feet distant of the present beau- 
 tiful structure. 
 
 What was the reason for this long lapse in 
 
THE WEST CAMP CHURCH, 53 
 
 the records of the church ? A suggestion seems 
 to be in what has been told in this connection. 
 The settlement at West Camp was upon the 
 patent of Thomas FuUerton. This was repur- 
 chased by the British government through Gov. 
 Hunter, who advanced $130,000 towards the 
 naval stores scheme. When the project failed 
 the sfovernment would not reimburse Hunter. 
 His money was invested but the sole asset was 
 the property here at the Camp including the 
 Fullerton tract. So there was a cloud on the 
 title to the lands. The Palatines passed over 
 the Sawyer's creek to the Kingston Commons 
 and took up land there. Here there was plenty 
 which could be purchased for not more than 
 $2.50 per acre, or leased for ten years at a rental 
 of two fat hens per annum and after that time 
 for not more than a peck of wheat per acre 
 with the privilege of purchase at any time. 
 And most of the Palatines availed themselves 
 of the privilege. For many years most of the 
 families resided there and after the Katsbaan 
 church was built worshipped there. For Man- 
 cius preached in German at Katsbaan, at least 
 at first, and afterwards both in German and 
 Dutch. At his death in 1762 his successors 
 preached in Dutch only. By this time the 
 land question was settled and West Camp had 
 received its proportionate share of settlers. 
 Then a pastor came and the records on the 
 
54 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 church book are continued. Thus this church 
 at West Camp is the oldest within the present 
 town of Saugerties. From 1765 the services 
 have been regularly held and are to this day. 
 The congregation is large and widely extended. 
 A curious difference has always been manifest 
 between the Palatines holding the Reformed 
 faith in this town and those of the Lutheran. 
 The Reformed intermingled with the Dutch 
 and Huguenot element not only, but built no 
 less than five Reformed churches in different 
 parts of the town, while the Lutheran element 
 intermingled comparatively little, and all re- 
 mained loyal members of the original church 
 at West Camp wherever they resided. 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 THE PALATINE LEADER. 
 
 It remains to speak of the remarkable man 
 who led the exodus from the Palatinate into 
 England and then brought two colonies across 
 the Atlantic to the valley of the Hudson. He 
 was not only the pastor of the flock, but their 
 leader and guide in temporal affairs, their coun- 
 sellor and friend. He was just in the prime of 
 life, a tall and grave man, scholarly and retiring 
 and of a winsome personality. He impressed 
 all with whom he came in contact, whether the 
 Lords of Trade, or the people of England ; 
 whether Queen Anne, or his suffering com.pa- 
 triots. Her Majesty set aside customs in his 
 favor and provided for his support as a clergy- 
 man in a communion not of the Church of 
 England. His entries in the records of his 
 church show a poetic soul whom the dark 
 waters of affliction could not overwhelm ; a 
 Christian scholar whose interpretation of his 
 varied experiences accorded with a faith which 
 surmounted every obstacle and found every 
 event another proof of the favor of his Master 
 and Friend. 
 
56 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 As we have been telling the story of the 
 colony we have given glimpses of his spirit. 
 We will add some matters of his personal 
 record. The Rev. Joshua Kocherthal was 
 born in the year 1669, the year of the birth 
 of his beloved Sibylla Charlotte, as he calls his 
 wife. She accompanied him upon his first 
 voyage which brought the Newburgh colonists, 
 and with them their three children. Two 
 others were born in this country. On their 
 voyage out they came with the fleet bringing 
 Lord Lovelace, the new governor of New York 
 and New Jersey. The weather was tempestu- 
 ous and they were eleven weeks at sea, reach- 
 ing New York on New Years Day, 1709, having 
 suffered severely. He left his wife and children 
 in New York on his return to England for the 
 larger emigration and while he was away his 
 fourth child was born. The story of the six 
 months voyage to New York with the 3,000 
 Palatines in 1710, we have already told, of 
 their hardships, sufferings from fever and 
 storm, their serfdom and final dispersion. In 
 all this their pastor was their constant guide, 
 counsellor and helper. September, 17 12, saw 
 the release of the people from their thankless 
 and grinding task at the pines. It also wit- 
 nessed the breaking up of the pastor's flock. 
 A little over one year more and his beloved 
 Sibylla Charlotte was called away on Decem- 
 
THE KOCHERTHAL TABLET. 
 
THE PALATINE LEADER. 57 
 
 ber i6, 1713, and the pastor was left alone 
 with his five children, the oldest of whom, 
 Benigna Sibylla, was a girl of fifteen years. 
 Faithfully, for six years longer he lived and 
 served in West Camp and shepherding the 
 people of his widely scattered charge. Then 
 the Palatines at Schoharie, along the Mohawk 
 and here on the Hudson, disappointed in not 
 receiving their promised lands, determined to 
 send a committee to London to secure from 
 the government the lands they claimed at 
 Schoharie and asked their pastor to go. He 
 consented, but while preparing, suddenly ex- 
 pired. With reverent hands his affectionate 
 people laid his weary frame to rest in the green 
 field southeast of the church at West Camp 
 and here in 1742, his daughters laid over his 
 grave a large slab of brown stone bearing a 
 quaint German inscription which was written 
 by some one not too familiar with that lan- 
 guage, and which, after correcting some mani- 
 fest errors is as follows : 
 
 '* Wisse Wandersmann unter diesem Stein 
 ruht nebst seiner Sibylla Charlotte ein rechter 
 Wandersmann der Hoch-Deutschen in Nord 
 Amerika, ihr, Josua, und derselben an der Ost 
 und West Seite des Hudson's river rein Luth- 
 erischen Prediger. Seine erste Ankunft war mit 
 Lord Lovelace 1707-8, den iten Januar. Seine 
 zweite mit Col. Hunter, 1710, den 14, Juny. 
 
58 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 Seine Englandische Rueckreise unterbrach 
 seine Seelen Himmelische Reise an St. Jo- 
 hanestage, 1719. Begehrst du mehr zu wissen 
 so untersuche in Melancthon's Vaterland wer 
 war der Kocherthal, wer Harschias, wer Win- 
 chenbach. 
 
 B. Berkenmayer, S. Huertin, L. Brevort. 
 MDCCXLII." 
 
 The three names at the bottom are those of 
 his three daughters Benigna, Susanna and 
 Louisa, and Berckenmayer, Huertin and Bre- 
 vort were the names of their respective hus- 
 bands. Who Harschias and Winchenbach 
 were the writer has never learned. The Rev. 
 PhiHp Lichtenberg, formerly of this village, 
 thus translated the inscription : 
 
 "Know, traveller, under this stone rests, be- 
 side his Sibylla Charlotte, a real traveller, of 
 the High Dutch in North America their Joshua 
 and a pure Lutheran preacher of the same on 
 the east and west side of the Hudson river. 
 His first arrival was with Lord Lovelace in 
 1709, the first of January. His second with 
 Col. Hunter, 1710, the fourteenth of June. 
 The journey of his soul to Heaven on St. 
 John's Day, 17 19, interrupted his return to 
 England. Do you wish to know more? Seek 
 in Melancthon's Fatherland who was Kocher- 
 thal, who Harschias, who Winchenbach?" 
 
THE PALATINE LEADER. 59 
 
 But the character of the Palatine leader and 
 his poetic nature are most fully shown in the 
 entries in his own handwriting in the records 
 he kept of baptisms, marriages and the like in 
 his church book. The title page, under date 
 of December, 1708, has this inscription: "^ 
 vie Josua de Valle Concordics, vulgo Kocherthaly 
 ecclesicB Germanice Neo-Eboracen ministro pri- 
 mo'' (by me, Joshua, of the Valley of Concord, 
 commonly called Kocherthal, first minister of 
 the German church in New York). The bap- 
 tismal record has this caption ; '''Jesu Auspice^'* 
 (Jesus our Leader). The list of church mem- 
 bers is headed: "" Jesu ecclesicB sues Auctore et 
 Conservatore'' (Jesus, Author and Preserver of 
 His Church). Where he recorded gifts to his 
 church he placed at the head of the page : 
 ^' Jesu retribuente,'' (Jesus Repaying). Over the 
 record of his marriages he wrote '' Jesu ccelesti 
 nostrarum animariim Sponso,'' (Jesus, heavenly 
 Bridegroom of our souls). And when he re- 
 corded the death of those who passed away he 
 wrote "•/esu Vivificantey (Jesus vivifying). 
 
 Here in the green fields of his own Newtown^ 
 on the banks of the Hudson, his remains rested 
 as in a new valley of concord until 1896 when 
 they were disinterred and placed under the 
 West Camp church and the stone that had so 
 long covered his grave was removed and placed 
 in the vestibule of that edifice as a mural tablet. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 SIXTY FORMATIVE YEARS. 
 
 From the date of the abandonment of the 
 scheme for the production of naval stores by 
 the Palatines in September, 17 12, to the begin- 
 ning of the Revolutionary war, there is but 
 little for a historian of this town to record. 
 Less than seven hundred people resided in its 
 borders and there were but three centres of 
 population, Katsbaan, West Camp and Sau- 
 gerties, and these but small clusters of houses. 
 Former chapters have shown where scattering 
 farmers lived. There were no factories, but 
 such as saw mills, grist mills and the like inci- 
 dental to the wants of an agricultural people. 
 Of these and of other industries which arose 
 soon after the Revolution, another chapter will 
 speak. It is here proposed to tell the few 
 historical incidents of the period between 1715- 
 
 75. 
 
 To do that is to begin with the troubles 
 between the English and French in 1710-11 in 
 America in which the Palatines took part. It 
 was an incident in the long struggle for the 
 possession of North America which is so fully 
 
SIXTY FORMATIVE YEARS. 61 
 
 told in the glowing pages of Francis Parkman. 
 During the summer of 1710, when the Pala- 
 tines were at New York preparing for the 
 settlement at the Camp, an expedition against 
 the French in Canada was decided on. During 
 the first winter of the Palatines at the Camp 
 (1710-11) they were called upon to furnish 
 volunteers. Such a summons could not fall 
 upon more willing ears. The long and brutal 
 career of devastation and death during which 
 they had suffered from the French in the 
 homeland was not forgotten and with alacrity 
 they enlisted. Two companies were formed, 
 one of fifty-nine men under Capt. John Con- 
 rad Weiser and one of fifty-two men under 
 Capt. Hartman Winedecker. A force of 1,600 
 men from New York, New Jersey and Con- 
 necticut was mustered at Albany for the inva- 
 sion of Canada, and a fleet of sixteen men-of- 
 war and forty transports with troops sailed 
 from England for the St. Lawrence. But this 
 fleet was wrecked on the rocks in that river 
 and the invading force, hearing of the tidings 
 as they reached Lake Champlain, returned to 
 Albany and disbanded. 
 
 During the decade and a half that succeeded 
 the dispersion of the Palatines the town gradu- 
 ally acquired population. The Palatines were 
 reinforced by Dutchmen coming from King- 
 ston until, by 1730, the vicinity of Katsbaan 
 
62 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 had many settlers. About 1727 Johannes 
 VanDriessen, a brother of Rev. Petrus Van- 
 Driessen, pastor of the Reformed church of 
 Albany, through forged certificates, succeeded 
 in obtaining from the Congregationalists of 
 Connecticut, an ordination to the ministry. 
 He came to East Camp, organized the present 
 Reformed church of Germantown and built an 
 edifice. Complaint was made to the Classis of 
 Amsterdam, in Holland, and by that body all 
 who were concerned therein were censured, 
 and Rev. George Wilhelmus Mancius, (who 
 had just been ordained), seems to have come 
 to America to the Camp to investigate. He 
 sailed from Amsterdam July 12, 1730. Arriv- 
 ing at East Camp he found himself powerless. 
 The people were attached to VanDriessen and 
 content in the long-desired church. So he 
 passed over the river to West Camp. Examin- 
 ing into the state of affairs there and finding 
 most of the colony worshipping two miles 
 westward on the hill at Katsbaan he became 
 their pastor in the autumn of 1730 and in 1732 
 the old stone church was built. Soon the 
 whole flock was worshipping here. For some 
 reason, presumably for the one given else- 
 where, which was the difficulty in acquiring 
 title to lands east of Sawyer's creek, most of 
 the colony had settled on Kingston Commons 
 and services at West Camp were interrupted 
 
SIXTY FORMATIVE YEARS. 63 
 
 until 1765 when they were regularly contin- 
 ued. But we can not enter here upon the 
 farther history of the Katsbaan church. 
 
 In 1754 Gen. Edward Braddock was com- 
 missioned by the British government as Com- 
 mander-in-Chief of all their forces in America 
 and sent to the colonies. With his disastrous 
 expedition this history is not directly con- 
 cerned. But the French and Indian war then 
 beginning affected this town. The operations 
 against France were to be carried on all along 
 the line and to Sir William Johnson was 
 intrusted the command of an expedition 
 against Crown Point of 6,000 men of New 
 England and New York. Some of these were 
 from Ulster county and a few may have been 
 recruits in our town. But in 1757 a grand 
 campaign against Canada was projected. One 
 expedition was determined upon to proceed by 
 the way of Lake Champlain and was placed 
 under the command of Gen. Webb. He 
 reached Fort Edward with 4,000 men. Col. 
 Munroe, another British officer, was at Fort 
 William Henry, sixteen miles distant, with 
 3,000 men. Montcalm, in command of the 
 French and Indian forces, approached with 
 9,000 reported troops and Col. Munroe called 
 upon his superior. Gen. Webb, for assistance. 
 It was not sent. Montcalm came upon Col. 
 Munroe and for six days the latter was 
 
64 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 besieged, when finding no reinforcements com- 
 ing he was compelled to surrender on the 
 promise that he should march out of Fort 
 William Henry with the honors of war. But 
 the French ruthlessly violated the terms and 
 permitted their savage allies to murder and 
 torture those who had relied upon their prom- 
 ise and surrendered. Among the troops under 
 Webb lying but sixteen miles away and clam- 
 oring to be led to the relief of their country- 
 men were many of the Ulster county militia 
 and of these was a company from Saugerties 
 under the command of Capt. Tobias Wyn- 
 koop, who resided upon the Old Kings Road 
 on the farm now known as the Kemble place. 
 
 These Ulster county troops numbered three 
 hundred and were commanded by Col. Thomas 
 Allison. They proceeded to Albany by sloops 
 and then marched under a torrid August sun 
 from Albany to Fort Edward in two days, 
 carrying upon their backs their full equipment. 
 Many dropped out by the way and the energy of 
 the officers occasioned much complaining from 
 the men. But officers as well as men marched, 
 carrying muskets, fording streams and hasten- 
 ing forward unceasingly. And when they 
 heard that the army was not to go to the relief 
 of Munroe their indignation knew no bounds. 
 It is said of the Ulster regiment that the whole 
 contingent got under arms in less than an hour 
 
SIXTY FORMATIVE YEARS. 65 
 
 and waded across the Hudson through water 
 reaching their shoulders clamoring to be led 
 against their hated foe. For many of them 
 were from the valley of the Rondout and had 
 long been sufferers from Indian outrage in 
 Sullivan county, in Orange and in Wawarsing, 
 and they had cheerfully enlisted to make an 
 end of the atrocious warfare the French and 
 Indians were conducting. This western fron- 
 tier of Ulster county was peculiarly harassed 
 by Indians during these years, and Sergeant 
 Abraham Post, of Saugerties, had led a band 
 of Saugerties men as scouts along this frontier 
 during the year 1757. 
 
 For the campaign of 1758 Ulster county was 
 called upon to furnish 228 men. There is no 
 means of ascertaining how many were from 
 this town. No Ulster county troops were with 
 Abercrombie at his defeat at Ticonderoga as 
 they had been sent with the force of Col. Brad- 
 street to reduce Fort Frontenac, on Lake 
 Ontario. This was captured and the troops 
 returned to Albany. The campaign of 1759 
 resulted in 4:he capture of Quebec by Wolfe 
 and the end of the war. But it is impossible 
 to give the names of those who served, or tell 
 who were the soldiers from this town. It seems 
 probable that the company of Capt. Tobias 
 Wynkoop was a part of this force against Fron- 
 tenac in 1758 and of that of 1759 which, under 
 
66 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 Amherst, succeeded in driving the French from 
 Lake Champlain. But who composed it can 
 not be told at this late day. The records have 
 disappeared, or none were ever kept. 
 
 From this date until the Revolution no event 
 for the historian seems to have occurred. The 
 people quietly pursued their business from 
 which they were to be aroused to battle for 
 their liberties in the great contest with Eng- 
 land. Here they nobly bore their part. An 
 attempt will be made to show where they re- 
 sided within the borders of this town when the 
 contest began. In the chapters to follow it is 
 proposed to tell the part borne by men of Sau- 
 gerties, of whom so many served, and whose 
 honored remains rest in so many of the ceme- 
 teries of this town. In too many cases their 
 dust has returned to kindred clay and no mark 
 is on the spot. In others the stone needs an 
 Old Mortality to decipher it. The Saugerties 
 Chapter of the Daughters of the American 
 Revolution, composed of the descendants of 
 those patriots of this town, have sought out 
 many of those graves, and have determined to 
 care for them, and upon each Memorial Day 
 lay a wreath upon each while others do the 
 same to those who fought to preserve what 
 they fought to secure. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 SAUGERTIES VILLAGE BEFORE THE 
 REVOLUTION. 
 
 Before the story of the War of the Revolu- 
 tion is taken up it is proposed to pass over the 
 earlier settled portions of the town and con- 
 sider such of the families then resident as 
 were possessors of original patents, grants, or 
 deeds, and where they were located before 
 that great conflict. In doing this the point 
 of view will be the decade 1760-70, looking 
 towards our own time (1900). It is proposed 
 to invite to a walk about town. The tramp 
 will be over so much of the present village of 
 Saugerties as lies on the north side of the 
 Esopus creek. Instead of the spreading town 
 which would greet us in 1900, within its 
 bounds there are but twelve^^wellings, all 
 told, and a school house. There is no church 
 edifice, as the people worship at the " steene 
 Kerk op de Kats Baan," although for six 
 years from 1780 to 1786 the pastor, Rev. Lam- 
 bertus De Ronde resided in the Post house on 
 the grounds of the present residence of Mrs. 
 Dawes. We will set out for our walk from 
 
68 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 the spot from whence the village takes its 
 name. This is at the falls in the Saw creek at 
 the Mason residence which will be for genera- 
 tions known as the Brink homestead. The 
 mill of the old sawyer, or little sawyer, as he 
 was familiarly called, (klein zaagertje,) stood 
 here where the waters tumble down into the 
 river out of this wild ravine. 
 
 On March 3, 1740, Barent Burhans, the 
 miller, was recently deceased and had pur- 
 chased, during his lifetime, a part of the pat- 
 ent of George Meals and Richard Hayes to 
 lands at Saugerties. This patent is dated 
 May, 1687. His four sons Johannes, William, 
 Jacob and David, that day released each other 
 and the trustees of Kingston Commons gave 
 them a deed for their lands. John Brink, Jr., 
 will marry a daughter of William Burhans and 
 the place thus pass into the Brink family. 
 John Brink will then establish a ferry across 
 the Hudson to Chancellor Livingston's, which 
 ferry will survive in the ferry to Tivoli. His 
 son, Capt. Andrew Brink, will run a sloop to 
 New York, carrying among other things the 
 farm products of Livingston, and when Robert 
 Fulton with Livingston will build the Cler- 
 mont, will be associated with them, and com- 
 mand the boat upon her successful steam 
 voyage, August 3, 1807, and that night she 
 will lie anchored just opposite where we stand 
 
EARL Y SA UGER TIES. 69 
 
 to resume her voyage in the morning to 
 Albany. When she is fitted up for passengers 
 she will be commanded for some time by Capt. 
 Brink. John Brink, Jr., will be a soldier of 
 the Revolution and enlist three times during 
 that war, and serve in succession in different 
 regiments. His remains will lie with other 
 soldiers of the same conflict in Main street 
 cemetery. This place will remain in the Brink 
 family until nearly 1900. 
 
 We would say in passing that we are stand- 
 ing at the northeast boundary of Ulster county 
 on the Hudson as the act dividing the province 
 into counties in 1683, bounded Ulster county 
 on the Hudson from Sawyer's creek to Murder- 
 er's creek, which is between Newburgh and 
 Cornwall. In 1767, the legislature will change 
 the county line and it will start from the river 
 at Wanton Island, near Smith's Landing, in- 
 stead of from here. 
 
 Now let us pass to the south along the river. 
 We are on the large Meals patent. Here is 
 the stone house of Myndert Mynderse, built in 
 1743, twenty years before our walk. It is on 
 the first land grant in the town given to George 
 Meals and Richard Hayes covering 441^ acres 
 on both sides of the Esopus creek at its 
 mouth. George Meals subsequently conveyed 
 his interest to his partner who conveyed the 
 same to John Hayes, from whom it passed to 
 
70 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 his son-in-law, John Persen. He in turn be- 
 queathed it to his daughter, the wife of the 
 Myndert Mynderse spoken of. This place will 
 be in 1900, still in possession of the family in 
 which it has remained for eight generations. 
 John Persen built a grist mill on the falls of 
 the Esopus and a scow ferry. Here an iron 
 bridge will be built in 1874. Another ferry 
 will be maintained at Stony Point until a pon- 
 toon bridge replaces it, which Henry Barclay 
 will buy. These ferries in turn will be suc- 
 ceeded by a wooden bridge in 1839, ^^^ ^^^^ 
 by the above mentioned iron bridge. 
 
 We journey on past the old grave yard on 
 the Mynderse place with its venerable stones. 
 Notice the beautiful prospect over the Hudson. 
 None is finer in this vicinity. At the foot of 
 the hill on the dock is standing the old Post 
 house under one of the largest buttonball trees 
 along the river. 
 
 From here we return northward. On this 
 corner of Main and Maiden streets is the house 
 of Egbert Schoonmaker It will be still in the 
 family of a descendant, the son of the late 
 Peter P. Schoonmaker, in 1900. A little north 
 is that of Samuel Schoonmaker near the second 
 Meals' patent. Attention is directed to the 
 fact that this land is a natural park. The lands 
 of this region were heavily wooded except 
 directly north of the village until about the 
 
EARL V SA UGER TIES. 7 1 
 
 vicinity of the ** People's Road " east of the 
 Canoe Hill. This park had long been culti- 
 vated by the Indians in maize, or Indian corn. 
 In Capt. Martin Cregier's "Journal of the Eso- 
 pus War," written Sept. 24, 1663, he writes: 
 ** The party that was sent out in the night 
 returned home about two o'clock in the after- 
 noon ; they were at Sager's Killetje, on the 
 Indian maize plantation, but saw no Indians, 
 nor anything to indicate that they had been 
 there for a long time, for the maize had not 
 been hoed and could not come to its full 
 growth, but had been much injured by the wild 
 beasts ; neither will any of it reach perfection, 
 except one plantation of it, which was good, 
 having been hoed by the Indians. It was, 
 however, much injured by the wild beasts; 
 each of our people brought a load of it home 
 an his back and left some more standing which 
 we will when convenient bring hither. They 
 also say that it is beautiful maize land, suitable 
 for a number of bouweries and for the imme- 
 diate reception of the plough." 
 
 It is well to notice that it is to John Persen, 
 mentioned above, that the old stone church of 
 Katsbaan is indebted for the grant upon which 
 the church stands, which he obtained for it in 
 March, 1731, from the trustees of Kingston 
 Commons and he was the first elder in its con- 
 sistory. And, returning to Egbert Schoon- 
 
72 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 maker's, we should remark that the church will 
 owe its continued life during the interval from 
 the death of Domine Mancius in 1762 to the 
 settlement of De Ronde as its pastor in 1780, 
 a period of eighteen years, to its most active 
 elder, Egbert Schoonmaker, whose efforts will 
 keep it alive during the time when the Dutch 
 Reformed church is rent by an ecclesiastical 
 contest, and the country is at war and Kats- 
 baan without a pastor. 
 
 From the house of Egbert Schoonmaker on 
 the corner we pass westward. Here are two 
 houses on opposite sides of the street belong- 
 ing to Hiskia DuBois. One will be long 
 known as old Kiersted house. Just west of 
 these and near where will be the Reformed 
 church resides John Post. His brother, 
 Abraham, keeps tavern still farther westward. 
 It is the village gathering place. It is built ^f 
 strong timbers firmly clasped and will remain 
 the village tavern for almost a century. On 
 its site m 1900 will stand the hardware store 
 of James Russell. But the tavern meanwhile 
 will pass from the Posts to Frederick Krows in 
 1817, who will conduct it until about 1850, 
 when the building will be moved back from 
 the street to the rear of the hardware store 
 and will be a tinshop until 1900. North of 
 this tavern of Abraham Post, Jecobus, another 
 brother, resides. On this site Dr. Dawes will 
 
THE POST TAVERN. 
 
EARL Y SA UGER TIES. 73 
 
 build after many years a residence farther east 
 than the house of Jecobus Post, which stands 
 close to the street. It is in this house that 
 Domine DeRonde resided as said above. 
 Northwest of this residence of Jecobus Post is 
 the dwelling of Isaac Post. This building will 
 be still standing later than i860 under the hill 
 west of what will afterward be the terminus of 
 Elm street. 
 
 We will return to the tavern of Abraham 
 Post. This is yet, in 1763, a part of the town 
 of Kingston and will be for fifty years. But 
 with the store of Cornelius Persen at Katsbaan 
 it is one of the centres of the town and in a 
 dozen years it will be the meeting place of 
 men to discuss the issues of the Revolution. 
 Here will come the messenger from Kingston 
 with the patriotic Articles of Association 
 which all will sign. Here will be told the 
 victories and defeats of the long war. These 
 roof-trees will ring with the shouts that pro- 
 claim the victories of Saratoga and Yorktown 
 and the conquests of John Paul Jones. And 
 from here, and from Cornelius Persen's, will 
 depart the militia re-enforcements for the cap- 
 ture of Burgoyne. To this old tavern will 
 come the messenger to tell that Vaughan's 
 soldiers have set fire to the Wolven house, 
 where in 1900 John G. Myers will live, and 
 here in the long years of the following peace 
 
74 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 the story will be often told to younger gen- 
 erations. 
 
 But we will resume our walk. No houses 
 now until we reach that one in the distance 
 except the school house near where afterwards 
 will be the Russell Block until we reach 
 Petrus Myer's which will be occupied after 
 long years by Sherwood D. Myer, a descen- 
 dant. One dwelling more remains. In it is 
 living Johannes Myer, and it will remain in 
 the possession of his descendants until it is 
 purchased by John Michael Genthner. 
 
 The ever beautiful site of the village with 
 its grand guardianship of the Hudson and the 
 Catskills, where the Esopus sweeps into the 
 river, is the same in the middle of the Eigh- 
 teenth Century, as at the opening of the 
 Twentieth. But the dozen houses of 1763 are 
 hundreds now, and the fifty inhabitants then 
 are thousands to-day. 
 
CHAPTER XL 
 
 KATSBAAN BEFORE THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 Beginning at the old stone church in Kats- 
 baan our next walk will be around that section 
 of the town. It is the most populous portion 
 and we will find as many residents as there 
 will be in 1900. As we assemble at the church 
 before us lies one of the grandest visions of 
 the majesty of the Catskills. At no point from 
 which these mountains are visible are they so 
 impressive as from the cemetery hill near at 
 hand. Although around us is a thickly settled 
 region most of the houses are simple structures 
 of frame, or stone, and many are of logs. The 
 forests have been cleared hereabout, except 
 that there is a large grove of white oaks around 
 the church of which a few will remain until 
 1900. This white oak forest extends eastward 
 across the Saw creek and over the fiats to West 
 Camp and will be spoken of in another chapter. 
 
 The church has stood already almost forty 
 years. Who built it and why is told elsewhere. 
 The trustees of Kingston Commons under date 
 of March i, 1731, leased in perpetuity to Jo- 
 hannes Persen and Hendrick Fees, and to their 
 
76 HISTOR Y OF SA UGER TIES. 
 
 successors in office an acre of land on each side 
 of the "Old Kings Road" for those "profess- 
 ing the religion and doctrines disciplined in the 
 Reformed Protestant Church of Holland ; in- 
 stituted and approved by the national Synod 
 of Dort -5^ * * * to build a house for 
 God's worship * * ^ "^ * at a place called 
 * Ye Kats Baan ; ' said place being a rock ledge 
 where the King's Highway that leads from 
 Kingston to Albany runs a great way upon 
 said ledge ; the said two acres to be where the 
 ledge or rock shows itself most open," the 
 rental to be three pepper corns per annum if 
 demanded; and twenty-two acres more were 
 granted as a glebe to be used for the minister. 
 This was situate at the north end of said open 
 rock, and from thence to the Saw creek, and is 
 practically the land of the Everitt and Whitney 
 places. Afterwards another grant of sixteen 
 and one-half acres, situate where will be the 
 farm of Alfred W. Fraser, was added to the 
 glebe. 
 
 The church will be the same edifice in 1900, 
 and yet not the same. At that later day it 
 will extend seventeen feet to the south and the 
 side walls will be greatly altered. At this pre- 
 Revolutionary day it has a Gothic roof and the 
 eaves come half-way down the side walls as 
 they will be in 1900. The entrance is on the 
 east side and through a porch in which hangs 
 
^J 
 
 OJ 
 
 I 
 
 W$f T* , A 
 
EARL Y KA TSBAAN. 77 
 
 a conch shell to announce the hour of worship. 
 Over the porch and under the eaves are in- 
 serted a number of brown stones inscribed with 
 the names of the builders, which stones will be 
 removed and inserted in the north wall when 
 the church is rebuilt in 1867. There is no 
 steeple nor bell. When built in 1732 there 
 were no pews. These came later. And in 
 November, 1743, there was a sale of seats. 
 The pulpit is on the west side of the church' 
 and opposite the entrance. It is an octagon 
 and stands on a pedestal. An aisle through 
 the centre separates the men and women. 
 Across the centre another aisle runs from north 
 to south so that the two aisles form a cross 
 the four arms of which are of equal length. 
 The half of the church on the north of the 
 aisle from the door to the pulpit is occupied by 
 the " manse bancken," or seats for the men, 
 and on the south side by the " vrouwen banck- 
 en," or seats for the women. One row of seats 
 begins at the left of the minister and runs all 
 around the wall on three sides to the door, 
 with a corresponding row from his right hand 
 around three sides to the same door. Besides 
 this row there are on the men's side three rows 
 of seats east and west to the cross aisle, with 
 three cross rows, and on the women's side three 
 east and west rows and one cross row. On the 
 farther side of the cross aisle five cross rows on 
 
78 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 the men's side, and six for the women with one 
 row on either side from the cross aisle to the 
 door. At this date there is no fire in the build- 
 ing in winter, but long oval stones from the 
 beds of streams are heated at home and brought 
 along to the services. It is not proposed to 
 speak in this place of the attire of the wor- 
 shipers, nor of the services. Domines Mancius 
 and De Ronde will be described in another 
 chapter. These pastors covered successively a 
 period of forty years of faithful service among 
 a faithful people. 
 
 The story of this church will be told in 
 another chapter. We will proceed upon our 
 walk. Below the church hill, on the west side 
 of the King's Road, lived Hermanus Recht- 
 myer. His descendants in 1900, after one 
 hundred and sixty-three years of occupancy, 
 will still own this farm. 
 
 Across the Beaver creek westward resides 
 Hendrick Freligh. This farm was purchased 
 by the Frelighs March 4, 1727, and they after- 
 wards acquired the William H. Hommel farm 
 as well ; while Peter Freligh, son of Hendrick, 
 lived upon the Abram E. Hommel farm and 
 afterwards upon the first named, or Hendrick 
 Freligh farm, upon the death of his father. 
 Two sons of Peter, Solomon and Moses enter- 
 ed the ministry of the Dutch Reformed 
 Church, as did Peter, son of Solomon. Sol- 
 
EARLY KATSBAAN. 79 
 
 omon became a noted divine and professor of 
 theology, and trained the Rev. Dr. Henry 
 Ostrander for the ministry. He (Solomon) 
 will be so ardent a patriot during the Revolu- 
 tion as to be hated and hunted by the British. 
 This Freligh farm during the next century will 
 be known first as the Wells and then as the 
 Gray farm. 
 
 On the east side of the Old Kings Road 
 resides Richard Davenport. His land stretches 
 from the road from the stone church leading 
 to West Camp all the way south to where, in 
 1900, will be the hotel of Jacob Kaufman and 
 his dwelling is here where Ephraim I. Myer 
 will long afterwards live. The Davenports 
 will be Tories in the Revolution and when the 
 cause of England will be wiped out in patri- 
 otic blood they will find more congenial neigh- 
 bors in Canada, and his tract will be divided 
 into three or more farms. The homestead 
 will be ov/ned by Jonathan Myer, who will 
 conduct a tavern here. When he dies, about 
 1814, his widow will marry Elias Snyder, 
 whom the Indians in 1780 will capture and 
 carry to Canada, and who will escape from 
 captivity. In 1823 Elias Snyder will sell the 
 farm to John Snyder Myer, the father of 
 Ephraim I. Myer. Adjoining the Davenport 
 tract on the south is the small place of Cor- 
 nelius Osterhoudt which will soon pass to the 
 
80 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 Fieros, and will for over a century be a tavern, 
 and on the death of Mrs. Mary Fiero, in 1854, 
 be successively conducted by Vander Beck, 
 Gaddis, Bostwick and Jacob Kaufman. 
 
 Next to this place on the south resides Cor- 
 nelius Persen. Here is the store of the whole 
 region. In the approaching war, when the 
 British will occupy New York City, the mer- 
 chandise will have to be hauled from Philadel- 
 phia by an inland route. Here the patriotic 
 meetings during the long war will be held. 
 Here the recruits to reinforce the army at 
 Saratoga will assemble. And after the war 
 John Jacob Astor will have his headquarters 
 here to which the trappers of the Catskills will 
 bring their furs. The place will remain in the 
 possession of the descendants of Cornelius 
 Persen, the Cornelius P. Brink family, until 
 about the close of the coming century. 
 
 One-fourth of a mile farther north, on the 
 west side of the Old Kings Road, is the home 
 of Johannes Trumpbour. In after years the 
 church will sell the glebe lands mentioned in 
 this chapter, which lie north of the church and 
 purchase this property and build a parsonage. 
 In 1 85 1 it will be sold and be successively 
 owned by Reuben Quick, John P. Sax and 
 Evert Sax. 
 
 Teunis Aspel resides on the farm westward 
 which will be owned in succession by the 
 
EARLY KATSBAAN. 81 
 
 Fieros; by William Valkenburgh, Peter M. 
 Valkenburgh and lastly by Chauncey P. 
 Finger. South of this is the farm of Petrus 
 Luyck, or Loucks, on both sides of the Beaver 
 creek. This will be in after years in posses- 
 sion of the Fieros, then of different members 
 of the Sax family until Addison Sax in 1900. 
 It was purchased by Luyck March 4, 1746. 
 
 We have now reached the Saugerties road. 
 Beginning at Saugerties this follows prac- 
 tically the present course of the Canoe Hill 
 road of 1900 northward and westward until 
 where William Clement will reside in 1900. 
 Thence it will run south along the division 
 fence about three hundred yards, and then 
 west across the land of Cornelius Persen to 
 the Old Kings Road. Thence it will follow 
 this highway until within one hundred feet of 
 the coming turnpike when it will turn west- 
 ward and pass close alongside of where the 
 limekiln of William Fiero will stand ; swing 
 south around by the house of Petrus Luyck 
 (Addison Sax's) ; ford the Beaver creek and 
 then swing back under the hill to where will 
 be the future turnpike at the residence, in 
 1900, of Stephen F. Valkenburgh. This road 
 will be described as running " from Sager's to 
 the cedar clipje and thence to the blue moun- 
 tains." This ''cedar clipje" is the large boul- 
 der still lying in 1900 nearly opposite the 
 
82 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 Fisher store in Quarryville and was at the 
 time of our walk surmounted by a cedar tree 
 which will remain there until about i860. No 
 houses are along this road above the long 
 Quarryville hill until Saxton is reached, and 
 the road runs through a dense woods. The 
 invaluable quarries are unknown, and from 
 them millions of dollars of bluestone are yet 
 to be taken. But at Saxton there are some 
 fifteen houses, and the rich plain at the foot of 
 the mountains is known and cultivated. 
 
 -^ 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 CEDAR GROVE BEFORE THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 Our walk is resumed at the store of Cornelius 
 Persen in Katsbaan. This store stands by the 
 road side, and will until September 4, 1852, the 
 day of the explosion of the steamer Reindeer at 
 Maiden, when by a " bee" of neighbors it will 
 be moved back from the road about fifty feet. 
 Here it will stand until the summer of 1900, 
 when it will be torn down. Meanwhile it will 
 be a storehouse excepting during 1867, while 
 the church is being enlarged and rebuilt, when 
 the pulpit and furnishings will be placed in 
 this building and it will be used for worship. 
 
 Across the road is the blacksmith shop of 
 the settlement. Here labors Jan Top, one of 
 two African slaves owned by Cornelius Persen. 
 Top is a character whose love of horse flesh 
 and whose shrewd sayings will be spoken of 
 about Katsbaan for two or three generations, 
 as he will remain here until the slaves of this 
 state are finally emancipated in 1827, and for 
 a number of years thereafter as a freeman. 
 Under a shelving rock at the foot of these pre- 
 cipitous limestone walls just westward dwells 
 
84 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. - 
 
 the last Indian of this region. The reniains of 
 his wigwam will remain there for seventy-five 
 years, and more, and ashes may be found there 
 in 1900. He is called " Nachte Jan" or Night 
 John. He is a close friend of Cornelius Persen 
 and when Runnip and his Indians, in 1780, will 
 capture and carry of¥ to Canada Capt. Jeremiah 
 Snyder and his son Elias, Nachte Jan will warn 
 Persen in time to escape and save his goods 
 from plunder. 
 
 Passing south along the Old Kings Road we 
 will find Johannes Young living on the east 
 side of the road on lands to belong in 1900 to 
 the Winne estate. The house will be standing 
 after 1850, and the well will be in existence in 
 1900. The part of the Winne estate on the 
 west side of the road belongs to the tract 
 granted Coenradt Reghtmyer, February 24, 
 1728. The dwelling was where the house of 
 Isaac Hommel will stand in 1900, and the old 
 stone house in which Hommel will then live 
 may be, in part at least, of the earlier date. 
 
 On the west side of the Old Kings Road^ 
 and in the vicinity of where Nathan Van Steen- 
 berg will live in 1900 is the school house. 
 Afterwards another school house will be erected 
 on the opposite side of the road farther south 
 on the site of the house in which Christian 
 Myer will live in 1900. Here school will be 
 kept until the Common School law of June 19, 
 
EARLY CEDAR GROVE. 85 
 
 1812, is passed, when the site of the then exist- 
 ing school in Katsbaan will be purchased and 
 the school be continued there in successive 
 buildings until 1900. But a school house will 
 afterward be erected opposite the Myer house 
 and be known as the Cedar Grove school. 
 
 On the east side of the Old Kings Road and 
 farther south and east than the dwelling of 
 Young is the house of Johannes Mower. This 
 is very near the site in 1900 of the dwelling on 
 the estate of the late Peter W. Myer. It will 
 pass from the Mowers into the ownership of 
 the Myers, and descend from David to his 
 grandson Peter. There was at one time a 
 large tract in the hands of the Mower family 
 and on this tract stands the house in which 
 Frederick Eygenaar lives. It is east of the 
 road and back in the fields northeast of where 
 in 1900 William D. Brinnier will have his sum- 
 mer home. The ruined house may be seen 
 after i860. 
 
 A half mile west of the Old Kings Road and 
 westward from the school house is the house 
 of Ury and Hermanns Hommel. At the close 
 of the next century it will pass from the Hom- 
 mel family to Luther Myer. Still farther west 
 is living Christian Snyder. 
 
 We will return to the Old Kings Road. As 
 we go south we come to the Meals and Hayes 
 grant. This contains 252 acres and was given 
 
86 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 those parties by Thomas Dongan, Governor of 
 the province of New York, under date of April 
 15, 1685. It is described as being "at a place 
 called Sagiers, three miles westward from the 
 mouth of the Esopus creek at a run called the 
 Bever Kill." So this little stream has had its 
 name from that early date. This grant stretches 
 over the farms which in the next century will 
 belong to the Kembles and the Wynkoops and 
 reach south to the ''church land," or grant to 
 the Dutch church of Kingston. Thus this 
 Meals and Hayes tract will cover farther south 
 than the site in 1900 of the old farmhouse of 
 Mrs. Germond. The grant is long and not 
 wide enough to reach as far west as the houses 
 which will be in 1900 the dwellings on the Rio 
 Alto Stock farm and that of Russell Wynkoop. 
 Evert Wynkoop resides, as we take our walk, 
 on what will be the stock farm and he is the 
 great-great-grandfather of Russell Wynkoop, 
 who will be the owner in 1900 of part of the 
 tract. Towards the north end of this grant is 
 the house of Johannes Valk nearly opposite to 
 what will be after many years the Brinnier 
 house spoken of. Farther south Capt. Tobias 
 Wynkoop resides, where will be the Kemble 
 house of the Nineteenth Century. And near 
 ihe south bounds of the grant is the house of 
 William Myer, where long afterward will stand 
 the old farmhouse of Mrs. Germond. On 
 
EARLY CEDAR GROVE. 87 
 
 the east side of the road, and farther south, 
 Ephraim Van Keuren lives on the site at the 
 large spring where in 1900 Abram Wolven will 
 reside, and farther south on the hill will be after 
 the Revolution the hotel of Johannes Myer, 
 whose farm will be in 1900 in possession of 
 Wells Myer, his grandson. This tavern will be 
 in twenty-five years a noted hostelry. Aaron 
 Burr, among other public men, will make it a 
 frequent stopping place on his trips to and from 
 Albany. Here he will enjoy many an even- 
 ing's chat with mine host '' Oom Hans Myer," 
 with whom he had served in the Continental 
 army, and stories of the brilliant and fascinat- 
 ing Col. Burr will linger long in the traditions 
 of the vicinity of this tavern and that of Abra- 
 ham Post in Saugerties, where he so often re- 
 sorted. A mile farther west beyond the great 
 bend of the Beaver creek resides Maria Snyder 
 on the farm in after years of Noah Snyder, 
 which will be in possession of John J. Jordan 
 in 1900. And a little farther east is that of 
 Hieronymus Valkenburgh, whose descendant 
 John Valkenburgh will sell it near the close of 
 the next century to Thomas Spellman, who 
 will dispose of it to the West Shore Railroad 
 Co. And a short distance north is the house 
 of Johannes Hommel on the Peter I. Snyder 
 farm of after years. 
 
 We have walked from Katsbaan to Union- 
 
88 HIS TOR Y OF SA UGER TIES. 
 
 ville. We return to the house of Cornelius 
 Persen in Katsbaan and pass down the road 
 that winds across the fields to Saugerties. 
 Here is the residence of Wilhelmus Valk. 
 This farm will remain in possession of the Valk 
 family until 1870, when Peter V. Snyder will 
 purchase it. The road here runs east, but 
 soon turns southeast and crosses this little 
 brook. Beyond this and on the east side of 
 the road resides Hendrick Osterhoudt, where 
 long afterwards will dwell Cornelius Hoff. A 
 mile farther south, where afterwards will run 
 the " People's Road," lives Adam Short on the 
 gravel hill. His house will long remain and be 
 called " the old fort." Farther east and near 
 what will long afterward be the Brede crossing 
 of the West Shore railroad are living John 
 Monk and John Fennal. A quarter mile south 
 from them, and west of the Canoe Hill road, 
 and south of the above " People's Road," on 
 what will in 1900 be the Cantine farm, just 
 below the hill in front of the Lasher house, is 
 living Petrus Eygenaar whose farm stretches 
 across the flat to the Canoe Hill. Thus we are 
 brought to Saugerties, described in Chapter X. 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 CHURCHLAND AND PLATTEKILL BEFORE THE 
 REVOLUTION. 
 
 The next pre-Revolutionary walk about 
 town will be down the Old Kings Road to the 
 southern boundary of the town at the bridge 
 over the Plattekill. We will assemble at the 
 inn of Johannes Myer, which stands where 
 Wells Myer will reside a century later. 
 
 As we get ready suppose we talk of this Old 
 Kings Road. It is the oldest highway in the 
 town. The first allusion to it occurs in a 
 petition of John Osterhoudt, Jan Burhans and 
 Cornelius Vernoy, all of Kingston, to a special 
 court held in April, 1670, at " ye towne hall 
 at Kingston, in Esopus " by a commission 
 appointed by Governor Francis Lovelace '' for 
 setting out the Boundaryes of Kingston, 
 Hurley, and Marbleton and for Regulateing 
 the Affaires of those places and ye parts 
 adjacent." The petitioners ask "that fifty- 
 foure acres cleare and good land that his 
 Honr, the Govr, hath been pleased to promise 
 and grant them on a certain neck of land five 
 miles distant from Kingston, north, over the 
 
90 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 Kill and near the ffootpath leading to Albany 
 be commended to the Govr. to be confirmed 
 and allowed." With this petition there was 
 one by Tjerck Claes DeWitt and William 
 Montania for a grant to set up a saw mill for 
 the public benefit at the same place, with 
 seventy five acres a mile further at a place 
 called ''Dead Men's Bones." This too was 
 granted on condition that the above five 
 petitioners, with two others build their seven 
 houses all together in an "innshipp" for 
 mutual protection. The spot where the mill 
 was to be, and was erected, was at what will 
 be our stopping point to-day at the bridge 
 over the Plattekill between the towns of Sau- 
 gerties and Ulster. The " ffootpath " to 
 Albany was where is now the Old Kings 
 Road. On June 19, 1703, an act was passed 
 by the colonial legislature " for the laying out, 
 regulating, clearing and preserving public 
 Common Highways throughout this Colony." 
 This act directed that a road be laid out from 
 the New Jersey line to Albany, and the com- 
 missioners from Ulster county were John 
 Cock, Jacob Aertsen and Abraham Hasbrouck. 
 This road passed through Goshen, Shawan- 
 gunk. New Paltz and Rosendale, to Kingston; 
 thence north, through Fox Hall and Pine 
 Bush to the fording place across the Esopus 
 creek, at the mouth of the Sawkill ; thence on 
 
CHURCHLAND AND PLATTEKILL. 91 
 
 the west side of the Esopus creek northerly to 
 Albany. As Queen Anne was reigning it was 
 named "The Queen's Highway," and so 
 appears in old deeds. But as no female sov- 
 ereign sat on the British throne again while 
 New York was a colony the name of ** The 
 Old King's Road " soon displaced the other. 
 
 In our former walks we have endeavored to 
 locate the houses and families and tell who 
 was residing in them as we passed by. On 
 this trip we will merely speak of the grants of 
 land we pass and of some of the features. As 
 we leave the inn of Johannes Myer the tract 
 on the west side of the road is the " Church- 
 land" and it will give the name to the locality. 
 It is a grant of two hundred acres originally 
 made March i, 1710, to the Kingston Dutch 
 Church and greatly enlarged by grants of 
 adjoining lands, and land in the vicinity made 
 subsequently. The original grant begins on 
 the small stream called in the grant ''The 
 Muddah Kill" and runs to the mountains 
 (Mt. Marion) and thence north along the 
 mountains to the Meals and Hayes patent ; 
 then along their south bounds to and across 
 the "Queen's Highway." The northwest part 
 of the grant will be the farm of the heirs of 
 Isaac Snyder. In this grant the small stream 
 running past what will be the house of Peter 
 B. Post is called "Cartrit's Kill." 
 
92 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 South of the churchland is the grant of 
 Frederick Markle. It was originally of eighty- 
 four acres, with later additions. The first 
 grant bore date March i, 171 5. This will be 
 the farm of C. S. Lowther. The bounds are 
 given thus: Northwest by the Styll Berg 
 (Mt. Marion) and southwest, southeast and 
 northeast by Kingston Commons. Thus no 
 adjacent lands had been granted at that time. 
 
 Then crossing to the east side of the Old 
 Kings Road we find the farm of Christian 
 Myer, one of the most prominent of the Pala- 
 tines who landed at West Camp, October 4, 
 1710. His deed was given 21 February, 1724. 
 It will be the Cantine farm of 1900. In the 
 deed is described the cave of the Muddah Kill 
 which is so well known to residents of Sau- 
 gerties. 
 
 Next south is the farm of Peter Winne. This 
 will pass into the possession of David Polhe- 
 mus, Benjamin Myer and towards the close of 
 the next century to Mynderse Wynkoop. It 
 will be the birthplace of the late Dr. Jesse 
 Myer, of Kingston, and of the father of the 
 late John G. Myers, of this village. 
 
 Some distance south of the Markle land is 
 the place of Cornelius Langendyke, which will 
 remain in the Longendyke family for more 
 than one hundred years when it will be pur- 
 chased by Peter Snyder. The lands reached 
 
CHURCHLAND AND PLATTEKILL. 93 
 
 down to the Plattekill, above the Gilsinger 
 falls. Part of this land was known in 1725 as 
 *' Robert Chism's plantation." Adjoining the 
 Longendyke farm Frederick Scram on March 
 28, 1729, purchased 42 acres along the land of 
 Tunis Osterhoudt which included part of the 
 Traphagen tract now to be mentioned. But 
 all the flats north and east to the Winne land 
 at the Muddah Kill are still commons. Only 
 where a century later Francis Myer and Alex- 
 ander Dowling will live are two small houses. 
 
 We are now come to the Traphagen tract 
 which passes the doors of where Myer and 
 Dowling will live. On the fifth day of Decem- 
 ber 1688, there was granted to Johannes, Hen- 
 drick and William Traphagen a long, narrow 
 strip of land containing two hundred and fifty 
 acres, the north bounds of which were near the 
 West Shore crossing of 1900 south of Scher- 
 mei horn's, and the south bounds reached 
 almost to where in coming years will be the 
 Plattekill church. It did not reach farther 
 east than where in after years will be the Mt. 
 Marion station of the West Shore railroad, nor 
 as far west as the hotel west of that station. 
 At its southeast corner it almost touches" a 
 triangular grant of 133 acres to Paulus Paulison, 
 which runs diagonally to where will be, in 1900, 
 the covered bridge over the Plattekill into the 
 town of Ulster. Its base is almost on the line 
 
94 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 of the West Shore south from the railroad sta- 
 tion. This grant was given in 1688, but subse- 
 quent to the Brink grant mentioned below, and 
 occasioned trouble as the bounds of the Pauli- 
 son grant infringed upon the preceding one to 
 Brink. On the west side of the Old Kings 
 Road are the eighty-six acres, and the subse- 
 quent forty additional ones granted to Peter 
 Winne. Here in 1900 will be the Ira Snyder 
 farm. This was first conveyed December 15, 
 1692. It will remain with the descendants of 
 Peter Winne until almost 1900. Its west bound 
 is the Plattekill, its south bound the Brink 
 tract and its east bound the Old Kings Road. 
 On the west side of the Plattekill and across 
 from the Winne grant are fifty-one acres sold 
 to Lucas DeWitt February 24, 1728. 
 
 We have reached the last grant in the town 
 and one of the very first in point of time. It 
 was purchased by Cornelius Lambertsen Brink 
 February 6, 1688, from the trustees of the 
 Kingston Commons. Huybert Lambertsen 
 Brink emigrated from Wageningen, Holland, 
 and arrived in New York December, 1659, on 
 the ship Faith. The above son Cornelius was 
 born on the voyage. The father settled in 
 Kingston and then became one of the original 
 patentees of Hurley and moved there. In 
 1663, at the Indian massacre of Kingston, his 
 wife and three children, including Cornelius, 
 
CHURCHLAND AND PLATTEKILL. 95 
 
 were captured by the Indians and carried to 
 the Shawangunk mountains where they were 
 held captives three months. At last they 
 were rescued and restored to their family. 
 When Cornelius was twenty-six years of age 
 he married Maretje Meynderse and three 
 years later bought the tract spoken of on 
 which we stand. It follows the Plattekill from 
 this covered bridge to the Esopus and then 
 down below the coming West Shore bridge 
 and the falls. He built this old stone house 
 and it will be the residence of a descendant, 
 Reuben Brink, two hundred years after this, 
 when it will pass into the possession of 
 Charles Brink, another descendant, who previ- 
 ously owned another part of the same grant. 
 Another part will be long in the possession of 
 Peter H. Brink, of the same family, and then 
 be owned by the Finger estate. Here is the 
 covered wooden bridge over the Plattekill and 
 the line of the town of Ulster. It is the limit 
 of our walk. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 SAXTON AND ASBURY BEFORE THE 
 REVOLUTION. 
 
 Following the road to "the blue mountains 
 by way of the cedar clipje " we will attempt to 
 locate the families settled there before the 
 Revolution. This is rendered more difficult 
 than in other parts of the the town as the 
 records of early deeds and grants in the office 
 of the county clerk give but little assistance. 
 But it can be done approximately. 
 
 As we pass up the road through the future 
 Quarryville all is the silence of a dense forest 
 in which is the budding of spring, and the 
 early song of countless birds is heard alone. 
 As we reach the plain at the foot of the Cats- 
 kills we find spreading farms around. The 
 Dutch settlers had a native scent for fertile 
 lands and soon learned what was to be had at 
 the foot of the mountains. 
 
 Somewhere in the vicinity of the iron bridge 
 of 1900, on the road from Saugerties to Wood- 
 stock. Hendrick Wolven, John Wolven and 
 Jacob Brink are living, and northeast from 
 them Tunis Shoe. We cannot locate them ex- 
 
THE CEDAR CLIPJE. 
 
EARLY SAXTON AND ASBURY. 97 
 
 actly and will not pass so far south. We have 
 reached the farm where, towards the close of 
 the next century, Milton Crapser will live and 
 die. Here is living Capt. Jeremiah Snyder, of 
 the First Ulster Regiment, and his son Elias. 
 They are very ardent patriots, and very efficient 
 in the cause, and have incurred the enmity of 
 their Tory neighbors, of whom there are a 
 number here along these mountains and near 
 the county line. In May, 1780, incited by 
 these disloyal neighbors, a band of Indians will 
 carry the captain and his son to Niagara and 
 Canada as captives. Just north of Snyder's, 
 near the residence in 1900 of John S. Over- 
 baugh, is living Lawrence Winne, and across 
 the Plattekill, a half mile east, resides Matthias 
 Markle. North of Winne's about half a mile 
 is the house of Evert DeWitt, and a little 
 farther north is living Aaron Winne with Fred- 
 erick Rowe, Jr., as a near neighbor. This 
 Rowe, a Tory, will be met by Capt. Snyder 
 while a captive on his way to Canada, frater- 
 nizing with his Indian and Tory friends. 
 
 We are now come to where in the next cen- 
 tury will be the residence of Col. Christopher 
 Fiero, and the birthplace of his son, J. Newton 
 Fiero. Near this spot resides Samuel Wells, 
 who will be an ancestor of the wife of 
 Col. Fiero. And proceeding north over what 
 will be in coming years the Saxton flats we 
 
98 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 pass in succession the houses of Luke DeWitt, 
 Johannes Rowe, William Burhans, Michael 
 Plank and John Burhans before reaching the 
 county line. Johannes Plank is living across 
 the fields near what, in 1900, will be the home 
 of William Winne. Of these John Burhans, 
 William Burhans, Johannes Rowe, Johannes 
 Plank, Jr., and Frederick Rowe, Jr , will be 
 ardent loyalists and for this reason hated in- 
 tensely by their patriotic neighbors. 
 
 Having reached the Albany county line 
 (soon to be Greene county), we will descend 
 by a road through the woods to what will be 
 Asbury. As we reach the lowlands under the 
 range of hills northeast of the future Quarry- 
 ville, we find Myndert Dederick living on what 
 will be afterwards the homestead of John Ded- 
 erick (late Chidester's) and farther east is the 
 dwelling of William Dederick; while south, 
 near where in 1900 Gideon P. Ostrander will 
 live, is living Wilhelmus Rowe. Thence cross- 
 ing over to the Katsbaan church and passing 
 north we find Peter McGee dwelling near where 
 James E. Dederick is to live in the next cen- 
 tury, while farther south, along the Saw creek, 
 resides Johannes Shoub. 
 
 Let us walk on north. Crossing to the west 
 side of the Old Kings Road we find Hans Ury 
 Eligh on the Andries Eligh farm, to be owned 
 later by Nicholas Mower. Farther northeast 
 
EARLY SAXTON AND ASBURY. 99 
 
 across the Kings Road are the lands of 
 Christian Dederick, with the house of John 
 Luke just south of Dederick's ; and at Asbury, 
 on the west side of the above road, reside 
 Zachariah Snyder and Evert Wynkoop. Far- 
 ther north and east of the road, at the county 
 line, is living Valentine Fiero. On his lands 
 is the *' Steene Herte Fonteyne " (Stone 
 Heart Spring), or source of the Saw creek, 
 and thus the northeast corner both of Ulster 
 county up to 1767, and of the patent of the 
 Kingston Commons. Its location was the 
 occasion of dispute and legal strife during a 
 severe litigation, in 1738. The question arose, 
 ''Where did Albany county begin?" In the 
 original description Albany county extended 
 south to the Sawyer's creek. Ulster extended 
 north to the Sawyer's creek. Now, what was 
 meant ? The mouth of Sawyer's creek is at 
 Saugerties village on the Hudson. The 
 source is the above spring west of the ** Big 
 Vly." The trustees of Kingston Commons 
 contended that Albany county came to the 
 source of the creek and followed it to the 
 river. The assessors of the town compelled 
 the trustees to indemnify them, which was 
 annually done, and at last the strife was ended 
 by granting the contention of the trustees. 
 Afterwards the county line was continued in a 
 straight line to the river. 
 
 L.ofC. 
 
100 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 Not only was the question of the boundary 
 involved, but it included that of the bounds of 
 the Kingston Commons. The trustees had 
 begun a number of ejectment suits in which 
 the question of title was raised. This had to 
 be determined by locating the county line as 
 this was the bound of the Commons. As told 
 in Schoonmaker's " History of Kingston " one 
 of the witnesses testified : 
 
 ** Margaret Snyder, the wife of Zachariah 
 Snyder, being duly sworn deposeth and saith, 
 that she is the daughter of Valentine (Felte) 
 Fiero, * * ^ that she was born and 
 brought up at her father's, and after being 
 married removed to near the * Steene Herte,* 
 and lived there until about twenty years ago. 
 When she was ten, twelve, or thirteen years of 
 age her father turned the cattle (as she 
 believes about the 25th April) in the woods 
 near the Steene Herte Fonteyne where one of 
 the cows was entangled in the morass. She 
 went to see, and found a cow, which she 
 called her own, just drawn out. * * * 
 
 " Her father having cut a switch, took her 
 to the north side of the Steene Herte rock, 
 and taking her by the hair, told her he would 
 give her something to remember, that that 
 side was Albany, showing her letters, and gave 
 her a smart whipping. After which he took 
 her to the south side of said rock and told her 
 
EARL Y SAXTON AND ASB URY. 101 
 
 that side was Esopus, and pointed at letters 
 on that side of the rock, and giving her a 
 second whipping told her to remember that 
 he had been flag bearer, and Peter York and 
 Nicholas Branden chain bearers on the survey, 
 and that was the line between Albany and 
 Esopus, etc." 
 
 In the illustration the spring is given and 
 the overhanging rock, which from the spring 
 resembles, measureably, a heart rudely shaped 
 in stone. The spring is on the west side of 
 the ** Big Vly," at the point where the Saw 
 creek is the outlet and thus was at that time 
 the northeast corner of Ulster county, and of 
 Kingston Commons. 
 
 Suppose we retrace our steps and go to the 
 river along this creek, the county line. Before 
 we reach the vicinity of the Katsbaan church 
 we come into a great forest of immense white 
 oaks extending a mile each way over the flats 
 towards West Camp. These flats are very low 
 and swampy. The trees are of tremendous 
 girth, height and age. A very few will still 
 remain in 1900 at Katsbaan church, but the 
 spreading forest will be cleared by the grand- 
 father of the Cornelius Hoff, who will reside in 
 1900 on the Canoe Hill road. 
 
 Immediately east from the church, on the 
 east side of the Saw creek, and thus in Albany 
 county until 1767, is the patent of Dederick 
 
102 
 
 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 Mauterstock which stretches to the east and 
 south for many hundreds of acres. Part of 
 this land will be in possession in 1900 of John 
 H. Mauterstock, a descendant. Farther south 
 are fifty acres granted to Peter Mowerse. 
 This is the land which will lie in 1900 where 
 the creek will turn east before it reaches the 
 Maiden turnpike and will be at that date the 
 land of Jerenniah Mower and Mrs. Ellinger. 
 The "Muddy Kill" of 1900 is called, as we 
 walk, " The kill from the fountain," which 
 fountain will still flow with a large stream in 
 1900, before the door of William Valk. In 
 the deed of Mowerse the hill east of what will, 
 in the next century, be the Hoff place, is 
 called " Armpachlo's bergh," or, in English, 
 " the hill of poor duds." This deed of Mow- 
 erse was given February 24, 1728. West of 
 the Mowerse land is a small piece of glebe of 
 the Katsbaan church which will belong to 
 Alfred W. Fraser in 1900. 
 
 Our course is still along the Saw creek south 
 and east. Here is the farm which will be 
 owned next century by Michael and then by 
 Luther Fiero. Now it is the possession of 
 Robert Beaver, who purchased it February 28, 
 1735. It is described as lying east of "Arm- 
 pachlo's bergh," and he has more land farther 
 south and east of the next, or Canoe Hill. 
 This word, spelled " Kanow Hill," first appears 
 
EARLY SAXTON AND ASBURY. 103 
 
 in a deed given to Hiskia DuBois February 25, 
 1726. 
 
 Once more we have reached the patent to 
 Meals and Hayes which lies east of the trotting 
 course at Saugerties and stretches north beyond 
 the north end of the Washington avenue of 
 igoo, and have thus reached the settlement at 
 Saugerties described in a former chapter. 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 MALDEN AND WEST CAMP BEFORE THE 
 REVOLUTION. 
 
 The northeast portion of the town of Sau- 
 gerties, between the Saw creek and the Hudson 
 was a part of Albany county until 1767, as 
 heretofore stated. Greene county was formed 
 in 1800. This territory is what will afterwards 
 be Maiden and West Camp, with the adjacent 
 farm lands. Starting from the mouth of Saw- 
 yer's creek, and proceeding north we first pass 
 over the fields of the Brink farm until we reach 
 what will in 1900 be the lands of John G. 
 Myers. We have now reached the Major Dan 
 Wolven grant, or Gottfried De Wolfen tract, 
 as it is sometimes called. Almost the whole 
 of this corner of the town was originally cov- 
 ered by patents or grants. The first was this of 
 Wolven. On the north, adjoining, was that of 
 Myndert Schutt. Bordering on the Schutt 
 grant on the north was the long grant to 
 Fullerton which reached from the Schutt tract 
 to the county line at Wanton Island. The 
 " Big Vly " was covered by one of the Meals 
 and Hayes grants ; Dederick Mauterstock had 
 
MALDEN AND WEST CAMP. 105 
 
 a large triangular patent west of Fullerton, 
 while reaching to the north end of the Wash- 
 ington avenue of 1900, from the north line of 
 the corporation of Saugerties village was 
 another large patent of Meals and Hayes. 
 
 But we will stop a moment at the stone 
 house of Major Wolven and speak of what is 
 to happen in October, 1777. Burgoyne will be 
 surrounded at Saratoga by the patriot forces 
 and must surrender, if not relieved. The 
 farmers from this vicinity will be in the Ameri- 
 can army there. Sir Henry Clinton will send 
 Gen. Vaughan up the river from New York on 
 a marauding expedition to lay waste the coun- 
 try from which every available soldier will be 
 either with Gen. Gates at Saratoga, or with 
 Governor Clinton defending the Highlands of 
 the Hudson. From where we stand we can 
 see the smoke ascend when Vaughan burns 
 Kingston, and his marauding vessels will come 
 as far as here. On the opposite side of the 
 Hudson the buildings of Gen. Petrus Ten- 
 Broeck, the house, barn and out houses of 
 Robert G. Livingston, and a house and mill of 
 Chancellor Livingston will be burned the day 
 after Kingston is destroyed. The next day 
 another house of the chancellor will be burned, 
 one of John Livingston, and three others be- 
 longing to neighbors. Then a house on the 
 east side belonging to Judge Smith will be con- 
 
106 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 sumed, when the British will cross to this 
 side of the river. They will find here a sloop, 
 or brig, at anchor and one on the stocks and 
 burn them. They will land at this house of 
 Major Wolven and set it on fire, but the fire 
 will go out and the charred spot will be visible 
 during the next century, A detachment will 
 start for the Brink place, but before it reaches 
 it a signal gun from Vaughan's ship will recall 
 it as the news has reached Vaughan of Bur- 
 goyne's surrender and the vessels will come 
 about and immediately proceed to New York. 
 But, meanwhile, the wife of John Brink, whose 
 husband is with the army at Saratoga, flees 
 with her child and carries him all the way to 
 Woodstock for safety. 
 
 This tract of Major Wolven reaches all the 
 way along the river to a point just north of 
 where next century will stand the store of the 
 Ishams in the village of Maiden, and to the 
 bounds of the Myndert Schutt tract. On 
 May 9, 1808, two hundred acres of it will be 
 sold to Asa Bigelow and Samuel Isham for 
 $6,000. At this time Bigelow will have a gen- 
 eral store in Saugerties on the site of the 
 future Russell Block which he will own. In 
 this store will be the first post office of the 
 village and Bigelow be the first postmaster. 
 Before this day there will be a tri-wcekly mail 
 from New York to Albany on the west side of 
 
MALDEN AND WEST CAMP. 107 
 
 the Hudson by the Old Kings Road, returning 
 on alternate days, arid letters and mail be left 
 at the store of Cornelius Persen in Katsbaan. 
 It is a long cry and distinct advance which 
 before the century closes will see frequent 
 daily mails in the village, and daily rural free 
 delivery all over the town. 
 
 Soon after the purchase of the Wolven tract 
 Bigelow and Isham will begin to build a frame 
 store on the street, in Maiden, leading to what 
 will be afterwards the Isham dock. In 1814, 
 they will build the brick store, afterwards to 
 be known as the Isham store. This will be 
 near the north end of the Wolven tract. In 
 1813, Bigelow will purchase of John Van 
 Steenberg a part of the Schutt grant and on 
 it in 1818, he will build a stone building still 
 to be used in 1900 as the Blue Stone Co. 
 ofifice, having previously withdrawn from the 
 partnership with Isham. Here is to grow up 
 the village of Bristol, which will be called 
 Maiden, later, so as to secure a post ofifice. 
 From this place a turnpike will be built in 
 1826 to Palenville, and here will be established 
 one of the most successful industries in this 
 state in buying, selling and manufacturing 
 blue stone. On November 6, 181 5, Bigelow 
 and Isham will sell the south end of the 
 Wolven tract to William Myer, from whose 
 heirs it will pass December, i860, through 
 
108 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 Russell N. Isaacs to Francis Pidgeon, and 
 from him to John G. Myers. 
 
 Adjoining the Wolven grant on the north is 
 that of Myndert Schutt. It reaches west to 
 the Sawyer's creek and north to the Fullerton 
 patent. The dwelling of Myndert Schutt was 
 built about 1712 and will be standing down 
 through the next century. Myndert Schutt 
 married Sarah Persen, of the family at Sau- 
 gerties who became the owners of the Meals 
 and Hayes patent at the mouth of the Esopus 
 creek, and their daughter Maria Schutt mar- 
 ried Abraham Post, from whom the Post fam- 
 ily, who will be so prominent in the early 
 history of this village, is descended. Most of 
 the Schutt grant passed into the possession of 
 Abraham Post. Then Thomas VanSteenberg 
 purchased 183 acres in 1757, so that at the 
 time of our walk the tract is comparatively 
 small. 
 
 From the Schutt grant north to the county 
 line of 1900 is the Fullerton patent. It reach- 
 ed almost as far west as the patent of Meals 
 and Hayes, which covered the ** Big Vly," and 
 contained about eight hundred acres. When 
 the Palatines were brought over from England 
 in 1710 by Governor Robert Hunter and 
 settled at East Camp and West Camp in 
 October of that year. Gov. Hunter was com- 
 pelled to purchase lands for them. On the 
 
MALDEN AND WEST CAMP. 10^ 
 
 east side of the river he purchased 6,000 acres 
 of Livingston, but on the west side he could 
 not find sufficient land available and covered 
 with pines from which naval stores of tar, 
 pitch, resin and turpentine could be made. 
 After considerable negotiation he succeeded 
 in purchasing this patent from its possessor, 
 Thomas FuUerton, who was an ofificer in the 
 Royal Custom's Service in Scotland. This 
 tract had been granted by Governor Thomas 
 Dongan February 28, 1687, to Robert Fuller- 
 ton and lay southwest from Wanton island. 
 On this Fullerton tract the Palatines were dis- 
 embarked October 4, 1710, and gathered in- 
 to three villages convenient to the pines call- 
 ed Elizabethtown, Newtown and Georgetown. 
 These villages were only a mile apart, but as 
 they were merely of log huts for those who 
 were cutting pines for tar, etc., they perished 
 when the enterprise was abandoned and the 
 colonists scattered to become possessors of 
 farms of their own. This was not as easy 
 upon this Fullerton patent as it was a mile 
 farther west upon the lands of Kingston Com- 
 mons and most of the enterprising among the 
 Palatines passed over and soon acquired farms 
 from the trustees and mingled with and inter- 
 married among the Dutch. 
 
 The name of Fullerton will long survive. 
 There is in existence a map of General Bur- 
 
1 10 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 goyne on which were located the places on the 
 west side of the Hudson, where he meant to 
 encamp his army on his march to New York 
 after capturing Albany, provided he defeated 
 our army. One of these encampments was to 
 be at " Katsbaan near FuUerton." But 
 
 *'The best laid schemes of mice and men 
 Gang aft agley," 
 
 Burgoyne came to Albany, but tradition 
 says he rode a paroled prisoner in an ambu- 
 lance wagon driven by '' Oom Hans Myer," 
 who afterwards kept the inn in this town, 
 where, in 1900, his descendant, Wells Myer, 
 will live, as told in a former chapter, and when 
 this wagon was driven through Katsbaan on 
 its way home Burgoyne was on his way under 
 parole to England. It might be in place to 
 state that a part of the box of this wagon is 
 preserved in the Senate House in Kingston. 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 GLASCO AND FLATBUSH BEFORE THE 
 REVOLUTION. 
 
 We have now looked into the condition of 
 the whole of the town which was settled 
 before the Revolutionary war, except the 
 peninsula formed by the Hudson river on the 
 east and the Esopus creek on the north and 
 west. This region is Glasco, Flatbush and 
 Glenerie. 
 
 When Kingston Commons was originally 
 laid out and mapped the woodland, mountain- 
 ous and wild lands were divided into what was 
 there denominated classes. The third, fourth, 
 fifth and six classes covered the wild lands 
 from the south bounds of the town to Albany 
 county line covering the hills, some of the 
 peaks of which were afterwards called Mt. 
 Marion, Mt. Airy, etc. The seventh class lay 
 on the east side of the Esopus creek and 
 began at the mouth of that creek on the south 
 side, and ran up the creek to Glenerie falls, 
 (upper falls) ; then easterly to where the 
 settled lands in Flatbush appeared, and thence 
 north to a point northwest of where in the 
 
1 1 2 HISTOR Y OF SA UGER TIES. 
 
 next century will be the hotel of Schoentag. 
 Thus the half of this part of the town was 
 wild land and much of it will so remain until 
 1900. In this portion a grant of one hundred 
 acres was made to Arent Tunis Pier. On this 
 grant will be the site of the Glenerie of the 
 future as it lies on the east and south side of 
 the Esopus. The grant was dated December 
 5, 1688. This fine water-privilege will not be 
 used to a great extent except the upper falls 
 upon which a fulling mill and afterwards a 
 paint mill will be erected. The middle falls 
 will never be harnessed and little will be done 
 with the lowest, or Glenerie falls proper, until 
 about 1835, when Coloael Edward Clark will 
 establish a white-lead plant there, which will 
 be developed by his successors, Battelle & 
 Renwick, into one of the best in the United 
 States. Around it will spring up one of the 
 most beautiful of small villages until the com- 
 pany will be absorbed into a great white lead 
 trust, when the works will be abandoned, and 
 the village be deserted and fall into ruin. 
 
 Our tramp will begin on the hill afterwards 
 to be called Ury, and later Barclay Heights. 
 This hill is reached from the -village by cross- 
 ing the Esopus on a scow ferry above the 
 upper falls at Stony Point. Later another 
 such ferry will run from the foot of the future 
 MacCarthy street at Phillips' boat yard. The 
 
GLASCO AND FLATBUSH. 113 
 
 wooden arch bridge of 1839, ^^ith its successor 
 the iron bridge of 1874, will abolish these fer- 
 ries. But during the summer of the latter 
 year, while the iron bridge is building, this 
 ferry will be re-established from Phillips' for a 
 number of weeks. As we journey south from 
 the top of the hill in these days of old we find 
 first the lands of Edward Wood. Part of this ^ 
 
 property was purchased from the Meals and 
 Hayes grant, but on March 4, 1734, he bought 
 thirty-four acres of the trustees of Kingston 
 Commons. During the Revolution a tavern 
 will be kept here by Hendrick Schoonmaker 
 for some years. In 1825, the property will 
 pass into the possession of Henry Barclay, the 
 founder of the future village of Saugerties, 
 who will build his residence here and will live 
 to 185 1. In 1854 his dwelling will be torn 
 down to erect the residence of Joseph B. 
 Shef^eld. 
 
 Next south is the land conveyed by the 
 trustees to Tjerck Schoonmaker on March 4, 
 1734, the day of the conveyance to Wood. 
 On part of this Mynderse Schoonmaker will 
 Hve in 1900. West of this is the grant to 
 John Legg, or Laig. This was made Febru- 
 ary 24, 1740. This will be the Richard C. 
 Washburn place of 1900. Legg's descendants, K 
 Samuel Legg and William Legg, will be mer- 
 chants at the upper landing soon after the 
 
1 14 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 Revolution, and later a Samuel Legg, a 
 descendant, will nnake a moderate fortune 
 here as the manufacturer of a whip, known 
 up and down the valley of the Hudson as the 
 *' Esopus whip," which drivers will consider 
 indispensable. 
 
 To Peter VanLeuven on March i, 1731, and 
 to Andries VanLeuven February 6, 1747, and 
 at subsequent times were granted large tracts 
 of land further south along the river and west 
 to the Esopus creek. These lands covered 
 the Spaulding place of 1900, and reached to 
 Glasco. They will remain for a century in the 
 family and among the descendants. The site 
 of the future village of Glasco is at present 
 ungranted land, but on September 15, 1786, 
 the trustees will convey a tract to Herman 
 Minklaer which will reach along the Hudson 
 beyond the south bounds of the coming 
 village. 
 
 The river bank south was originally granted 
 by Governor Dongan to Jan Mattysson & Com- 
 pany, in a patent dated February 13, 1688. In 
 this grant were six hundred acres and it was 
 divided into two hundred acres to Capt. John 
 Spragge on the north; two hundred acres to 
 Mattys Mattysson in the middle and two hun- 
 dred acres to Claes Westphalen and Abel West- 
 phalen to the south and reaching to Kalkoene 
 Hoeck (Turkey Point). At this point it bound- 
 
GLASCO AND FLATBUSH. 115 
 
 ed on the Haines grant which extended over 
 into the bounds of the town of Ulster. But 
 the patent lapsed in some unknown way and 
 the tract became part of Kingston Commons. 
 On January 22, 1722, the trustees deeded 
 thirty-five acres on the north end of this tract 
 to James Whitaker, whose lands are described 
 as being over against Magdalen Island and 
 bounded on the west by lands of John Laig. 
 He also had seventeen acres lying west of a 
 hill called " Rondebergh," while south of the 
 lands of John Laig, and southwest of those of 
 Whitaker, a tract of land had been granted to 
 Lawrence Swart. Much of this property will 
 remain in the possession of descendants of 
 Whitaker during the next century until in the 
 latter half it will be owned by Egbert Whitaker 
 of this village. 
 
 During the Revolution, on August 24, 1781, 
 the trustees granted to James Osterhoudt, 
 Petrus Burhans, Samuel Burhans, Isaac Bur- 
 hans and Abraham Burhans, all of Flatbush, 
 all those lands situate at Flatbush south and 
 east of a line running along the south bounds 
 of Jecobus (James) Whitaker from a point on 
 the road eastward to the Hudson. This grant 
 extended south to the Haines patent. A very 
 large proportion of this tract will be in 1900 in 
 possession of the different branches of the 
 Osterhoudt family and their descendants. 
 
1 1 6 HISTOR Y OF SA UGER TIES. 
 
 We have now tramped over the whole of 
 the town which was settled previous to the 
 Revolution. While the writer does not claim 
 to have found the house of every settler, nor 
 even to have located every original patent, 
 grant, or conveyance of land he feels he has 
 done so with as many of them as can be de- 
 termined at this late day, more than one hun- 
 dred and twenty-five years from the beginning 
 of that war, and at least some two hundred and 
 twenty-five years from the original settlement 
 of the town. 
 
 He has found a number of tracts, lots and 
 farms which he is unable to locate after long- 
 continued search among old deeds, etc., which 
 are, at least, one hundred and seventy-five years 
 old. As a specimen he will mention sixty 
 acres conveyed to Christian Fiero. He was 
 one of the elders when the Katsbaan church 
 was built in 1732. From him, probably, all 
 those of that name in this town are descended. 
 On June 14, 1728, the trustees of Kingston 
 Commons granted him a parcel of land " at the 
 southwest end of a place called Tryn Claesen 
 Vlackten " (the flats of Catherine, wife of 
 Nicholas), containing sixty acres. February 
 28, 1729, the trustees granted Johannes Ever- 
 hard sixty acres adjoining, and on the same 
 day sixty acres more to Daniel Miller adjacent 
 to the land of Everhard, with the further de- 
 
GLASCO AND FLATBUSH. 117 
 
 scription that it lay at the foot of a high hill. 
 Here are one hundred and eighty acres of land. 
 Where did it lie ? There is no record of a 
 subsequent purchaser. It was "flats." And 
 it is noticeable that no upland was taken up 
 until all the level land was. No one coming 
 from low and level Holland secured anything 
 else as long as level lands could be obtained. 
 There seems to be no place from the Plattekill 
 to the Greene county line where one hundred 
 and eighty acres could be crowded in which he 
 has not covered. 
 
 In 1803 and 1804 the trustees finally divided 
 the commons, or corporate lands, among the 
 inhabitants entitled thereto, and on December 
 13, 1816, assigned the funds in their possession 
 to the supervisors and the overseers of the poor 
 of the towns of Esopus, Saugerties and Kings- 
 ton and then, after a corporate existence of 
 one hundred and thirty years finally and per- 
 manently dissolved. 
 
CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 THE LEGION OF HONOR. 
 
 Preceding chapters have brought the story 
 of the town of Saugerties down to the begin- 
 ning of the Revolutionary war. There were 
 less than seven hundred and fifty inhabitants 
 within the borders of the town in 1775, and 
 of these not one hundred within the bounds of 
 this village. Neither Maiden nor Glasco ex- 
 isted. Not a soul lived where are now pop- 
 ulous quarry villages. Katsbaan and West 
 Camp had probably as many residents as they 
 have to-day. And a few farmers were settled 
 in Plattekill, Flatbush and Saxton. 
 
 Despite the fact that schools had begun to 
 teach the English language it was rarely 
 spoken. Public documents must needs be 
 written in English. Nevertheless many made 
 their wills in Dutch. Aside from this all busi- 
 ness was in Dutch, as was all conversation. 
 Among the Palatine settlers and their descend- 
 ants were many who still spoke German, espe- 
 cially among those Lutheran families who had 
 not intermingled with the Dutch. And the 
 writer remembers Palatine German speech 
 
THE LEGION OF HONOR. 119 
 
 among such families as late as the civil war of 
 1861-5. The services in the West Camp 
 church were in German for many years, and 
 when Rev. George W. Mancius came to Kats- 
 baan in 1730, he preached at first in German. 
 When he went to serve the church in Kingston 
 in 1732, as colleague of Rev. Petrus Vas, the 
 consistory of that church gave him two years 
 to perfect himself in Dutch speech. He was a 
 learned man of remarkable linguistic acquire- 
 ments, being able to speak nine different lan- 
 guages. But German at the Katsbaan church 
 was very soon superseded by Dutch, and in the 
 latter language all the services were held until 
 the coming of Rev. James David Demarest 
 as pastor in 1808. When Rev. Dr. Henry 
 Ostrander was settled in 1812, he continued 
 English services with stated ones in Dutch for 
 many who could hardly understand the Eng- 
 lish, or who were able to worship with less 
 restraint in their mother tongue. But time 
 changed it all. Down to the last generation 
 there were many families in which Dutch was 
 the language of the household, and even as 
 late as 1900 the writer knew a number of homes 
 in the town in which all family affairs were still 
 discussed in the old tongue and around the 
 table both parents and children used the speech 
 brought from Holland almost three hundred 
 years ago. But the next generation will know 
 
1 20 HISTOR Y OF SA UGER TIES. 
 
 it not. Dutch words and expression survive 
 and will continue with Dutch force of charac- 
 ter, but the tongue has become a memory along 
 the Hudson. 
 
 Among those who were residing in 1775 
 within what is now the town of Saugerties 
 were but two or three English families. All 
 the others were of Dutch, Palatine, or Hugue- 
 not origin. Hence there was no prepossession 
 in favor of England here. On the whole her 
 government had been just and liberal until the 
 advent to power of Lord North and his ultra 
 Tory ministry. A conflict had been going on 
 in the Reformed church for years which is 
 known as the Coetus and Conferentie strife, and 
 which, in 1772, was decided in favor of the 
 former. The Conferentie party wished the 
 church to remain under control of the Church 
 of Holland. The former, or Coetus party, 
 wished it to be American and free. This long 
 strife had educated the Dutchmen in the prin- 
 ciples of Americanism, although the conserva- 
 tive Dutch of this town were largely Confer- 
 entie. But Rev. Lambertus DeRonde, the 
 pastor of the Katsbaan church during the Rev- 
 olution, preached the sermon at the Synod 
 which had united the factions and henceforth 
 the Reformed Church was to be free from 
 European control. This was in 1772, and 
 when Lexington was fought, April 19, 1775, 
 
THE LEGION OF HONOR. 121 
 
 three years of complete Americanism had had 
 its influence upon the men of Saugerties. 
 There was no village of size in the town. But 
 the tavern of Abraham Post in Saugerties and 
 the store of Cornelius Persen in Katsbaan had 
 known many discussions of the principles at 
 stake and the disputants were awake to the 
 fact that Americans could and must resist 
 tyranny, and were able to regulate their own 
 affairs, while many were holding that they 
 could govern themselves. 
 
 The high handed measures of the British 
 Crown so thoroughly awakened the patriots of 
 Ulster county that a meeting was held in 
 Hurley on the sixth of January, 1775, to 
 arouse the people to resist the demands of 
 tyranny, and its enroachments. This was fol- 
 lowed by a meeting of the patriots of the 
 town of Kingston which then included the 
 town of Saugerties. A Committee of Obser- 
 vation was appointed consisting of seven 
 members, of which three were from Sau- 
 gerties, viz: Johannes Persen, Christian Fiero 
 and Egbert Schoonmaker. One of the acts of 
 this committee was to .see that merchants did 
 not "sell or vend any East India tea." On 
 April 19, 1775, occurred the battle of Lexing- 
 ton. As fast as messengers could ride the 
 news spread over the land. On April 28, a 
 call was issued for another Provincial Congress 
 
122 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 to meet in New York May 22. Ulster county 
 was represented by seven deputies. On May 
 29, this congress resolved that "a general 
 association of freeholders and inhabitants be 
 fornned, and that the articles thereof be pre- 
 sented for signature to every inhabitant before 
 July 15, 1775, and on that date those who 
 refused, or neglected to sign them be report- 
 ed." Ulster county promptly fell in line. 
 Articles of Association for the patriots of the 
 county were immediately drawn by which the 
 signers bound themselves " to mutual defense 
 of rights and liberties ; to prosecute measures 
 necessary to safety ; to prevent anarchy and 
 confusion ; to preserve peace and good order 
 and the safety of individuals and private prop- 
 erty until a reconciliation between England 
 and America, on constitutional principles, can 
 be obtained." 
 
 The articles were circulated at once. In the 
 whole town of Kingston there were five hun- 
 dred and sixty-five signatures and only thirty- 
 three refusals. The paper was duly brought 
 to Saugerties and circulated. Who the mess- 
 engers were is not definitely known at this late 
 day. They were probably the three members 
 of the General Committee, Johannes Persen 
 and Egbert Schoonmaker of the present vil- 
 lage of Saugerties and Christian Fiero, of 
 Katsbaan. As the names of the signers in 
 
THE LEGION OF HONOR. 123 
 
 Saugerties are included among those residing 
 elsewhere in the town of Kingston the follow- 
 ing list may be only approximately correct. 
 But it can not vary greatly. They were 
 Barent Burhans, Juren Bear, Adam Bear, 
 Johannes Backer, Hendrick Backer, Petrus 
 Backer, John Brink, John Brink, Jr., Cornelius 
 C Brink, Petrus Brink, Jacob Conyers, George 
 Carle, Sampson Davis, Hezekiah DuBois, 
 Hezekiah DuBois, Jr., Jacobus DuBois, Lucas 
 DeWitt, Jurrie W. Dederick, Jacobus Ded- 
 erick, William Dederick, Jr., Matthew Ded- 
 erick, Johannes Dederick, Myndert Dederick, 
 Frederick Eygenaar, Wilhelmus Emerick, 
 Johannes Emerick, Christian Fiero, Christian 
 Fiero, Jr., Stephanus Fiero, Hendrick Fiero, 
 Hendrick P. Freligh, Peter Freligh, Samuel 
 Freligh, John Freligh, Philip Felton, Johan- 
 nes Felton, Jacob France, Michael Hoff, 
 Martynus Hommel, Jerrie Hommel, Jr., Her- 
 manus Hommel, Peter Hommel, Luke Kier- 
 stede, Christoffe Kierstede, Cornelius Langen- 
 dyke, Luijker Langendyke, Dederick Mauter- 
 stock, Adam Mauterstock, Jacob Mauterstock, 
 William Mauterstock, Johannes Mauterstock, 
 Benjamin Myer, Benjamin Myer, Jr., Hen- 
 dricus Myer, Christian Myer, William Myer, 
 Petrus Myer, Johannes Myer. Jr., Petrus 
 Myer, Jr,, Petrus Low Myer, Tobias Myer, 
 Teunis Myer, Stephanus Myer, Jacob Mower, 
 
124 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 Johannes Mower, Jr., Petrus Mower, Leonard 
 Mower, Nicholas Mower, John Monk, Har- 
 mon Minkelaer, Myndert Mynderse, Arie 
 Newkirk, Jan L. Osterhoudt, Abraham Oster- 
 houdt, Cornelius Persen, Johannes Persen, 
 Jacobus Persen, Abraham Post, Jecobus Post, 
 Martynus Post, Jan Post, Isaac Post, Hendrick 
 Post, Jurrie W. Rightmyer, Johannes Right- 
 myer, Coenradt Rechtmyer, Hermanus Recht- 
 myer, Lodewick Russell, Hendrick Snyder, 
 Benjamin Snyder, Abraham Snyder, Isaac 
 Snyder, Jeremiah Snyder, Martynus Snyder, 
 Egbert Schoonmaker, Samuel Schoonmaker, 
 Hezekiah DuBois Schoonmaker, Hendrick 
 Schoonmaker, Edward Schoonmaker, Tjerck 
 Schoonmaker, Jr., Solomon Schutt, Adam 
 Short, Petrus Sax, Phillipus Viele, John Val- 
 kenburgh, Christian Valkenburgh, Johannes 
 Valck, Jr., Wilhelm Valck, Aaronhout Valck, 
 Peter Whitaker, Jacobus Whitaker, William 
 Whitaker, Barent Whitaker, Johannes Wol- 
 ven, Johannes Wolven, Jr., Godfrey Wolven, 
 Hendrick Wolven, Jeremiah Wolven, John 
 Wolven, Laurence Winne, Peter A. Winne, 
 Arent Winne, Benjamin Winne, John Wells, 
 Hendricus Wells, Evert Wynkoop, Hezekiah 
 Wynkoop, Tobias Wynkoop, Cornelius E. 
 Wynkoop, Jurian Young, John Young and 
 Jeremiah Young — one hundred and thirty-four 
 in all. The only persons in this town who 
 
THE LEGION OF HONOR, 125 
 
 refused to sign were Richard Davenport^ 
 William Eligh, William Fiero, Abraham Hom- 
 mel, Peter Luecks, Josias Minklaer, Johannes 
 Plank, Johannes Plank, Jr., Johannes Row, 
 Frederick Row, Jr., Johannes Row, Jr , Johan- 
 nes Trumpbour, and Nicholas Trumpbour. 
 Thus there were but thirteen Tories in its 
 borders. 
 
 The roll of signers of the Articles of Asso- 
 ciation has always been esteemed a Roll of 
 Honor, and justly so. Almost every man on 
 this roll entered the military service during 
 the long war unless physically disqualified, or 
 too old and feeble. And many who were old 
 shouldered the musket as the rosters frequent- 
 ly show that fathers and sons served in the 
 same regiment. And what is true of the mili- 
 tary service is much more true of the above 
 Articles. In many instances every man in the 
 family signed and grandsire, son and grandson 
 pledged themselves to a mutual defense of 
 their liberty not only, but to individual peace 
 and safety. And through seven long and dis- 
 couraging years they nobly kept the faith. 
 
CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR. 
 
 So far in the progress of events there was no 
 purpose of independence. But events were 
 moving apace. The Continental Congress as- 
 sembled in Philadelphia concluded it would be 
 wise to assume the aggressive. The invasion 
 of Canada was determined on, and the Provin- 
 cial Congress began to make provision for this. 
 Among the regiments called was one from 
 Ulster county, of which James Clinton was 
 made colonel. It was placed in a brigade 
 under command of Gen. Montgomery and 
 reached Quebec where the latter fell, and the 
 expedition returned. 
 
 In August, 1775, an act was passed reorgan- 
 izing the militia. In this re-organization Ulster 
 county was called upon for four regiments. 
 This town was included in the northern, or 
 First Ulster, and the command of the regiment 
 was given at first to Col. Johannes Harden- 
 bergh. The regiment had various vicissitudes, 
 and when it was finally organized it entered 
 the service under Col. Johannis Snyder, a na- 
 tive of this town, then resident of what is now 
 
THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR, \27 
 
 Kingston. He was the son of George Snyder, 
 a Palatine who came to West Camp with the 
 colony of 1710. When this regiment was 
 officered, Oct. 25, 1775, the third company was 
 under the following officers: Capt. Matthew 
 Dederick ; First Lieut. Evert Wynkoop, Jr. ; 
 Second Lieut. Petrus Eygenaar and Ensign 
 Hendrick Myer. The fourth company was 
 officered as follows : Capt. John Lucas DeWitt ; 
 First Lieut. Petrus Osterhoudt ; Second Lieut. 
 Tobias Myer and Ensign Petrus Brink. 
 
 On May i, 1776, the regiment was reported 
 ready. It was under the command of Col. 
 Snyder. The company of Capt. DeWitt was 
 now numbered the second, and consisted of a 
 captain, two lieutenants, one ensign, eight non- 
 commissioned officers and fifty privates. This 
 company was raised in the south part of the 
 present town. The company of Capt. Ded- 
 erick, now number four, when the return was 
 made had one lieutenant, no ensign, eight non- 
 commissioned officers and forty-eight privates. 
 This company was raised in Katsbaan and West 
 Camp. The company of Capt. Jeremiah Sny- 
 der, which was raised in the western part of the 
 town did not organize as soon as the others. 
 
 ■So far the contest had been resistance to 
 tyrannical enactments in the vain hope of re- 
 conciliation with the mother country. But 
 Parliament had by an act declared the colonies 
 
128 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 in rebellion, had raised troops for its suppres- 
 sion and hired mercenary troops in Germany 
 for subjugation. So the issue was joined. 
 
 On June 7, 1776, the die was cast. Congress 
 that day " Resolved, that these United Col- 
 onies are, and of right ought to be, free and 
 independent states; that they are absolved 
 from all allegiance to the British Crown, and 
 that all connection between them and the State 
 of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally 
 dissolved," and appointed a committee to draft 
 a Declaration of Independence. 
 
 July 4, 1776, saw the immortal document 
 signed. The world knows the result. The 
 Provincial Congress of New York had been 
 elected in April of that year. It met in May^ 
 1779, at White Plains. When the resolution of 
 Continental Congress of June 7, was laid before 
 it, it was decided that it was of too great mo- 
 ment to be acted upon without a reference to 
 the people. It was so referred and another 
 election ordered. This new body met at 
 White Plains July 9, 1776; the action of the 
 Continental Congress was laid before it, and 
 the same day the Congress at White Plains 
 *' Resolved, unanimously, that the reasons as- 
 signed by the Continental Congress for declar- 
 ing the United Colonies free and independent 
 States, are cogent and conclusive ; and while 
 we lament the cruel necessity, which has ren- 
 
THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR. 129 
 
 dered that measure unavoidable, we approve 
 the same, and will at the risk of our lives and 
 fortunes, join with the other colonies in sup- 
 porting it." Messengers were sent through the 
 colony to publish the declaration and the reso- 
 lutions of approval, and the strife was on. 
 
 The writer has been permitted to make use 
 of a diary in the handwriting of Christopher 
 Tappen, of Kingston, now in possession of 
 Mrs. William Mould, of the village of Sau- 
 gerties. Mr. Tappen was a brother-in-law of 
 Governor George Clinton, and was one of the 
 delegates to the above congress, at White 
 Plains. His diary begins with his journey 
 from Kingston to that village at the session 
 spoken of, on July 9, 1776, and is concluded on 
 the 25th of the following January. It gives 
 an inside history of the times and reveals the 
 petty envies and jealousies which then, as 
 now, mar human actions even when the 
 motives are the most patriotic and Christian. 
 Human nature is ever human nature. The 
 writer has condensed the diary, and added 
 explanations in parentheses. 
 
 Mr. Tappen writes: I set out on horseback 
 from Kingston on July 9 to go to the Provin- 
 cial Congress of New York, to be convened at 
 White Plains; crossed the Hudson and put up 
 at Poughkeepsie. I was there informed that 
 Congress had removed to Harlem. My asso- 
 
130 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 ciates Colonel (Levi) Pawling, Colonel (Charles) 
 DeWitt, and Mr. (Matthew) Cantine, agreed 
 to cross again to the west side of the river, so 
 as to leave our horses in the English Neigh- 
 borhood. (This is in the vicinity and north- 
 west of Nyack.) On Friday, the I2th we 
 arrived at Burdett's Ferry, (the ferry between 
 Nyack and Tarrytown). Soon before we 
 arrived a firing of cannon being heard by us 
 we made all the haste possible to the ferry to 
 know the cause thereof. When we came 
 there two men-of-war, one schooner and two 
 tenders were discovered standing up the river. 
 We applied to the ferrymen to put us over, 
 who were unwilling. This gave us an oppor- 
 tunity to see the firing of Mount Washington 
 on the shipping. We arrived in New York on 
 Saturday and were informed that Congress 
 was sitting at White Plains. Returned to 
 Burdett's on the Sabbath. 
 
 On Monday we crossed the ferry and 
 arrived at White Plains at 4 p. m., when we 
 went to Congress and delivered in our creden- 
 tials. 
 
 Tuesday, 16 July, 8 o'clock p. m. : — By a 
 motion of Mr. Robert Yates, Mr. Robert R. 
 Livingston, Mr. John Jay, Mr. Gilbert Living- 
 ston, Mr. Paulding and myself were appointed 
 a secret committee for the purpose of obstruct- 
 ing the channel, or annoying the enemy's 
 
THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR. 131 
 
 ships in their navigation of the Hudson. On 
 the next day set out on the business and 
 lodged at one Purdy's, near Croton's river. 
 At six in the morning of Thursday we went to 
 Peekskill where we waited for Messrs. Jay and 
 R. R. Livingston who arrived at 4 p. m. Just 
 then the ship Rose, commanded by Captain 
 Wallace, and her tender came up and anchor- 
 ed near the Donderberg. Soon after the 
 tender barge went to the west shore in order 
 to pilferage the inhabitants there, but being 
 disappointed by a couple of our men who lay 
 in ambush and fired on them they returned to 
 the tender, when the captain of the ship and 
 four or five of the barges went ashore, killed 
 five or six poor hogs, and set fire to the dwel- 
 ling of one Holstead, which consumed in a 
 few minutes. 
 
 Friday morning we went to Fort Montgom- 
 ery in order to consult with General Clinton, 
 Colonel Clinton and Captain Bedlow and 
 lodged there that night. On Saturday Gen- 
 eral Clinton informed us that he had been to 
 view a high point of land on the south side of 
 Poop Loop's Kill, which he was of the opinion 
 ought to be fortified, and insisted that we 
 should go with him to view the spot, which we 
 did, and advised him to fortify it ; then we 
 proceeded to Fort Constitution, from whence 
 Gilbert Livingston and I went to Poughkeepsie, 
 
132 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 On Sabbath Day we met with Captain Law- 
 rence, and Tudor and Jacob VanZandt and 
 divided our business into several departments 
 and gave instructions for that purpose. The 
 next day I received from Gilbert Livingston 
 the sum of 223 pounds, 14 shillings and 8 
 pence to execute part of my instructions 
 and set forth for Kingston. On Tuesday I 
 employed several blacksmiths to make she- 
 vaux, etc. (A chevaux de-frise, or Friesland 
 horse, is a heavy boom of timber traversed 
 with large iron bars about six feet in length, 
 and sharpened to a point. This boom was 
 stretched across the Hudson at Polopel's 
 Island, but had no forts or earthworks for its 
 protection at either end. A heavy chain was 
 also welded, and was stretched across the 
 Hudson at West Point, the construction of 
 which by this committee will be told in the 
 next chapter. Forts Montgomery, Clinton 
 and Constitution, prevented its removal until 
 they were reduced in the autumn of the next 
 year, 1777.) 
 
CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 CONTINUATION OF THE TAPPEN JOURNAL. 
 
 The Tappen diary continues: Wednesday, 
 July 25th, 1776 — went to Sawgertjes ; pur- 
 chased a sloop of Benjamin Snyder, when Mr. 
 White came up with me and delivered me a 
 letter of Robert R. Livingston. 
 
 Thursday, 26th. — Purchased Low's sloop for 
 170 pounds; also pitch, tar and dry wood. 
 After dinner went to the landing (Rondout) to 
 order the materials on board of said sloop and 
 buy some cannons. Mr. White came over with 
 a letter from Mr. Yates on the subject that 
 Mr. Livingston wrote to me about the day 
 before, and applied to me for an order to im- 
 press teams, which I gave him. Also desired 
 me to provide him with twenty axe men the 
 next day to fell and hew timber at ten miles 
 . up the river. I understood that the ofificers of 
 the First Regiment were convened at the sign 
 of The Indian King in order to agree upon a 
 set of officers for the regiment, to be raised 
 under the command of Colonel (Levi) Pawling. 
 Think as the militia were to train in a few 
 days, that if I was to send out any men um- 
 
1 34 HISTOR Y OF SA UGER TIES. 
 
 brage would be taken. I went over to where 
 the officers were assembled. Requested of the 
 landlord to call out Col. (Johannis) Snyder, to 
 whom I applied for twenty men of his militia; 
 showed him my papers, of which he demanded 
 a copy, an extract of which I made with my 
 request at the foot thereof and carried into the 
 room where he and a number of other gentle- 
 men were sitting, delivered it to the colonel, 
 who laid it down on the table. Major (Adrian) 
 Wynkoop took it up and read it, when Major 
 (Philip) Hooghteling took it up to read, when 
 I withdrew from the room in order to wait for 
 an answer, and went about some other busi- 
 ness in the meantime. In about an hour there- 
 after waited upon the colonel, found the door 
 open, seeing him engaged upon some other 
 business with other people stepped back to the 
 stoop at the door and sat down. Addressed 
 myself to Major Hooghteling by asking whether 
 they had fixed their officers. He answered me 
 in a surly tone, "What do I know? — the 
 Congress. Why have they not done it?" I 
 answered "The Congress have done a part 
 and left the other for you to do." To which 
 he replied : " I do not know what you do 
 there. I could send my negro Jug there and 
 he would do as much as you all could." I 
 asked the occasion of that affront. He replied : 
 "You are a scoundrel." I told him "You talk 
 
THE TAPPEN JOURNAL. 135 
 
 like a fool." Whereupon he gave me a back- 
 handed stroke in the face which in a manner 
 stunned me. However, I raised myself from 
 the seat. He was ready for the second blow 
 which I defended, took hold of him, and laid 
 him over the stoop, when another person at his 
 back gave him a lift, or push, so as to send me 
 to the opposite side, he on me. I tumbled 
 him from me, but he, taking me in the hair 
 twisted my neck so as to have an advantage to 
 strike me in the face. I defended every stroke 
 until some persons took hold of the arms. I 
 had to defend them when he beat me to such 
 a degree that I was blind for twenty hours in 
 one eye and but for a dim glimmer out of the 
 other, which brought on a slow, weak fever so 
 as to disable me for any business for eight 
 days. On Friday, the next day, sent an ex- 
 press to Sawgertjes to know how the works 
 were going on, and received a letter from Mr. 
 White. On Saturday Egbert DuMond was 
 kind enough to go to the landing to take 
 account of the things sent on board of Low's 
 sloops. 
 
 On Sunday I sent an express for Mr. Liv- 
 ingston to Poughkeepsie, and Monday evening 
 Messrs. Livingston and Paulding came to my 
 house where we consulted upon the business 
 in my department and issued orders for this 
 purpose. 
 
136 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 By Wednesday, July 31st, my face and eyes 
 were much better, but having great pains in 
 my breast and stomach I was not able to go 
 out. On Saturday, August 3rd, I went to the 
 landing (Rondout) to buy canoes. Various 
 minor matters occupied me until Friday, the 
 9th, when I attended Capt. Hazewood at the 
 fire vessels and superintended the works. At 
 nine in the evening set out for Fort Montgom- 
 ery to examine the state of the provisions of 
 which great complaints are made, and to bring 
 up one of the fire vessels from thence. We 
 arrived there at eight in the morning of Satur- 
 day and found Gen. Clinton's brigade on the 
 march to a post on the north side of Kings 
 Bridge. Went to examine new forts and or- 
 dered the fire ship off. We set out on Sunday 
 from Fort Montgomery to Fort Clinton where 
 we dined. After dinner we went to Pough- 
 keepsie which we reached at ten. 
 
 On Monday, August 12th, went to the ship- 
 yard and ordered sundry things and after din- 
 ner formed a committee at Mr. Poole's. By 
 order of this committee we went next day to 
 John Schenck's and marked four hogsheads of 
 West India rum belonging to one Franklin, as 
 Mr. Schenck says, and consigned to one Mab- 
 bett, and that he has no particular orders to 
 sell it. As Messrs. Jay and Yates had import- 
 ant business at home they requested leave of 
 
THE TAPPEN JOURNAL. 137 
 
 absence. They departed leaving instructions 
 to Mr. Livingston and me how to proceed in 
 the meantime. I obtained leave on Saturday 
 to go home and took with me money to pay 
 accounts. On Monday I hired men to go to 
 Poughkeepsie to bring three canoes there. 
 Tuesday I went to Poughkeepsie and settled 
 accounts and Wednesday wrote a letter to Mr. 
 Yates concerning cannon. Went down to 
 Davis' where the carpenters are at work upon 
 logs for the chain. Next day I wrote a letter 
 to the chairman of Kingston for ten or twelve 
 carpenters to work upon the locks. They ar- 
 rived to-day. I purchased a canoe of Capt. 
 Hughes. On Friday put carpenters to work, 
 and blacksmiths also. In the afternoon took 
 some iron in a sloop to have it forged in Kings- 
 ton. Mr. Livingston and I conveyed it there 
 Saturday. I engaged Abram VanKeuren to 
 work on the iron in making the chain. I re- 
 turned to Poughkeepsie on Sunday and the 
 next day inspected the fire vessels. Returned 
 to Kingston on Saturday and back to Pough- 
 keepsie on Monday, September 1st. As none 
 of the committee came back to Poughkeepsie 
 by Tuesday I resolved to go to the Congress 
 in order to inform them of the state of our 
 business. I reached Fishkill, where Congress 
 was sitting, by ten on Wednesday. Next day 
 I was taken sick with a fever. Although very 
 
138 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 sick on Friday Mr. (Charles) DeWitt informed 
 me that no session of Congress could be held 
 unless I attended. This I did. I remained 
 very-sick until the next Wednesday, when feel- 
 ing somewhat better I concluded to go to Mr. 
 Clinton's (Gov. George Clinton's). I hired 
 Capt. Jackson's sloop to bring me up. The 
 next day I arrived home. I did not return to 
 Congress until Monday, December 9th, when I 
 set out for Fishkill, where it was sitting, in 
 company with Col. DeWitt. (The remain- 
 ing entries in the diary are unimportant and 
 cease altogether on Saturday, January 25th, 
 
 I777-) 
 The above journal establishes the fact that 
 
 the heavy impeding chain built to prevent the 
 ascent of the Hudson by the British was made 
 in Kingston. Links of this chain are still to be 
 seen at West Point, and at Newburgh. The 
 boom was made by carpenters at Poughkeepsie 
 and the fire ships bought at Saugerties and 
 Rondout. 
 
 And it shows the unfortunate jealousy exist- 
 ing all through the war between Congress and 
 the army. This hampered the movements of 
 Washington from year to year and caused 
 constant insubordination. Cliques and cabals 
 which were governed by political reasons, or 
 envious ones, constantly interfered with mili- 
 tary plans, changing leaders and depriving 
 
THE TAPPEN JOURNAL. 139 
 
 armies of necessary men and equipment for 
 political reasons, if not for worse. 
 
 Major Philip Hooghteling served as such in 
 the First Ulster Regiment, which was raised in 
 Kingston and Saugerties. The Third Ulster, 
 spoken of as Col. Pawling's, was raised in the 
 valleys of the Rondout and the Wallkill. The 
 journal shows how an effort was made to secure 
 enlistments from the above town also. It is 
 certainly a tribute to the patriotism of Kings- 
 ton and Saugerties that such a call was made 
 by the Third, as the Fourth Ulster was largely 
 a Saugerties and Kingston regiment. We can 
 understand the opposition of the First to the 
 application, if we cannot excuse it. 
 
CHAPTER XX. 
 
 THE CAMPAIGN OF 1 776. 
 
 In the chapter which preceded the last the 
 writer narrated the story of the organization 
 of the militia of the town, and especially of 
 the First Ulster Regiment, in which the great 
 majority of Saugerties men served. As there 
 stated, it was reported to be ready on May i, 
 1776, and under the command of Colonel 
 Johannis Snyder, of Kingston, a native of 
 Saugerties. The captains of the three Sau- 
 gerties companies were Matthew Dederick, 
 John Lucas DeWitt and Jeremiah Snyder. 
 On July 4th the colonies were declared to be 
 " Free and Independent States." Five days 
 after, on July 9th, this action of Congress was 
 ratified by the State of New York, and on the 
 sixteenth of the same month the New York 
 Convention resolved that one-fourth part of 
 the militia of the counties of Westchester, 
 Dutchess, Orange and Ulster be forthwith 
 drawn out for the defense of the liberties, 
 property, wives and children of the good 
 people of this State. Then a resolution was 
 passed urging those who remained at home to 
 
THE CAMPAIGN OF 1776. 141 
 
 render all necessary assistance to the families 
 of those who enlisted, and another directing 
 that all the men raised in the counties of 
 Ulster and Orange be stationed in the High- 
 lands on the west side of the river, to guard 
 those defiles, the possession of which Briga- 
 dier-General George Clinton shall think most 
 conducive to the safety of the State. The 
 convention at the same time asked General 
 Washington to appoint an ofificer to take 
 command of all the levies on both sides of the 
 river. Washington, having no one to spare, 
 and having such confidence in Clinton that he 
 deemed him the most suitable, nominated him 
 to the command. This nomination the con- 
 vention approved, a levy of one-fourth of the 
 militia was made and Colonel Johannis Snyder 
 called his regiment together to fill the quota 
 required. 
 
 We are not concerned here with the dififi- 
 culties met in filling this quota which arose 
 over the services of a troop of horse attached 
 to the regiment, etc., but must sketch the ser- 
 vice rendered so far as concerns Saugerties 
 men. 
 
 Meanwhile the Fourth Ulster, under Col- 
 onel Johannes Hardenbergh, in which were 
 many from this town had gone to New York 
 to aid in the defense of that city by Washing- 
 ton. On August 9th the colonel complained 
 
142 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 to the State Convention of the destitute con- 
 dition of the troops, and asked a supply say- 
 ing, that his men were even willing to have 
 the funds to purchase supplies deducted from 
 their pay. The convention immediately order- 
 ed the supplies furnished on those conditions. 
 This is worth noting to show the ardent 
 patriotism of those who fought to secure our 
 liberties. 
 
 Through all the disastrous campaign of 1776 
 which ended in the loss of the city of New 
 York, Ulster county carried her full share. 
 And while so many of her sons were fighting 
 on Long Island one-quarter of those remaining 
 at home were drafted for service in the passes 
 of the Highlands. But arms were scarce for 
 their equipment and it was determined to arm 
 only those who were drawn for immediate ser- 
 vice, and equip the remainder with lances. 
 This exhibits the straits in which the patriots 
 were placed. 
 
 Colonel Johannis Snyder proceeded to the 
 Highlands to command the levies reaching 
 there October 18, 1776. He found an order 
 issued eight days before to detach three hun- 
 dred men of his command, well armed, with 
 three days' provisions, to proceed to Peekskill 
 to continue in service three weeks. And on 
 the 13th the field officers of the First Regi- 
 ment had selected Major Adrian Wynkoop, of 
 
THE CAMPAIGN OF 1776. 143 
 
 that regiment to take command of the detach- 
 ment. 
 
 On November 3d the Committee of Safety- 
 ordered the militia of Orange and Ulster coun- 
 ties to hold themselves in readiness at a 
 moment's warning to oppose the invasion of 
 the British on the west side of the Hudson. 
 But the British made no attempt upon the 
 passage during the remainder of 1776 after the 
 capture of New York and confined their 
 operations to a campaign in New Jersey. The 
 coming of winter and the freezing over of the 
 Hudson released most of the militia to their 
 homes, and Colonel Snyder's regiment all 
 returned as its term of service expired. 
 
 To understand this it is well to look for a 
 moment at the constitution of the military 
 forces. There were three classes of these. 
 The first was the Line, as it was called, which 
 would be called to-day the regular army, but 
 in those days came to be denominated "The 
 Continentals." These regiments were under 
 the direct command of General Washington as 
 Commander-in-Chief. 
 
 The second branch was the Levies. These 
 were drawn from the militia regiments and 
 sometimes by a direct draft upon the people 
 for a specified term, and they could be com- 
 pelled to serve outside of the state during 
 their entire term of service. 
 
144 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 The last class was the Militia. They could 
 then, as now, be called to render service out- 
 side of the state for three months only at a 
 time. " Every foot soldier must provide him- 
 self and appear and muster with a good, well- 
 fixed musket, or fusee, a good sword, belt and 
 cartridge-box, six cartridges of powder, a horn 
 and six sizable bullets, a flint, a blanket," and 
 sometimes a tomahawk. For want of these 
 articles a fine of twenty shillings and prison 
 charges was imposed until the fine was paid. 
 At his discretion the captain was allowed and 
 authorized to sell the delinquent's goods. " In 
 case the offender be unable, or refuse to pay^ 
 and he have no goods to distress, he shall ride 
 the wooden horse, or be laid by the neck and 
 heels in a public place for not to exceed an 
 hour." 
 
 The militia were called out when they were 
 needed and kept as long as needed, and then 
 permitted to return to their homes subject to 
 another call. Sometimes a whole regiment 
 would be called out for many months at a 
 time, sometimes for but a few days, and this 
 frequently during several months; and some- 
 times no call would come for a whole year. 
 Sometimes a whole regiment would be called ; 
 sometimes one company; sometimes twenty 
 or twenty-five men. Thus the same men 
 might serve in two or three companies in 
 
THE CAMPAIGN OF 1776. 145 
 
 the same year and even in two or three regi- 
 ments. 
 
 The counties were divided into districts, 
 and each district placed under a colonel who 
 was to see that every man liable was enrolled. 
 Quakers, Moravians and United Brethren were 
 enrolled, but could be exempt from actual ser- 
 vice by paying an exemption fee. Towards 
 the end of the Revolution this was one hun- 
 dred pounds (New York currency), or $400 per 
 year. One miller to each grist mill, three 
 powder makers to each powder mill, five iron 
 makers to each furnace, three journeymen to 
 each printing ofifice and one ferryman to each 
 public ferry were exem.pt. 
 
 Four times a year the militia must meet for 
 training in specified localities and once a year 
 a general training day was ordered for "all 
 the soldiers within the government." All 
 males between the ages of sixteen and fifty 
 were liable for military duty and, in case of 
 invasion, all between fifteen and sixty. Cases 
 did arise where they were called out, if able- 
 bodied, up to seventy. 
 
 The pay of a private was but %6.66 per 
 month and this not always in money, and if so 
 often in money not current. He was also 
 allowed one pound of sugar, two ounces of tea 
 and one pound of tobacco a month besides his 
 subsistence. If a slave enlisted and served 
 
146 
 
 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 three years, or until discharged, he became a 
 freeman. Thus the opening of the New Year 
 (1777), which was to witness the most severe 
 call ever made upon the patriotism and ener- 
 gies of this town, found almost every man and 
 boy of its population who would carry a gun 
 under arms. 
 
 
CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 THE CAMPAIGN OF 1777- 
 
 The year 1777 was dark and discouraging as 
 it opened upon the American cause. Wash- 
 ington had been driven out of New York and 
 across New Jersey, and though he had won a 
 notable success at Trenton on Christmas, the 
 patriotic sky was gloomy. The invasion of 
 New York from Canada had not taken place 
 and Burgoyne had retired to winter his troops 
 in Canada, yet it was known that the advance 
 would be made the following summer, and it 
 was expected in force. From whence would 
 the patriots obtain troops? Those inured to 
 war were with Washington in New Jersey and 
 Pennsylvania and few but the militia were 
 available. 
 
 All through the winter of i'jy6-'/ prepara- 
 tions were going on. All over the valley of 
 the Hudson and in New England lead was 
 being run into bullet moulds and powder was 
 made in small quantities everywhere. The 
 militia constantly drilled, as never before, and 
 at every store and church the discussion of 
 their rights and wrongs and of means of resist- 
 
148 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 ance was carried on. In the town of Sauger- 
 ties the great places for discussion and debate 
 were the store of Corneh'us Persen, in Kats- 
 baan, and the inn of Abraham Post, in what is 
 now the village of Saugerties. But not alone 
 here. In groups around the two churches in 
 town, the one in Katsbaan and that at West 
 Camp, successive Sundays heard the ceaseless 
 story of the injustice of Great Britain and the 
 determination to win the fight for liberty. 
 Rev. George Wilhelmus Mancius, the pastor 
 at Katsbaan, had died in 1762 and the next 
 one to serve was Rev. Lambertus DeRonde, 
 who did not come until 1780. But in these 
 intervening eighteen years the people were 
 regularly supplied by the pastors of Albany, 
 Kingston and Catskill, now Leeds. All three 
 of these were ardent patriots. But no one more 
 fervently so than the pastor of the last named 
 church, Rev. Johannes Schuneman. His father 
 had been one of the Palatines of the West 
 Camp colony in 1710, and the son had entered 
 the ministry of the Reformed Church. Where- 
 ever he went he was on fire for liberty. Whether 
 he led his people in worship at Leeds, or Cox- 
 sackie, or whether he came to Katsbaan for 
 Sabbath service his messages from the pulpit 
 were not only those of religion, but the claims 
 of patriotism and liberty. So his frequent 
 visits to Katsbaan were occasions for the en- 
 
THE CAMPAIGN OF 1777. 149 
 
 kindling of a spirit of determined effort to 
 achieve the independence of America from the 
 control of Great Britain forever. He is the 
 hero in a story very popular fifty or sixty years 
 ago entitled " The Dutch Domine of the Cats- 
 kills." So the year 1777, though gloomy as 
 the opening months passed, found the people 
 of Saugerties never so determined to win as 
 then. 
 
 For the campaign Lord Howe asked of the 
 British government a force of 50,000 men to 
 cut the united colonies in two along the line of 
 Lake Champlain and the Hudson river. To 
 this end a powerful army was to come down 
 from Canada to meet a force proceeding up 
 the Hudson from New York. What was to 
 resist this? New York State was then nothing 
 more than Long Island with the valleys of the 
 Hudson and the Mohawk, The opposition to 
 Burgoyne and St. Leger would demand every 
 soldier from the Mohawk and the Upper Hud- 
 son. The Lower Hudson and Long Island 
 troops were with Washington in New Jersey. 
 So the defense of the Highlands devolved 
 upon the counties of Orange, Ulster, Dutchess 
 and a part of Westchester. Once more the 
 First Ulster took the field under Col. Snyder 
 and went to the support of Gen. George Clin- 
 ton. To show their entire confidence in Clin- 
 ton the State convention passed resolutions 
 
150 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 authorizing him to call out the whole, or any 
 part of the militia whenever he deemed it nec- 
 essary, and station them where he deemed best, 
 and gave him power to impress carriages, 
 horses, teams, boats and vessels whenever he 
 deemed it necessary. For these he was author- 
 ized to draw on the convention for payment. 
 Nor were these extraordinary powers ever 
 abused. Faithfully and well did Clinton meet 
 the expectations of his people, and when in 
 the following July the new State of New York 
 was constituted, George Clinton was elected by 
 the people to the ofifices both of governor and 
 lieutenant-governor. He declined the latter 
 office and, by successive re-elections they con- 
 tinued him in the former for twenty-one years. 
 We cannot narrate nor review the campaign 
 of this eventful year. During the whole sum- 
 mer the most of the First Ulster Regiment was 
 with Clinton in the Highlands. Those were 
 despondent days. Over all hung the cloud of 
 Burgoyne's advance from Canada, and in July 
 it became a fact. Schuyler had not the troops 
 to put up a defense. But the axe of the wood- 
 man preceded the advance of the enemy and 
 every step onward from Lake Champlain was 
 obstructed by the felling of trees and the de- 
 struction of bridges, etc., so that it took him 
 twenty-four days to march twenty-six miles. 
 Meanwhile Schuyler was calling on Gov. Clin- 
 
THE CAMPAIGN OF 1777. 151 
 
 ton for reinforcements. If sent they could be 
 only those of Ulster and Dutchess counties, 
 and every man was needed for the defense of 
 the Highlands. At last Clinton determined 
 that the progress of Burgoyne must be stopped 
 at all hazards and any cost and directed that 
 the militia of the north end of Ulster and 
 Dutchess counties be sent. They were placed 
 under the command of Gen. Peter TenBroeck, 
 of Dutchess, who resided opposite to Sauger- 
 ties, on the Hudson. 
 
 Every able-bodied man was summoned to go 
 to the relief of Schuyler. Down to fifty years 
 ago tradition in the town had many tales of 
 the events of the march. Many were afoot, a 
 few drove wagons carrying members of the 
 family and neighbors, and some were on horse- 
 back. One of these traditions gives the fol- 
 lowing incidents : Tobias Wynkoop was con- 
 stantly urging a more rapid march and when 
 they reached a spot from whence the cannon- 
 ading could be heard he became excited 
 over the possibility that the battle would be 
 over and he not obtain a shot at the redcoats 
 and Hessians. Ephraim Myer begged his 
 father for permission to go along. His father 
 told him he was too young to carry a musket. 
 But at last the lad's entreaties prevailed and 
 the father consented that he take his fife, as he 
 was a skilful player. And the martial strains 
 
152 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 of this were very effective in summoning the 
 patriot farmers to follow upon horseback and 
 even on foot. Before they had proceeded 
 many miles enough had gathered for two com- 
 panies and they were thus mustered. But 
 arriving at Saratoga the musician quickly 
 exchanged his fife for a musket. 
 
 One company was in charge of Orderly Ser- 
 geant Cornelius Wells, but arrived too late for 
 much active service and was detailed to 
 gather the wounded, and the wagon which 
 Christian Myer had driven up became of great 
 service as an ambulance. The orders for 
 gathering the wounded were that they must 
 first relieve those less severely injured and 
 leave those mortally hurt until the last. One 
 man was found seemingly dying, if not already 
 dead. They rolled him over and left him. 
 But before they had gone far the wounded 
 man arose and followed them exhibiting a 
 severe wound in his head which had stunned 
 him. This ambulance wagon was one belong- 
 ing to William Myer, who resided on the Ger- 
 mond place in this town. The wagon, in 
 charge of his sons. Christian and Johannes, 
 had conve^^ed many of the neighbors to Sara- 
 toga before it was thus detailed. When the 
 militia returned Burgoyne is said to have 
 ridden to Albany with the Myer brothers, and 
 the wagon was ever preserved in the family on 
 
 f 
 
THE CAMPAIGN OF 1777. 153 
 
 this place, and afterwards in that of Hendrick 
 Myer at Brabant, and is now in the Senate 
 House in Kingston. 
 
 But this anticipates. In the meantime the 
 summer had almost passed. Re-enforcements 
 had begun to reach Schuyler. General Herki- 
 mer, the brave Palatine leader along the 
 Mohawk, had fought and fallen in the bloody 
 battle of Oriskany, but had stopped St. Leger 
 and his Indians from joining Burgoyne. The 
 battle of Bennington had been fought and 
 won and on September 19th the two armies 
 had met and the British advance had been 
 checked by the first battle of Stillwater. For 
 eighteen days there was no further movement. 
 But all this time the Americans were stripping 
 the surrounding region of all supplies. The 
 action of the 19th was hailed with joy every- 
 where and the militia flocked to Saratoga. It 
 is at this point that those of our town enter 
 the scene and at the end of these eighteen 
 days they were a part of two thousand men 
 who appeared under the command of General 
 Peter TenBroeck. 
 
 On the 7th of October occurred the second 
 battle of Stillwater, or Bemus Heights. Here 
 our Saugerties militia were in the thickest of 
 the fight in the attack upon the British centre, 
 while the British right was being broken by 
 the vigorous charge of Morgan's Virginia rifle- 
 
1 54 HISTOR Y OF SA UGER TIES. 
 
 men and the innpetuosity of Benedict Arnold. 
 This really ended the campaign and brought 
 about Burgoyne's surrender ten days after. 
 
 His army was marched across New Eng- 
 land, while Burgoyne was brought a prisoner 
 of war to Albany. General Schuyler had 
 entertained the captive general with honors 
 befitting his rank at his country home near 
 Saratoga, and invited him to dine with him and 
 Mrs. Schuyler at their residence in Albany. 
 Burgoyne wrote home of the gentlemanly 
 courtesy and hospitality of Schuyler, and was 
 ever after a friend of America in the British 
 Parliament. 
 
 Tradition has always held that upon the 
 return of the Saugerties troops from Saratoga 
 they were given a welcome by barbecue at 
 Asbury as they crossed the county line into 
 Ulster, and were then escorted as they came 
 down the Old Kings Road through the town. 
 
 Meanwhile the First Ulster Regiment, as 
 an organization, was with Colonel Johannis 
 Snyder defending the Hudson Highlands. 
 The British left New York on October 3d by 
 land and water. Following a circuitous route 
 around the Donderberg their forces reached 
 Forts Montgomery and Clinton by the rear. 
 They were built for defense against a fleet and 
 had but little to oppose on the landward side 
 with the handful of troops under Governor 
 
THE CAMPAIGN OF 1777. 155 
 
 Clinton. On the afternoon of the sixth the 
 British appeared and carried both forts by 
 assault. Governor George Clinton escaped by 
 sliding down a precipice and crossed the river 
 in a small boat, while General James Clinton 
 escaped to the woods. Two hundred and fifty 
 patriots surrendered and their losses in killed 
 were about one hundred, while the British lost 
 three hundred killed. 
 
 When the chain and chevaux-de-frise had 
 been forced the enemy proceeded up the river, 
 and on the i6th burned Kingston. The next 
 day they reached Saugerties and burned the 
 buildings of General Peter TenBroeck and the 
 Livingstons on the east side of the river. On 
 the 22d they continued their devastations on 
 the west side at Saugerties where they set fire 
 to *'two houses with barns and appendages," 
 one of which was on the place of John G. 
 Myers. Next day they burned a sloop in the 
 creek and one on the ways here. It is said 
 that armed troops visited the house now 
 owned by Mrs. Frank Pidgeon foraging, but 
 did not set fire to the buildings. Then hear- 
 ing of the surrender of Burgoyne, they came 
 about and returned to New York. This prac- 
 tically closed the campaign of 1777 so far as 
 the Hudson valley was concerned. 
 
CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 THE CAMPAIGNS OF 1 778 AND 1779. 
 
 The bloody battle of Oriskany, fought on 
 August 4, 1777, which cost the life of the noble 
 old Palatine, Gen. Herkimer and the lives of 
 one-fourth of his command admirably suc- 
 ceeded in its purpose. Not only was St. Leger 
 and his Iroquois Indians prevented from mak- 
 ing a junction with Burgoyne, not only was 
 the Mohawk Valley saved from conquest, but 
 the Indians were taught a lesson which they 
 never forgot. Hereafter it was impossible for 
 the British to raise an Indian army for allies. 
 
 But there was one sad result. The wives 
 and families of the settlers in exposed places 
 on the frontiers were open to the vengeance of 
 skulking foes. At Oriskany more than one 
 hundred Indian warriors had fallen under the 
 muskets of frontiersmen and the tribes were 
 thirsting for scalps in revenge. For this the 
 scalp of a woman or a child would satisfy 
 where none other could be obtained. And 
 during the summer of 1778 exposed buildings 
 everywhere were burned and the tomahawk 
 dripped with the blood of defenceless women 
 
THE CAMPAIGNS OF 17^8 AND 1779. 1 57 
 
 and children. Toward this hostility they were 
 skilfully cultivated by Sir John Johnson and 
 other leading Tories. 
 
 These savages were led by two ferocious 
 Tories, John Butler and his son Walter, and by 
 the celebrated Mohawk chief, Joseph Brant. 
 Brant had been educated among the whites 
 and to his savage nature was added a culti- 
 vated mind. He has been held responsible for 
 the atrocities committed by the Indians after 
 the battle of Oriskany, but later historians 
 have rescued his memory from undeserved 
 obloquy. He opposed the bloody acts of his 
 savage brethren, but they were led by two 
 fiends in human shape, the Butlers, and wher- 
 ever they appeared destruction and death 
 marked their track. The warfare Brant would 
 have conducted would have been as devastat- 
 ing as that of Sheridan in the valley of the 
 Shenandoah, but he opposed the bloodthirsti- 
 ness of his Indian brethren and their more 
 savage leaders, the Butlers. From July to No- 
 vember, 1778, they carried on a merciless war- 
 fare from the valley of the Susquehanna north- 
 ward. Whole settlements were given to the 
 flames and from gray-haired women to infants 
 in the cradle no mercy to age nor sex was 
 shown. Only to mention the names of Wyom- 
 ing and Cherry Valley is to call to mind the 
 horrors of Indian warfare. These massacres 
 
1 58 HISTOR Y OF SA UGER TIES. 
 
 were in June and November of that year. The 
 latter name recalls as well the cultivation and 
 refinement which marked that village as its de- 
 votion to the patriotic cause. This warfare 
 was not confined to New York aud Pennsyl- 
 vania. The tribes of Kentucky were then 
 bitterly at war with Daniel Boone. The battle 
 of Vincennes was that year fought with the 
 Indians of Indiana. Readers of "Alice of Old 
 Vincennes" will recall this story. 
 
 The British during that year made an expe- 
 dition up the Hudson and captured Stony 
 Point. Washington threw a force into West 
 Point and sent " Mad Anthony" Wayne to re- 
 capture Stony Point in which effort he was 
 dashingly successful. The writer is not able 
 to establish it as a fact, but there seems evi- 
 dence that Col. Snyder, with some of his regi- 
 ment was stationed at West Point at this time. 
 
 During all these months of 1778, the fron- 
 tiers of Ulster were menaced by bands of 
 prowling Indians, with their often more savage 
 Tory allies. In the autumn of this year, Brant 
 appeared along the Ulster frontier carrying 
 dismay and death. He ravaged along the 
 mountain border of the town of Saugerties and 
 through the Rondout valley. 
 
 In 1779, Brant made another raid and the 
 scene this time was in the vicinity of Goshen, 
 near where the bloody battle of the Minisink 
 
THE CAMPAIGNS OF 1778 AND 1779. 1 59 
 
 was fought. Washington determined to stop 
 these raids, and committed the task to Gen. 
 Sullivan, for whom Sullivan couniy is named. 
 The expedition consisted of four brigades, in 
 one of which were four New York regiments, 
 containing many Ulster county men. On May 
 4, 1779, they struck camp at Wawarsing under 
 orders to march to Wyoming. He found Brant 
 marauding at Fantine Kill, six miles distant. 
 On his approach, Brant with one hundred and 
 fifty men fled to the mountains. About fifteen 
 people of Ulster county had been massacred 
 by these Indians before Brant was driven away. 
 
 Gen. Sullivan was thorough in his work. In 
 three weeks he had succeeded in completely 
 subduing the tribes of hostile Indians, and so 
 effectively taught the lesson, that they sued 
 for peace and promised to bury the hatchet. 
 From this time the Indian warfare was confined 
 to predatory bands until the close of the war. 
 They were only outcasts of the various tribes 
 led by those more bloodthirsty allies, the con- 
 temptible Tory degenerates. 
 
 It is impossible to detach from this general 
 account the part taken by Saugerties men. 
 Under officers from different companies they 
 were in constant service. Different detach- 
 ments were out at different times watching the 
 frontiers and scouting in the mountains of 
 Ulster and Delaware counties. 
 
160 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 Some time during this year of 1779 Capt. 
 Jeremiah Snyder, who resided at Blue Moun- 
 tain, with his son Elias, and three others were 
 scouting along the Catskills watching some 
 prowling Tories when Capt. Snyder and An- 
 thony Van Schaick became detached from the 
 rest of the party. As they were cautiously 
 passing through the dense woods and under 
 the brow of a cliff they were suddenly startled 
 by the discharge of musketry and five bullets 
 struck the rocks and earth near the captain. 
 They looked up and saw the enemy on the 
 cliff who ordered them to surrender. Their 
 muskets were discharged and then they ran for 
 their lives. Thirteen shots were fired at them^ 
 but they escaped unhurt. 
 
 There is in existence a pay-roll of a party of 
 Saugerties men of Johannis Snyder's regiment 
 who were under the command of Lieut. Peter 
 Post, of Saugerties, who scouted for one month 
 from April 3d to May 3d, 1779, along the east- 
 ern base of the Catskills. When their service 
 was up Lieut. Post stopped on his way home 
 to stay over night with a friend, a Mr. Wolven, 
 who lived near Pine Grove on what has been 
 known as the William H. Cunyes farm. After 
 he had retired for the night a party of Tories 
 and Indians surrounded the house and carried 
 him ofT a prisoner to the mountains where he 
 was detained for five days. Then he was 
 
THE CAMPAIGNS OF 1778 AND 1779. 1 6 1 
 
 stripped of his uniform and released upon giv- 
 ing his parole. 
 
 The Rev. Dr. Anson DuBois is the authority 
 for the following : 
 
 One Sunday morning during these years two 
 families from Woodstock came to Katsbaan 
 church to service. Each family brought a babe 
 for baptism. There was a Tory at church who 
 quietly slipped out before the close of service. 
 When these two families were returning home, 
 and were just above Unionville, they suddenly 
 found themselves surrounded by Indians whom 
 the Tory had put on their track. The men 
 were made prisoners and the women and chil- 
 dren left sitting in the wagon to get home the 
 best way they could. The Sunday hat of one 
 of the men was seized by an Indian who clapped 
 it on his head and danced about the frightened 
 women with wild grimaces. 
 
 The activity of Brant and his Tories and 
 Indians along the Catskills kept the whole 
 community excited. The Tories were partic- 
 ularly embittered because the store of Cornelius 
 Persen in Katsbaan had been for years the 
 meeting place of the patriots and on one of the 
 raids of Brant it had been determined to seize 
 Cornelius Persen. A friendly Indian named 
 Nachte Jan (Night John) whose wigwam was 
 on Persen's land and who felt indebted to 
 Persen informed him of the scheme and Persen 
 
162 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 left home every night while his patriotic neigh- 
 bors watched with him his house and store 
 from points in the adjacent woods and fields. 
 The blow of Sullivan relieved the situation. 
 
 With the close of 1779 the demand for active 
 service upon the men of this town practically 
 ceased. There were a few calls for short serv- 
 ice, and many of the militia had enlisted either 
 in the Continentals, or were serving in the 
 Levies. But the militia had almost no sum- 
 mons thereafter. 
 
CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 PATRIOTIC DIVINES. 
 
 During the war of the Revolution the 
 Reformed Dutch Church of Kingston had as 
 its pastor the Rev. George J. L. Doll. He 
 was an earnest preacher, but a still more 
 earnest patriot. His pulpit often rang with 
 notes less suggestive of the gospel of peace 
 which in less stirring times he delighted to 
 preach than of a summons to arms. Many an 
 ardent exhortation fell from his lips to the 
 struggle for civil liberty and the rights of free- 
 men which was then on. 
 
 In the earlier years of the war the church of 
 Katsbaan had no settled pastor. But the 
 pulpit was pretty regularly supplied by Dom- 
 ine Doll and by the Rev. Eilardus Westerlo, 
 of Albany. Both of these men were full of 
 the patriotic spirit and earnest in advocacy of 
 the cause. But the preacher who more fre- 
 quently than the others supplied that pulpit 
 was one who was a veritable Boanerges, a son 
 of thunder. He was the Rev. Johannes Schu- 
 neman, of Coxsackie and Catskill, now Leeds. 
 His father was one of the Palatines who 
 
164 HISTORY OF SAUCER TIES. 
 
 settled in West Camp in 17 lo where the dom- 
 ine was born. 
 
 The year 1780 was comparatively a quiet 
 one in the Hudson river valley. This was the 
 year of Arnold's attempt to betray West 
 Point, but the region about Saugerties was in 
 comparative peace. Domine Schuneman con- 
 tinued to come down to Katsbaan to supply 
 the pulpit. And just here a fuller tribute to 
 this patriot should be given. He lived, as a 
 former chapter said, at what is now Leeds. 
 Between there and Katsbaan church is a 
 distance of ten miles and at that time it was 
 largely wooded and much of it a dense forest. 
 He was intensely hated by the Tories because 
 of his ardent patriotism. And he hated the 
 enemies of his country and never lost an 
 opportunity to denounce them. From Leeds 
 to his other charge at Coxsackie was a dis- 
 tance of twelve miles and much of this way 
 too was along a forest road. But the domine 
 feared nothing but his God. No foe lived 
 who had any terror for him. He was short 
 and corpulent and was marked with the small- 
 pox. He was a dead shot with the rifle and 
 his enemies knew it. And that rifle was his 
 constant companion. He always took it with 
 him into his pulpit during these years and 
 when arising to preach set it close at his side 
 after carefully examining the priming. 
 
PATRIOTIC DIVINES. 165 
 
 The Rev. Dr. Henry Ostrander said of him : 
 *' His voice was one of great power and com- 
 pass. His distinct and impressive tones, his 
 natural and vigorous gesticulation and the mani- 
 fest fervent kindliness of his spirit conspired with 
 the eminently evangelical character of his dis- 
 courses to render his preaching effective. The 
 Revolutionary troubles called into full exercise 
 Domine Schuneman's intense patriotism, in 
 connection with his heroic and self-sacrificing 
 spirit. The district of country in which he 
 lived was the theatre of great commotion and 
 horrid cruelty. So deeply convinced was he 
 that the interests of religion, as well as the 
 civil interests of the country were bound up 
 in the great struggle that he gave himself up to 
 it, in his appropriate way, with all the earnest- 
 ness and energy of a ruling passion. * * * 
 He knew well that he was looked upon by the 
 enemy as a prize of more than ordinary value; 
 but nothing daunted by this he never withheld 
 any good service in aid of his country's inter- 
 ests which it was in his power to render. He 
 was armed night and day with instruments of 
 death for the defense of his own person ; but 
 his main trust was in the living God." No 
 tidings of disaster disheartened him, no im- 
 pending danger terrified him, no warnings or 
 entreaties to keep out of the way of imminent 
 peril made any impression on him. And he 
 
166 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 kept up his course unmoved and unharmed 
 during all these years of war riding every Sun- 
 day along his wooded roads with his trusty 
 rifle, and his fervent sermons inspired the dis- 
 couraged patriots until in 1783 the glorious 
 battle was won. 
 
 "The Dutch Domine of the Catskills" and 
 his patriotic services should never be forgotten 
 by the people of this town and this region. 
 His was a strenuous life and he inspired those 
 with whom he came in contact with his enthu- 
 siasm. His services at Coxsackie and at Leeds 
 were regular, those at Katsbaan were special, 
 but very frequent. And more so during the 
 years when the Upper Hudson was the theatre 
 of war. He preached up to within six days of 
 his death, which occurred May 10, 1794, in his 
 82nd year. 
 
 This year 1780 saw the church in Katsbaan 
 receive its second pastor the Rev. Lambertus 
 DeRonde. And it is remarkable that his ardent 
 patriotism too was the cause of his coming. 
 He was one of the pastors of the Collegiate 
 Dutch churches of New York city, which was 
 then occupied by the British. His sermons 
 had long been severe upon the course of the 
 British government and its brutal treatment of 
 its prisoners of war. At last he dealt with 
 the matter in plain language and the British 
 commander sent him from the city and up the 
 
PATRIOTIC DIVINES. 167 
 
 Hudson. He came to Katsbaan and was its 
 pastor for six years. 
 
 The cause of the patriots was greatly 
 strengthened by the course of the ministers 
 of the gospel before the opening and during 
 the continuance of the long war None were 
 more ardent advocates than they. The serv- 
 ices of such men as Witherspoon in Congress 
 were indispensable and the valley of the Hud- 
 son during those " times that tried men's souls" 
 was especially fortunate that, with no uncer- 
 tain sound, such men as Doll, DeRonde and 
 Schuneman inculcated the doctrines that '' all 
 men are created equal and that they are en- 
 dowed by their Creator with certain unalien- 
 able rights, that among these are life, liberty 
 and the pursuit of happiness. That, to secure 
 these rights, governments are instituted among 
 men, deriving their just powers from the con- 
 sent of the governed." 
 
 And when to such steadfast doctrine was 
 joined a fearlessness and courage such as " The 
 Dutch Domine of the Catskills" possessed, and 
 in such an aggressive personality, men were 
 compelled to take their stand whenever and 
 wherever he came in contact with them. It 
 resulted in making this region as thoroughly 
 patriotic as any spot in all America during the 
 long war. 
 
CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 AN INDIAN AND TORY RAID. 
 
 The principal event of the year 1780 in the 
 town was the capture of Capt. Jerenriiah Sny- 
 der of the First Ulster Regiment and his cap- 
 tivity in Canada. As military operations in the 
 early part of this year were suspended along 
 the Hudson the militia were at home at their 
 agricultural labors. On Saturday, May 6th. 
 Capt. Snyder and his son Elias, then in his 
 eighteenth year, were engaged in getting ready 
 a field near their house at Blue Mountain for 
 planting corn. The field was bounded on three 
 sides by the primeval forest. Father and son 
 were separated by nearly the length of the 
 field, which was the long white strip of 
 plowed land running across the accompanying 
 illustration. This was open on the north and 
 towards the house. All at once a terror 
 seemed to possess their horses, and the next 
 moment three distinct parties of Indians and 
 Tories painted vermillion appeared from the 
 three wooded sides of the field. The captain 
 and his son abandoned the horses and fled 
 towards the house where the way was still 
 
AN INDIAN AND TORY RAID, 169 
 
 open. Then the six Indians in the rear, among 
 whom were the notorious John Runnip and 
 Shank's Ben, raised the yell and rushed after 
 them in pursuit. As they neared the house 
 they found themselves cut off by three Tories 
 who came over the hill in the rear of the 
 house, at about the spot where the snowbanks 
 appear. Completely surrounded, Elias sur- 
 rendered to a tall fellow named Hoornbeek, 
 who was with Ben's gang, while the captain 
 was seized by Runnip. A dispute arose be- 
 tween the parties nearest the captain as to who 
 was entitled to the prisoner, because of the 
 reward the British offered for captives, which 
 came near a settlement as one of the disputants 
 struck at the captain with his tomahawk to 
 obtain his scalp. The blow made the captain 
 reel and cut him deeply near the ear. He 
 attempted another, but Runnip parried this 
 just in time to shove aside a spear thrown by a 
 third at the captain. 
 
 All this was observed by the women of the 
 family from the house, and they fled with the 
 children to the woods. The united bands of 
 savages ransacked the house and piled upon a 
 heap its contents, especially the pork, clothing 
 and maple sugar. The leader then demanded 
 of the captain four guineas which had been 
 paid him by a Tory a few days before, saying 
 he knew they were in the chest. The key was 
 
170 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 delivered him, but the impatient savage split 
 the lid with his tomahawk. The number of 
 guineas was correct, but in his eagerness he 
 overlooked one in the chest, and one rolled 
 away on the floor. But he obtained two and 
 $200 in Continental bills. By this time the 
 outbuildings were ablaze. Then Capt. Snyder 
 begged that some things be left for his wife 
 and children. Permission was granted, and 
 some were carried out. They were soon ordered 
 to desist, and the house was fired. Then, tak- 
 ing the captain and two sons, they set out for 
 the mountains. Upon urgent pleading of the 
 captain and Elias, the Tories finally released 
 Ephraim, the younger son, who was lame and 
 only nine years old. And another act of 
 humanity is worthy of mention. As they 
 proceeded the women were discovered hiding 
 in the bushes, but were not molested. After a 
 while a halt was made, and the captors pro- 
 ceeded to divide the plunder and paint the 
 prisoners. Then all moved on in Indian file. 
 
 Nothing had been allowed the prisoners, and 
 in their ordinary attire they were marched on 
 and soon became footsore. They climbed the 
 Catskills in an oblique direction from what is 
 now Palenville, and passed between the two 
 Mountain House lakes to the east branch of 
 the Schoharie kill, which they forded and then 
 camped for the night. The next morning 
 
AN INDIAN AND TORY RAID, 171 
 
 their fears were relieved by Runnip, who told 
 them that they would not be hurt unless they 
 attempted to escape. He intended to take 
 them to Niagara, and would be kind to them 
 as far as circumstances would permit. 
 
 It was now Sunday morning. The Tories 
 and Indians separated, the former taking the 
 $200 and the guns and the latter the prisoners 
 and the rest of the booty. Runnip now as- 
 sumed command and led the party to a depot 
 for provisions built in a ravine of hemlocks on 
 a scaffold formed about ten feet from the 
 ground and supported by two hemlocks and a 
 crotch. This depot was near the head of the 
 Schoharie kill. Monday was wet, and they re- 
 mained in camp. Runnip produced the papers 
 he had obtained from the captain's chest. He 
 threw the smaller ones into the fire and pre- 
 served the larger. Among the former were 
 many important memoranda relating to the 
 military operations of the patriot army which 
 it was well should not be read by the enemy. 
 Among the latter were the captain's commis- 
 sion and some deeds. (About twenty years 
 ago the writer learned that the commission was 
 in the British Museum, and he made an effort 
 through the then Secretary of State, Hon. 
 Frederick T. Frelinghuysen, to obtain them for 
 the descendants of Captain Snyder. The ef- 
 fort failed, but copies of some valuable papers 
 
1 72 HISTOR Y OF SA UGER TIES. 
 
 relating to the capture and their escape were 
 secured.) 
 
 Tuesday morning at daybreak the luggage 
 was divided into eight packs and each of the 
 Indians shouldered one. Then Runnip and 
 Hoornbeek, the owners of the prisoners, made 
 a subdivision and Captain Snyder and Elias 
 shouldered their packs. Hoornbeek after a 
 little pitied the boy enough to relieve him of 
 one-third of his load. 
 
 Towards sunset that evening they encamp- 
 ed on one of the branches of the Delaware. 
 The Indians separated, some to search for 
 potatoes on the abandoned fields of white 
 settlers and some to build an elm canoe. Two 
 remained near at hand repairing their moc- 
 casins, having left their tomahawks at a little 
 distance. The moment when a successful 
 attempt at escape might be made seemed at 
 hand. Elias was just preparing to spring at 
 the tomahawks when four Indians returned 
 and thwarted the design. As they returned 
 to their elm, they took Elias with them. 
 
 The canoe was finished by noon of the next 
 day and in it the whole party of ten embarked 
 with all their baggage. Three miles down 
 stream a small timber canoe was discovered 
 and two Indians with their baggage took pos- 
 session. They floated on down that after- 
 noon about twenty-four miles and the next 
 
AN INDIAN AND TORY RAID. 173 
 
 day sixteen miles farther until the junction of 
 the east and west branches of the Delaware. 
 At this point the canoes were abandoned and 
 the march was resumed. After proceeding 
 five or six miles Runnip was suddenly taken 
 very ill. A rattlesnake was killed, cleaned, 
 skinned, boiled into a soup and eaten, both 
 soup and flesh by Runnip, and he was a well 
 man. 
 
 At noon on Saturday the Susquehanna was 
 reached and another canoe was constructed 
 from the bark of a large chestnut upon which 
 they floated sixty miles down to Tioga Point. 
 Here a young elk was shot which afforded a 
 welcome change of food. They left their 
 canoe here and proceeded on foot along the 
 Chemung river and passed the breastwork 
 which the Indians had thrown up the year 
 before to resist the invasion of General Sul- 
 livan. Between the Indian breastwork and 
 the Genesee Flats, on Sullivan's route, a 
 mound was passed at the side of the path. 
 " There are your brothers " said Runnip in 
 Dutch as he pointed to them. They were the 
 graves of a scouting party of thirty-six men 
 which had Keen intercepted and killed by the 
 Indians. In the vicinity of this mound they 
 fell in with a pack horse which had wandered 
 from the army and had wintered in the wild 
 grass on the Chemung flats. He was a small 
 
174 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 chunky bay, low in flesh, but apparently in 
 good heart. By this time the feet of Elias 
 were covered with large blisters, which almost 
 prevented walking. One day his sufferings 
 became so acute that he was about to drop. 
 For such things the Indians have no sym- 
 pathy, nor any remedy but the tomaha\vk. 
 Providentially they halted for the night an 
 hour before sundown that day. 
 
 On the morning of Sunday, May 21st, the 
 party reached Genesee Flats and met there 
 the first white men they had seen since their 
 captors had separated. They were Tories and 
 neighbors of Captain Snyder. Their names 
 were John Young and Frederick Rowe. 
 Young had lived for a number of years within 
 a mile of Snyder and now he had a long con- 
 versation with him. Rowe did not utter a 
 word. The party forded the Genesee river 
 through water up to their arms. Then, never 
 stopping to dry their clothes, they marched on 
 a dozen miles and encamped for the night. 
 Soon after a white woman of about twenty- 
 five years, with a child in her arms came to 
 the camp with an Indian who was her hus- 
 band. She enquired in English who the pris- 
 oners were and all the circumstances of their 
 capture, destination, etc., and then volunteer- 
 ed the story of her life. In the French and 
 Indian war, as a small child, she had been cap- 
 
AN INDIAN AND TORY RAID. 175 
 
 tured and had remained with them ever since. 
 She knew not from whence she had come, nor 
 who she was. She was a woman of intelli- 
 gence despite her surroundings and her hus- 
 band seemed a chief. Her face after all its 
 exposure to the elements still retained a meas- 
 ure of beauty. 
 
 On the 24th of May they camped on a 
 stream about thirty miles from Niagara. 
 Here the Indians stopped to fish and the 
 younger ones drove the fish down the stream 
 so that the older ones could spear them. A 
 species of sucker was caught averaging three 
 feet in length. The next morning a passing 
 band of Indians compelled the captain to give 
 them his coat and they walked away with it. 
 Not long after they met a band of Indians and 
 squaws and the squaws robbed them of their 
 hats. A little later they met two more 
 squaws, one of whom was the sister of Run- 
 nip. Their greeting was very joyful and the 
 women extended their goodwill to the pris- 
 oners whom they took cordially by the hand. 
 They spent the night about four miles from 
 the fort and on the morning of May 26 march- 
 ed over towards it. They passed through an 
 encampment of several thousands of Indians 
 and the youths and squaws armed with clubs 
 tried to strike at them as they went by, but 
 Runnip and their captors carefully guarded 
 
176 
 
 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 them from the gauntlet. They were soon 
 safely within the gates of Fort Niagara. The 
 fort, though to be a prison, seemed a haven of 
 rest to the weary captives and within the 
 stronghold they gradually recovered fro.m 
 their exhaustion. 
 
CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 IN CAPTIVITY IN CANADA. 
 
 By the circuitous path from Saugerties to 
 Fort Niagara Capt. Snyder and his son Elias 
 had journeyed more than five hundred miles. 
 They had experienced but one rainy day when 
 they rested under a scaffold of hemlock at the 
 head of Schoharie creek while the Indians lay 
 wrapped in their blankets on the naked earth. 
 They had been fairly well fed and of food 
 which consisted largely of suppaan, or unbolted 
 Indian meal, boiled with dried peas. The pork 
 which had been foraged from the premises of 
 Capt. Snyder had been carried with them until 
 it was eaten. An elk had been shot and a part 
 of a deer taken from wolves, otherwise they 
 had had no game but muskrats. But they 
 could not join their captors in a meal upon 
 muskrats. 
 
 The Indian who had almost tomahawked the 
 captain was his barber now and shaved him 
 regularly twice a week. He was quite an ex- 
 pert with a razor. The prisoners were painted 
 on the first and second days of their captivity 
 and then not again until they reached the 
 
178 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 Susquehanna. After this they were painted 
 regularly every morning. All were generally 
 silent on the march and the little conversation 
 had was in broken Dutch. Runnip told Sny- 
 der of a proposed raid into Shawangunk after 
 higher officers and in July Snyder met some 
 more recently taken prisoners who told him 
 that they had met Ruimip on his way to 
 Shawangunk. A year after this Capt. Snyder 
 met Capt. Anthony Abeel, of Catskill, also a 
 captive in Canada, who told him the result 
 of the raid into Shawangunk. The officers 
 wanted were not captured, but some negro 
 slaves were seized. These rose in the wilder- 
 ness and slew their captors, among whom was 
 Runnip himself. 
 
 Fort Niagara had been built by the French 
 during their long control of Canada and had 
 been one of their strongholds. Since Canada 
 had become British the latter had increased 
 the strength of the fortifications until it was 
 a seat of their power. It was at the outlet of 
 the Niagara river into Lake Ontario. About 
 six or eight acres were inclosed about the fort 
 within which the British commander had 
 erected a handsome residence. This was now 
 occupied by Col. Guy Johnson, son-in-law of 
 Sir William Johnson, of Johnstown. To him 
 the Snyders were brought for an interview. 
 He was a short, stout man, about forty years 
 
IN CAPTIVITY IN CANADA. 179 
 
 of age, of stern countenance, and a haughty 
 demeanor, dressed in British uniform, with 
 powdered locks, cocked hat and sword by his 
 side. He ordered all served with a glass of 
 rum, the Indians first. Then Runnip delivered 
 the captured papers to Col. Johnson and gave 
 a succinct account of the captives and the place 
 where they were taken. Johnson then in- 
 quired the news of the frontiers and Runnip 
 replied that the British fleet had ascended the 
 Hudson as high as Kingston ; that he and his 
 comrades had been at Kingston Point and 
 witnessed it. Then turning to Capt. Snyder, 
 Johnson inquired : " Do you know anything 
 about it?" Deeming it prudent not to con- 
 tradict the Indian the captain said, " It may be 
 so, but we do not know." Various questions 
 were asked relating to the conduct of the war, 
 after which Runnip arose and made a speech 
 in his native tongue of some ten or fifteen 
 minutes, which a well-educated Stockbridge 
 Indian rendered fluently into English. As far 
 as the captain could gather it the purport was 
 that the quarrel and war was between the 
 British and Americans and the Indians de- 
 manded to be well paid for their help. John- 
 son replied that they would be rewarded with 
 rum, provisions and corn ; but they must not 
 give any to the Indians who hung around the 
 fort. 
 
1 80 HISTOR Y OF SA UGER TIES. 
 
 After this was settled Runnip took Capt. 
 Snyder by the hand and placed it in that of 
 Col. Johnson thus handing him over. The 
 same ceremony was repeated as Elias was 
 transferred. They were then conducted to the 
 guard house on the top of the wall, where they 
 were confined for a week. On the third day a 
 Tory named Rowe, a sergeant in the British 
 army, paid them a visit. He had been brought 
 up a short distance from Snyder's residence in 
 Saugerties, and called to enquire about his 
 friends and relatives in that neighborhood. 
 He was very civil, and appeared to commiserate 
 their condition. They were not allowed any 
 private conversation. About this time they 
 were each presented with a frock coat of coarse 
 Indian cloth. 
 
 While in the guard house they were visited 
 by the celebrated chieftain, Brant. He was a 
 likely fellow, of a fierce aspect — tall and rather 
 spare, well spoken — and apparently about 
 thirty years of age. He wore moccasins ele- 
 gantly trimmed with beads, leggings, breech 
 cloth of superfine blue, a short green coat with 
 two silver epaulets, and a small, laced, round 
 hat. At his side hung a beautiful silver 
 mounted cutlass, and his blanket of bluecloth» 
 purposely dropped in the chair to show his 
 epaulets, was gorgeously decorated with a bor- 
 der of red. Brant's language was very insult- 
 
IN CAPTIVITY IN CANADA. 181 
 
 ing. He asked many questions, and, among 
 others, from whence the captain came? 
 When he answered that he came from Esopus, 
 Brant replied, ''That is my fighting ground." 
 At the close of the interview he addressed 
 Elias and said: "You are young, and you I 
 pity ; but for that old villain there I have no 
 pity." As he said this he pointed to the cap- 
 tain. 
 
 At the end of a week they were removed 
 across the river and with three other white 
 prisoners put into the hold of a twelve-gun 
 vessel on Lake Ontario. Sergeant Rowe re- 
 peated his visit, and presented the captain and 
 his son with second-hand hats, while a humane 
 Tory named Birch, who had lived on the east 
 branch of the Delaware, generously offered to 
 supply their wants. He had been well ac- 
 quainted with Benjamin Snyder, a brother of 
 the captain, and seemed anxious to requite 
 former kindnesses of that brother. During 
 the afternoon of Friday, June 2nd, the 
 vessel got under way, and when off from the 
 wharf, the prisoners were allowed to come on 
 deck. On Sunday afternoon, June 4th, they 
 were put ashore on Carleton Island at the foot 
 of the lake. In a small fortress on this island 
 they were confined about three days of rainy 
 and foggy weather, when they were transferred 
 to boats and sent off towards Montreal under 
 
182 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 guard of Tories from Sir John Johnson's bat- 
 talion. On their way down the St. Lawrence 
 they stopped at Ogdensburgh, where they re- 
 ceived on board a female prisoner with five 
 deserters from the American army. A heart- 
 rending scene was witnessed as the woman was 
 separated from her husband, who was detained 
 a prisoner at Ogdensburgh. At Cote du lac» 
 about forty miles from Montreal, they were 
 landed and confined in the guard house for an 
 hour. Re-embarking, they were carried with 
 the current to La Chine, which they reached 
 June 12. From this place they were marched 
 on foot to Montreal, a distance of nine miles. 
 The poor female was released as soon as she 
 arrived. By noon the captain and his son had 
 quarters assigned them in the Prevot. Here 
 in this dismal and disgusting den they were 
 confined for months. 
 
CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 CAPTAIN SNYDER'S ESCAPE. 
 
 The Prevot at Montreal was a large dismal 
 looking place of stone, with great windows, 
 and it served not only as a prison for American 
 soldiers, but for criminals of every description. 
 In a room twenty feet by sixteen, in the second 
 story, forty Americans, military prisoners, were 
 closely shut up until August ; and their sleep- 
 ing apartment .was still smaller. It was but an 
 entry or gangway thirteen feet long and eight 
 wide, and in this the forty were stowed at night 
 in two rows with heads to the wall and feet inter- 
 laced. Sometimes when the prisoners were 
 many at least fifty were crowded in. Their 
 jailer was a humane man who had married his 
 wife in Albany and did as much for them as he 
 could. 
 
 About the first of August they were taken 
 before Gen. M'Clean. Those who could pro- 
 cure recommendations from loyal Canadians 
 were released upon parole. But neither the 
 captain, nor his son could do so. Gen. M'Clean 
 finally sent away the captain to labor on the 
 island, retaining the son as a hostage. At the 
 
184 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 end of ten days he had so far ingratiated him- 
 self with the one in charge, Sir William Grant, 
 that he was able to secure the liberation of his 
 son. 
 
 On the night of Oct. 8th six of the prisoners 
 escaped. As a result all were again confined 
 in the Prevot. Here they remained, without 
 stockings, under a cruel Hessian keeper, who 
 beat his prisoners with a sword, until June 13th 
 fallowing. After a time Capt. Snyder suc- 
 ceeded in obtaining some indulgence when this 
 Hessian learned that he and his son were of 
 German descent from the Palatines who had 
 come to West Camp. Their time was occupied 
 in cards, except the large share devoted to 
 clearing themselves of vermin which infested 
 the jail. 
 
 On the thirteenth of June, 1781, Col. James 
 Gordon, of Ballston, was brought in a prisoner 
 with others. Through his influence Capt. Sny- 
 der and son, and Capt. Anthony Abeel and son 
 were liberated on parole and billetted among 
 the Canadians on the island of Jesu, sixteen 
 miles above Montreal. Here they were not 
 treated well, but better than in the prison. 
 They remained here until the first of December 
 when all of the prisoners here, of whom there 
 were twenty-one, were confined in one house. 
 After a few days things were relaxed ; but it 
 was not until Christmas that they first began 
 
CAPTAIN SNYDER'S ESCAPE. 185 
 
 to taste the blessings of good treatment and 
 cleanliness. During the winter they were pre- 
 sented with a roll of cloth by a compassionate 
 Quaker. This they made into clothes them- 
 selves after a fashion. The following summer 
 they obtained work among farmers and me- 
 chanics and spent the winter again at cards. 
 An Irish prisoner had somehow obtained a 
 copy of Pliny's Epistles which he gave Capt. 
 Snyder and these furnished his sole intellectual 
 enjoyment. 
 
 With the coming of the spring of 1782 the 
 prisoners began to make plans for escape. The 
 captain objected because of his parole. But it 
 was urged that he was absolved from this as 
 the British commander had broken his prom- 
 ise by locking them up in the house in Decem- 
 ber which had released the obligation. Then 
 Elias declared that he would desert at all events 
 and his father yielded. Preparations were 
 made. Some leather for moccasins was bought. 
 A passport to Montreal was obtained. While 
 there a pocket compass was bought and 
 wine to celebrate the Fourth of July. And 
 when that day arrived twenty faithful Ameri- 
 cans met in Capt. Snyder's quarters and com- 
 memorated the day in four gallons of wine, 
 two of rum and other incentives to what was 
 then considered a proper spirit. 
 
 On the evening of September loth, 1782, 
 
1 86 HISTOR Y OF SA UGER TIES. 
 
 the attempt to escape was made. At a con 
 certed point Capt. Snyder and Elias, Jonathan 
 Millet, of Stonington, Anthony Abeel, of Cats- 
 kill, and James Butler, of Philadelphia, set 
 forward for the lower part of the isle. Here 
 they found two boats which they lashed to- 
 gether. About three miles below there was a 
 rapid and as the night was dark Snyder, Abeel, 
 Millett and the baggage were landed, while 
 young Snyder and Butler, having separated 
 the boats, were to navigate them as well as 
 they could to a point below the rapid. They 
 succeeded in passing without accident, but 
 missed those who had gone by the shore. The 
 night had nearly passed before they were 
 landed on an island ten miles below Montreal. 
 Their boats were drawn up into the long grass 
 and they lay all day in their wet clothes wait- 
 ing for the night. 
 
 After dusk they took the boats and crossed 
 to the east side of the St. Lawrence, and by 
 daybreak they had reached the river Chambly. 
 Here they lay all day in an old hedge. After 
 sunset they found a canoe and came across. 
 But by an oversight they had lost their axes, 
 the only weapons they had. Conceiving them- 
 selves beyond danger, they now advanced by 
 daylight, passing around all the settlements 
 except one through which they walked armed 
 with clubs. We cannot follow their perilous 
 
 i 
 
CAPTAIN SNYDER'S ESCAPE. 187 
 
 journey through the trackless wilderness to the 
 headwaters of the Connecticut River, and the 
 straits to which they were brought for the 
 want of food. Almost starved, Elias found a 
 thigh of a moose stripped of all but its sinews, 
 which they burned and ate of for two days. 
 Some days after they found a frontiersman at 
 work in a field and obtained a loaf of bread. 
 That night they slept at the house of a Mr. 
 Williams, who made them eat a moose pie 
 prepared for the family supper. Neighbors 
 came in with a magistrate, who examined 
 them and then furnished them with passports 
 to Gen. Bailley. The people of New Hamp- 
 shire v/ere exceedingly kind to them, and pro- 
 vided for all their wants. They reached Gen. 
 Bailley 's quarters on Sunday, September 29. 
 He provided them with shoes. After two days 
 there the general fitted out the captain with a 
 horse, and he rode home through Massachu- 
 setts and Connecticut, crossing the Hudson at 
 Poughkeepsie. The rest, came on foot and 
 crossed at Kinderhook. 
 
 On his way home Capt. Snyder had an inter- 
 view with Governor George Clinton on the 6th 
 of October. The writer has a copy of the of- 
 ficial record of the examination. It was con- 
 cerning the authenticity of the rumors that 
 the British in Canada were preparing for an- 
 other invasion of this State, by the way of 
 
188 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 Lake Champlain and the Hudson River valley. 
 We now know that no such move was in pre- 
 paration, as the commissioners of Great Brit- 
 ain and the United States were negotiating for 
 peace, and within eight weeks, on November 
 30, 1782, a preliminary treaty was signed. 
 This was followed by the definite treaty of 
 September 3, 1783, and the evacuation of New 
 York by the British November 25, 1783, and 
 the establishment of peace. 
 
 Captain Snyder in the interview and Gen- 
 eral Bailley and General Sullivan in contem- 
 poraneous reports refer to these rumors of 
 another invasion. But it is now known that 
 they originated in the troubles between the 
 authorities of this State and New Hampshire 
 over their claims to what is now Vermont. 
 Vermont was clamoring to Congress for 
 admission as a state into the Union and Con- 
 gress was postponing such admission until the 
 treaty of peace was signed. But the people of 
 Vermont were restless and impatient, and that 
 impatience manifested itself in constant col- 
 lisions between the soldiers of New York and 
 New Hampshire and in charges of sympathy of 
 Vermont with the common enemy. This had 
 led Captain Snyder's party to avoid Vermont 
 on the way home, and to the circuitous route 
 through New Hampshire. After the Consti- 
 tution of the United States w^as formed Ver- 
 
CAPTAIN SNYDER'S ESCAPE. 189 
 
 mont and Kentucky were the first states 
 admitted to the Union. 
 
 There is in existence a return of Colonel 
 Johannis Snyder of the levies raised in his 
 regiment for the reinforcement of the army 
 under date of July loth, 1780. The three 
 companies from the town of Saugerties are 
 thus reported : Captain John L. DeWitt, 100 
 men ; Captain Matthew Dederick, 91 men ; 
 Lieutenant Peter Backer, 70 men ; in all 261 
 soldiers. Lieutenant Backer was in com.mand 
 of the company of Captain Jeremiah Snyder 
 during the captain's captivity in Canada. 
 
 This ends the story of the connection of the 
 town of Saugerties with the Revolution. The 
 last two years had been quiet. The theatre of 
 war had been shifted to the South, neverthe- 
 less as late as March 12, 1781, the trustees of 
 Kingston Commons employed four men to 
 constantly scout from the bounds of Hurley 
 to the Albany (now Greene) county line near 
 Palenville to watch the Indians and Tories. 
 This covered the western border of Saugerties, 
 and on April 3, 1781, they purchased three 
 hundred pine trees for stockades. 
 
 Nor was this all. Thirteen days after this 
 they purchased two hundred pounds of gun- 
 powder for defense, and on June 4, 178 1, the 
 trustees appointed a committee to consult 
 with Colonel Johannis Snyder for the defense 
 
190 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 of the town. So late the annoying troubles 
 with the Tories and Indians continued. At 
 last the reward came. No hostile foot has 
 ever trodden the soil of this town since that 
 day. And when the history of that conflict 
 was written it was recorded that not only had 
 Ulster county and Saugerties furnished in full 
 every call for troops made during the long 
 war, but had exceeded that quota by more 
 than one-third. 
 
CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 AFTER THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 No happier day was ever enjoyed by the 
 people of this town than the day when the 
 news came that Cornwallis had surrendered at 
 Yorktown to Washington. It was a perfect 
 day in October, most of the militia were home, 
 for there were not many soldiers from this 
 region in the army in Virginia and as all were 
 farmers they were engaged in securing their 
 fall crops. On most of the farms husking 
 corn was in progress when a messenger on his 
 way to Albany along the Old Kings Road 
 brought the tidings. All work was immedi- 
 ately suspended and neighbors flew to tell 
 neighbors the glad news that the long war was 
 now, in all probability, over. To the tavern of 
 Abraham Post, in Saugerties, and to the store 
 of Cornelius Persen, in Katsbaan, most of the 
 people found their way to ascertain the credi- 
 bility of the tidings and to discuss the future. 
 Tradition tells how Jan Top, a negro slave of 
 Persen, came into the assembled crowd from 
 the pile of corn which he was husking with a 
 long ear from which he deliberately removed 
 
192 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 every kernel, after which he held it up exclaim- 
 ing *' Here it is at last, and he is no more 
 Cornwallis, but Cob-wallis." On the following 
 Sunday all the region was assembled in the old 
 stone church in Katsbaan to a service of 
 thanksgiving and praise to Almighty God for 
 the success which had crowned our arms. The 
 pastor, Domine DeRonde, who had been the 
 eloquent preacher of New York before he was 
 driven from his pulpit there by the British, 
 arose to the occasion, and his patriotic periods 
 were long remembered by his auditors. The 
 Dutch is a very expressive tongue and the dom- 
 ine, who had many old scores to settle, never 
 used the language with acuter pungency, or 
 greater effect. 
 
 But the rejoicings, the celebrations and the 
 acknowledgments over, the conviction grad- 
 ually dawned upon the people that all had not 
 yet been secured. Money there was in plenty, 
 but it was nothing but Continental currency, 
 of which forty dollars were hardly worth one 
 dollar in silver. Not a coin of what was in 
 circulation was the product of a mint in this 
 country except coppers. English and French 
 guineas, Spanish joes, doubloons and pistoles 
 and one or two French coins were the only 
 gold in circulation and most of the residents in 
 rural regions had rarely seen a gold coin. 
 English crowns, shillings and sixpences, and 
 
AFTER THE REVOLUTION. 193 
 
 Spanish milled dollars, picayunes and pista- 
 reens were the coins in silver. 
 
 But when the value of these came to be 
 computed confusion worse confounded reigned. 
 Values which had been estimated in pounds, 
 shillings and pence began to be reckoned upon 
 the basis of the Spanish milled dollar. But 
 what was that value? A shilling meant six- 
 teen and two-thirds cents in Massachusetts. 
 But in New York and North Carolina it meant 
 twelve and one half cents. In most of the 
 states seven and one-half shillings made a 
 dollar. In New England six shillings were one 
 dollar; in New York and North Carolina eight 
 shillings ; in Georgia five shillings, while in 
 South Carolina it required thirty-two and one- 
 half. Besides all this the current coin had 
 been so clipped, sweated and counterfeited 
 that a man needed to travel with a pair of 
 scales in his pocket and a ready-reckoning table 
 in his memory to receive any approach to a 
 true value when money was paid him. 
 
 The result was barter everywhere. The 
 stamp acts, navigation laws and all the other 
 oppressive measures of the British Parliament 
 had resulted in throwing the people upon their 
 own resources. Every farm house was not 
 only a hive of industry in producing products 
 of the soil, but a farmer and his family were 
 manufacturers of everything they needed, or 
 
194 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 used. They made their own sugar and mo- 
 lasses, they brewed their own beer, they spun 
 and wove their own clothing and bedding from 
 the wool and flax they raised on their own 
 acres. Every farmer was cooper enough to 
 make his own pails and tubs, blacksmith 
 enough to weld iron and shoe his own horse, 
 carpenter enough to build his own house if 
 needed, and wagon maker enough for his own 
 wagons and sleighs. No butcher brought him 
 meat, for he salted every November the year's 
 supply, and during the year his calves were 
 killed when six weeks old, and the quarters 
 divided among his neighbors from whom he 
 received similar quarters when they had calves 
 of that age. The skins were taken to a farmer 
 who had a tan vat, and there in a liquid strong 
 with oak or hemlock bark, it lay for eighteen 
 months in process of tanning. Then it was 
 dressed and ready for the peripatetic shoe- 
 maker, who came to board with the family 
 while he made the family shoes for a year. 
 
 The homespun cloth from the family looms 
 was taken to some mill where it could be fulled, 
 and then an itinerating tailoress would come 
 and be the family guest while she cut and made 
 the garments of the household, meanwhile re- 
 tailing the gossip gathered upon her flittings 
 through the neighborhood. All through the 
 livelong day and far into the evenings the spin- 
 
AFTER THE REVOLUTION. 195 
 
 ning wheels hummed. When they ceased, the 
 fires on the hearth were carefully covered to 
 keep a coal alive for the morning to avoid the 
 necessity for flint and tinder, or, may be, a 
 a journey through snowdrifts to borrow a live 
 coal, for fifty years were to pass before a fric- 
 tion match would be invented. 
 
 When the farmer was cutting his firewood in 
 the forests, his eye was ever open for a tough 
 and solid tree with a suitably-forked limb, 
 which, pointed with iron, would make a plow, 
 for iron plows were unknown until after the 
 Nineteenth Century had come. His hay was 
 cut with a scythe, whose snath he had bent 
 himself, and the short blade had been made by 
 the neighboring smith. His hay was raked by 
 the hand rakes made at his fireside on winter 
 evenings when he was not employed in fash- 
 ioning axe-helves after a design which seemed 
 to him perfectly adapted to his natural method 
 of swinging an axe. 
 
 His oxen plowed his fields with yokes his 
 hands had made. His team of horses had 
 never known a hame collar, as the harness was 
 of his construction, and the broad breast 
 pieces were of leather from his beeves of pre- 
 vious years, whose hides had been dressed for 
 him. From these his own skill had constructed 
 the broad leather belts which almost covered 
 the animals. Where harness was not thus 
 
196 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 made it was of rope from the tow from which 
 flax had been spun. But this constantly broke, 
 and repeated repairs covered the faithful ani- 
 mals with every species of knots. 
 
 Labor was scarce. There were many fam- 
 ilies who owned a slave, but many more did 
 not. And of those who did but few owned 
 two. Even if labor could be hired, there was 
 no money to pay wages. It had to be paid in 
 produce of the farm. So the universal custom 
 of '* bees " became established. Farmers had 
 plowing bees, planting bees, logging bees» 
 stumping bees, hoeing bees, mowing bees, 
 reaping bees, husking bees. There were bees 
 to raise new buildings ; there were bees to 
 gather loose stone. There were bees to spin 
 and bees to weave. There were apple-cutting 
 bees and quilting bees, and out of all this 
 neighborliness the farmers of this town were 
 found in the year that gave us civil freedom 
 poor in what the world calls wealth, but rich in 
 that afifluent living when every interest of a 
 neighbor is an interest of our own. 
 
CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 EDUCATIONAL CONDITIONS AFTER THE 
 REVOLUTION. 
 
 In the last chapter an attempt was made to 
 describe the condition of this town when the 
 seven years of war of the Revolution were 
 closed. It is here proposed to glance at the 
 educational conditions. 
 
 In the American histories which undertake 
 to describe the social conditions of this period 
 there is a strange distortion of certain facts. 
 The people are pictured as not only poor 
 financially, but intellectual and educational 
 conditions are put at a very low ebb. 
 McMaster even says that " in New York and 
 Pennsylvania a school house was never seen 
 outside of a village or town." Let us see if 
 this is true of what is now the town of Sau- 
 gerties. 
 
 The county of Ulster has a peculiar position 
 among the original counties of the thirteen 
 states which formed the American Union. It 
 grew not only from one original permanent 
 settlement in early colonial days, but from 
 three. And each of the three was from a 
 
198 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 different country in Europe, and each brought 
 its own language. Kingston was a Dutch 
 settlement, New Paltz was a French and West 
 Camp a German. But they had one thing in 
 common. Before anything else might be 
 done a church and a school must be built. 
 Kingston had Andries Van Der Sluys to teach 
 the children of the colony as soon as the 
 colony was started. New Paltz did the same 
 thing, and a former chapter told how the 
 Palatine colony at the Camp, which came on 
 the fourth of October, 1710, and lived in huts 
 of bark and brush that winter built a school 
 house of sawed boards within three months of 
 the day it landed. 
 
 The chapters which took our readers on a 
 walk about Saugerties and Katsbaan locating 
 the buildings during the decade 1760-70 called 
 attention to a school house in each place. 
 The writer can establish the fact that the 
 present Union School of Saugerties is the 
 historical successor of the school then stand- 
 ing near the site of the present Russell block, 
 and the school house at Katsbaan that of the 
 school of that early day. The writer has the 
 certificate by which the owners of the school 
 house then on that site in Katsbaan conveyed 
 the school they had so long maintained to the 
 people of the newly constituted district upon 
 the organization of the school system of this 
 
EDUCATIONAL CONDITIONS. 199 
 
 state. This disposes of the assertion of 
 McMaster as at the date of which he wrote 
 (1784), both these schools were at least twenty 
 years old, and probably sixty. 
 
 But while it is a fact that our Revolution- 
 ary sires had provided schools for the young, 
 but little else was provided. There was a 
 desk all around the room before which was a 
 seat without a back. This seat was usually a 
 heavy slab into which holes had been bored 
 and peg feet inserted. No map nor chart was 
 on the walls, no globe nor model to enable the 
 eye to catch the meaning or shape of the 
 thing described was in the room. Nor was it 
 a part of the task of the teacher to make it 
 plain. The average teacher trained his pupil's 
 memory far more than the reason. His pupils 
 were taught to read with some degree of 
 fluency, to write with ease and in a legible 
 hand, to spell as fairly as could be expected 
 when all authorities did not agree on ortho- 
 graphy, to cipher until the pupil could cal- 
 culate by the rule of three and to learn long 
 rules with multitudinous exceptions upon the 
 use of language. This was all. The pupil 
 had to sit upon the hardest of benches for 
 eight hours a day struggling over Cheever's 
 Accidence, or DaboU's Arithmetic, wrestling 
 with the polysyllables of Dillworth's speller, 
 committing to memory long pages of Web- 
 
200 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 ster's American Institute and long sections of 
 the Catechism interspersed with Dr. Watts* 
 *' Hymns for Infant Minds." The school 
 books were printed upon a kind of straw 
 paper in letters which were not pleasing to the 
 eye, and were illustrated with the rudest of 
 wood cuts which had done duty for genera- 
 tions of school books and would for genera- 
 vtions more until Noah Webster introduced 
 the first of the glorious list of modern school 
 books with his famous spelling book. 
 
 The schoolmaster was not specially trained 
 for his labors, nor was his a life profession. He 
 was usually some student for the ministry, law 
 or medicine, who eked out his scanty funds 
 with a few months each year in pedagogy. He 
 would give two months to this every winter, 
 while some maiden who desired to provide 
 somewhat towards a matrimonial outfit would 
 devote two months of one summer, or two, to 
 teaching. The boys went in the winter with 
 a few girls living near by, and the girls went in 
 the summer and with them the little boys. 
 Such were the conditions which obtained all 
 over the land, and yet in these unpromising 
 surroundings the minds of the men and women 
 were trained who developed and moulded this 
 country of ours during the wonderful Nine- 
 teenth Century. 
 
 The teacher boarded around among his 
 
EDUCATIONAL CONDITIONS. 201 
 
 patrons. He needed a strong constitution as 
 he would sleep one night in the best room, the 
 next one in the garret ; one night in a room in 
 which there was fire, the next in one in which 
 no fire had been lighted in six months; one 
 night he would have heavy bed blankets, on 
 another he would sleep between a thin feather 
 bed and a thick one, while on a third would 
 have linen sheets on his bed and over all the 
 skin of some wild animal. 
 
 He was expected to make himself agreeable 
 during the long winter evenings, to help back- 
 ward pupils with their sums, to escort the 
 young ladies of the family to singing-schools, 
 apple-cuts, spinning bees, or quiltings, and as 
 he went on Sunday morning with the family 
 with whom he chanced to be sojourning to the 
 chilly church it was his province to carry the 
 footstove with glowing hickory coals to keep 
 warm the feet of the lady of the house who 
 was entertaining him. And on winter nights 
 when the wind was heaping the snow outside 
 of the house where he was staying he would 
 be found employed in turning the swift or reel 
 for the spinning maidens, or holding the yarn 
 as the daughters of the family wound it. 
 
 His authority in the school was absolute. 
 His scepter was the rod or ferule, his word in 
 the home was final in matters to be learned 
 from books, his rivalry was dreaded by coun- 
 
202 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 try swains and were he a gentleman by 
 instinct and in manner his attentions would be 
 most readily accepted by the fairer sex in the 
 neighborhood. 
 
 His salary was but a pittance, his duties 
 laborious, but his position carried with it a 
 standing among his fellows unknown in this 
 day of trained teachers, well equipped schools, 
 varied curricula, and text books, which, in 
 clear and intelligent language convey the idea 
 and the thought in the things they teach. 
 
 He exacted reverence and respect and such 
 were paid him. But with it was inculcated a 
 respect for law and the rights of others that 
 was most valuable to a people just made free 
 and independent that their liberty should not 
 degenerate into license and selfishness. He 
 taught the rising generation well in things it 
 needed to learn during the infancy of the 
 Republic and many of those lessons might 
 with great advantage be taught to the genera- 
 tion of the opening of the Twentieth Century. 
 
CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 THE COUNTRY DOCTOR. 
 
 As we pass in review the conditions of the 
 town at the close of the Revolution, or one 
 hundred and twenty years ago, no one will in- 
 terest us more than the country doctor. Others 
 may have known much of the town ; he knew 
 the town. Others may have been faithful in 
 their day and generation ; he was the faithful 
 one. When highways went around hills, and 
 were swamps when rains were falling; and 
 were an object lesson in ruts, stumps and stones 
 in times of drought, he was the one person who 
 knew those terrible roads by day, and pursued 
 their tedious miles at every hour of the night. 
 He knew the town and the people of it for had 
 he not ushered them into it and did he not 
 close their eyes as they made their exit ? Had 
 he not physicked them, plastered them and 
 bled them? Was not his name a witness to 
 every will when the drugs he had pounded in 
 his own mortar had not proved as effective as 
 he had hoped in warding off some disease 
 which had baffled his wisdom to diagnose and 
 his skill to cure ? And best of all, were there 
 
204 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 not at every cross-road and along every coun- 
 try lane, in houses without number, many of 
 those who had been restored to health by his 
 cheering word, his winning smile, his infectious 
 laughter and his simple remedies when calomel 
 and purging had failed, when copious bleeding 
 had been ineffective and when rhubarb and 
 molasses had been prescribed in daily doses all 
 in vain ? 
 
 What though the old white horse which he 
 bestrid carried the only drug store in a score of 
 miles? What though universal medicines had 
 not been invented, nor favorite remedies com- 
 pounded ? What though almanacs with testi- 
 monials from those who had risen from the 
 grave because a bottle of some useful panacea 
 had been placed in the coffin were not yet 
 printed? In spite of the primitive conditions 
 prevailing sick and suffering humanity all over 
 the town blessed the day in which that old 
 white horse stood tied at the door while the 
 old doctor with beaming face was within with 
 warm greeting and warmer clasp of hand and 
 warmest word direct from a heart that was 
 pumping its own red blood until the afflicted 
 one felt his very presence a reviving hope. 
 That restless sufferer might be tossed with 
 fever; he might be denied water especially if 
 it were cool ; to him ice might be forbidden 
 when his veins were afire and instead small 
 
THE COUNTRY DOCTOR. 205 
 
 quantities of clam juice be administered ; he 
 might be cupped and leeched and bled ; he 
 might find his gums shriveled from his teeth 
 by the mercurial compounds he swallowed, yet 
 the faithful physician in his constant attend- 
 ance and unremitting care oft-times had brought 
 him through it all in safety. 
 
 These were days when there was no royal 
 road into the medical profession. There were 
 but two medical schools in the country and 
 these but poorly equipped. Many a medical 
 student was admitted to practice who had 
 never dissected a human body. So difficult 
 was it to obtain anatomical subjects that it is 
 said that the Harvard medical school had made 
 a single body do duty for a whole year's course 
 of lectures. And the writer remembers the 
 gruesome tales of the efforts made in their 
 student days by the practitioners of fifty years 
 ago to obtain cadavers for the purpose. How 
 many a grave was violated in those days the 
 world will never know ; how rarely did the 
 body of a dying criminal escape the knife med- 
 ical students would never reveal. 
 
 But meager as was the education obtained in 
 those days in medical schools most of those 
 who entered the profession were denied even 
 this. Almost all who sought to enter upon 
 the practice of medicine could do no more 
 than study with an old practitioner. Such a 
 
206 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 student went into the office, the pestle rarely 
 left his hands as he had to grind the powders 
 in the mortar day by day. It was his to hold 
 the basin while the patient's blood was filling 
 it ; to mix and roll the pills the doctor had 
 compounded ; scrape the lint, tear the band- 
 ages and sew wounds while his master directed. 
 
 What if but few of the drugs of to-day were 
 known ? He learned to know the medical 
 qualities of all the plants and herbs of the 
 neighborhood. What if the books he studied 
 abounded in errors and false speculations? 
 Granted that he had a keen eye and logical 
 mind, a memory that was tenacious and an 
 apprehension that was quick he soon reached 
 the limit of the book knowledge of his master 
 and began to draw on the stores of his experi- 
 ence, and before long was equipped with 
 what was needed to carry a benediction to 
 those who were suffering. 
 
 He could know that in the community none 
 was more welcome than he. None more re- 
 spected. None occupied a higher station. 
 None more readily rose to prominence and 
 wealth. And yet none other felt the impo- 
 tence of man as he. Fevers raged and deci- 
 mated whole communities, for it had not yet 
 been learned what sanitation will do to banish 
 them. Quinine had not yet been discovered, 
 though cinchona bark was pounded in small 
 
THE COUNTRY DOCTOR. 207 
 
 quantities. Small-pox carried off its victims 
 by the hundred and disfigured many more, for 
 vaccination was not made known until 1798, 
 and innoculation was still declared to be against 
 the law of God. Surgical operations were still 
 performed regardless of the pain and mis- 
 ery occasioned the victims, for anaesthetics 
 were unknown until 1846, and the wonderful 
 triumphs of the surgery of the present day 
 would have been regarded as but little short of 
 the miraculous ; while the long and increasing 
 list of remedies found in this year of grace in 
 the materia medica would have been entirely 
 unintelligible to him, and a glimpse at the spe- 
 cial and mechanical instruments and devices of 
 modern surgery would have been the great- 
 est of revelations. 
 
 Few volumes were found in the doctor's li- 
 brary, and aside from saws, lancets and turn- 
 keys, few surgical instruments used in his prac- 
 tice. No medical societies called for the read- 
 ing of his experience and discoveries, and no 
 medical journals were published to tell of his 
 successful cures or operations. His renown 
 was local, and he survived for a generation or 
 two in the memory and love of those whom he 
 had cured, or at least helped, and when he died 
 he went to his long rest worthy of such a 
 tribute as Ian MacLaren paid Dr. William 
 MacClure in the *' Bonnie Briar Bush." 
 
208 HISTOR Y OF SA UGER TIES. 
 
 It remains to speak of the earliest physicians 
 of this town. The old stone house now stand- 
 ing on the north side of Main street in this 
 village was the home upon the farm of Hiskia 
 DuBois. This farm was upon both sides of 
 the present Main street. In 1773 it was sold 
 by David DuBois to Dr. Christopher Kiersted, 
 whose mother was Leah DuBois of New Paltz. 
 Dr. Kiersted was born in the city of New 
 York in August 1736. There he was edu- 
 cated, and, as stated, came to Saugerties in 
 1773. This house he made his residence and 
 office. He was then the only physician in 
 town. He died March 23, 1791, but before 
 his death two young men from Katsbaan had 
 studied medicine with him. They were Dr. 
 Coonradt Newkirk, who was born in 1766, and 
 Dr. Abram Fiero, born in 1770. When they 
 began to practice they both located in Kats- 
 baan, Dr. Fiero upon the place now owned by 
 William Clement and Dr. Newkirk upon that 
 now in possession of William Fiero. These 
 were the town physicians for many years, Dr. 
 Fiero dying in 1828 and Dr. Newkirk as late 
 as 1850. 
 
 On Tuesday, July i, 1806, thirteen phy- 
 sicians of Ulster county met in Kingston and 
 organized the Ulster County Medical Society. 
 Two of -these were Drs. Newkirk and Fiero 
 and thus became charter members. Their 
 
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THE COUNTRY DOCTOR. 209 
 
 first act was to consider and ascertain the 
 cause of an epidemic of fever in Kingston at 
 the request of the authorities of that village 
 and it was found in a mill pond of stagnant 
 water, and the first paper discussed was 
 " Fever." 
 
 In the early days of the last century Dr. 
 Christopher C. Kiersted, son of the old doctor, 
 began to practice in this village. The writer 
 does not know the year he was admitted, but 
 he became a member of the Ulster County 
 Medical Society in 1819. With the develop- 
 ment of the great manufacturing interests and 
 the consequent growth many other physicians 
 settled here of whom it is not within our 
 province to tell. This book deals only with 
 the origins of things in the town. 
 
CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 THE OLD FARM HOUSES. 
 
 The chapters just concluded have made the 
 attempt to transport us back to 1783 and to 
 the conditions under which the people of this 
 town, having just emerged from a seven years 
 war, were living. It is here proposed to look 
 at their dwellings and farm buildings. 
 
 Of the old stone farm houses of one hun- 
 dred and twenty-five years ago and over, very 
 many remain in different parts of the town. 
 Year by year some are torn down, but every 
 community has several. Some are unoccupied, 
 some used for other purposes, but most have 
 been greatly transformed and fitted to modern 
 conditions of heating and furnishing. Yet 
 some can be found with the old-time charac- 
 teristics. 
 
 This dwelling was usually of stone and most 
 frequently limestone, then as now, abundant. 
 Those earliest built were low and rambling. 
 The front roof descended from the ridge-pole 
 very steeply to the eaves, while the back roof 
 came to within eight feet of the ground. There 
 was usually no break in the roof, but dormer 
 
THE OLD FARM HOUSES. 211 
 
 windows were frequent in that front. The 
 house was of one story and above this was a 
 garret covering the whole lower floor. This 
 garret rested upon heavy beams for it was 
 chiefly used for the storage of grain and usually 
 contained the indispensable loom. The house 
 was entered in front across a " stoep" on either 
 side of which were long seats which in summer 
 fulfilled the purpose of a family sitting room 
 and place for neighborly chat and gossip over 
 a friendly pipe. In the rear of the house, 
 especially if that rear was towards the east, 
 was built as a lean-to a large room for summer 
 purposes. This was of frame and along its 
 outside was a long horizontal shutter which 
 could be let down and supported in the man- 
 ner of a bracket, and which thus became a shelf 
 on which to expose to the actinic rays of the 
 morning sun the newly washed milk pans. In 
 . this summer room was found during that sea- 
 son the family table which was a round one, 
 and when not in use the top was turned up on 
 a roller hinge revealing a lid under which were 
 kept the knives, forks and pewter spoons in 
 daily use. Around the room were chairs of 
 maple with flag or splint bottoms. 
 
 The table furniture was largely of pewter 
 aside from steel knives and forks. Pewter 
 spoons, cups, tea-pots, dishes, bowls, molasses- 
 pots and measures abounded. Large pewter 
 
212 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 platters were on every table. Even pie dishes 
 were made of the metal. Silver ware, espe- 
 cially spoons, every family had, but not in 
 every day use. 
 
 From the front door a wide hall extended 
 across the house to a rear door and in this hall 
 summer evenings ever were the sweetest. On 
 one side of this hall was the large family sitting 
 room with its immense fireplace and its well- 
 scrubbed floor, the home of the spinning wheel 
 and its accompanying reel and swift. On the 
 other side of the hall was the parlor, or 
 best room containing, oft-times, high-backed 
 chairs of mahogany with claw feet. 
 
 Entering the house from either front or rear 
 one came through a door divided into an upper 
 and a lower half, the lower of which was 
 usually shut. Upon it hung a heavy brass 
 knocker for announcing a caller. The house 
 was guarded by shutters which were kept open 
 by a large iron letter S. Many shutters had a 
 crescent-shaped slot towards the top to give 
 enough light for one to pass in the room with- 
 out running against furniture when they were 
 closed. 
 
 The floors of the house were laid with wide 
 white or yellow pine planks and these were 
 often hewed and the under side of those on 
 the lower floor was a slab. A chair rail ran 
 around the plastered wall of the living room. 
 
 ! 
 
 \ 
 
THE OLD FARM HOUSES, 213 
 
 and the big fireside with its immense brass and- 
 irons was the family centre all the winter 
 months. 
 
 The cellars were large, cool and airy. They 
 were flagged with stone and for more than half 
 the year they held the family provisions. Here 
 were firkins of butter, barrels of pork, corned 
 beef and salted shad and herring, with a large 
 tub containing soused pig's feet, headcheese 
 and roletjes. Along another side was a hogs- 
 head of vinegar and just beyond were barrels 
 of cider and probably, one of wine. Here too 
 were stored the apples, potatoes, cabbage and 
 vegetables for the winter. 
 
 In the bedrooms were high-post bedsteads 
 and around the walls were large blue chests of 
 pine, oak, or it may be cedar containing rolls 
 of the family linen, or manufactured articles 
 from the same, with blankets of wool, quilts 
 and coverlets. And when a bride was to be 
 fitted out her trousseau could be furnished 
 from these blue chests. 
 
 On the high bedstead was a downy feather 
 bed over a straw mattress, or tick, resting upon 
 tight cords crossed in the frame of the bed- 
 stead. The bed was draped with white dimity 
 curtains, or perhaps a kind of chintz, with vines 
 and birds and flowers. The bedstead was high 
 enough to receive under it during the day the 
 trundle bed in which the children slept at 
 
214 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 night and a valance hid it from sight when 
 thus disposed of. 
 
 In the living room, or in the wide hall ticked 
 the six-foot clock with a face recording the 
 changes of the moon as well as the hours, 
 minutes and seconds of the day. Near it stood 
 a writing desk, or secretary, with drawers to 
 the floor. This was either cherry, or mahogany 
 ornamented with brass mountings and contain- 
 ing pigeon-holes and other receptacles for the 
 stationery, papers and documents of the family. 
 The upper part was frequently the bookcase 
 for the family library. Also either in the hall 
 or in the living room was the closet with glass 
 doors behind which was the china of the family 
 awaiting a wedding or a New Year's dinner to 
 displace the pewter of daily use. 
 
 Behind the house was the great kitchen. 
 Here was the domain of the negro women of 
 the household if such there were. Here stood 
 the dresser on which was displayed the pewter 
 of the family shining as brightly as frequent 
 polishing could make it. Beside the mammoth 
 fireplace was the brick oven with its long spadle 
 for placing or taking out the platters of bread 
 or biscuit, or the pewter pie dishes. Within 
 the chimney jams hung the crane ready for 
 instant use, and beside it stood a tin Dutch 
 oven ready for service in front of the glowing 
 fire, while against the jam was the spit for the 
 
" '^:$ -^ '"' \\ ' 4 1 
 
 •\'. 
 
THE OLD FARM HOUSES. 215 
 
 roast. Long iron toasting forks, long-handled 
 frying pans and grijddles, revolving gridirons 
 and ladles were in their accustomed places and 
 beside the dresser stood a wooden mortar with 
 a long cylindrical stone for a pestle to grind 
 the spices for the family. 
 
 Most of the remaining houses have been alt- 
 ered so often that their early features have gone. 
 The lean-to described has disappeared from 
 almost every one in town. The house of 
 Luther Myer, in Hommelville, still has one in 
 all its pristine glory. Many still have their 
 heavy beams and low ceilings. But even here 
 the ruthless hand of the renovator has often 
 robbed it of beauty by cutting part away, or 
 covering them with ceiling boards or plaster. 
 Most of the divided doors have gone, the high 
 post bedstead has disappeared with pewter 
 dishes and spinning wheels, and the large open 
 fireplaces vanished with the groups that made 
 merry around the pine-knot fires. 
 
 Shortly after the new century began with 
 1801, a new style of stone houses began to be 
 erected. When a more modern limestone 
 dwelling was built at that time upon the farm 
 so long in the possession of the late Ephraim 
 I. Myer, of Katsbaan, it was the talk of the 
 town. The ceilings were made high and plas- 
 tered, and a circle of plaster ornamented the 
 ceiling above the centre of the room. Then 
 
2 1 6 HISTOR Y OF SA UGER TIES. 
 
 the stone parsonage at Katsbaan was built a 
 two-story house and set another fashion. 
 
 The village of Saugerties has types of both 
 these styles of Dutch stone dwelling architec- 
 ture. The Mynderse house, the Peter P. 
 Schoonmaker, and the Kiersted representing 
 the older, while that of Sherwood D. Myer 
 represents the newer. 
 
 The barns were immense affairs. As abund- 
 ant room was necessary to swing the flail barn 
 floors were built of great size. Of necessity 
 crops were stored overhead and oak beams of 
 strength and size must be used to support them. 
 In these latter days these barns have been 
 torn down. Threshing by machinery requires 
 little barn room, bays hold the crops which in 
 storage are thus but little removed from the 
 ground, and labor-saving machinery gathers 
 and stores them. Nevertheless the changed 
 conditions are not greater than can be wit- 
 nessed to-day. Could a modern farmer of this 
 town be transported to a Dakota prairie and 
 see machines doing every species of farm 
 labor he would not be more interested than 
 an Eighteenth Century farmer of Saugerties 
 returning to see the present-day methods on 
 his own acres. 
 
 Readers of this chapter will find much in it 
 which seems of a later day than the close of 
 Revolution. But the change from the con- 
 
THE OLD FARM HOUSES. 217 
 
 ditions of that day was slow and gradual. 
 Those whose memory recalls the middle of the 
 last century saw much of what existed one 
 hundred years ago. But since the civil war of 
 1861-65 almost all the life of the former days 
 has been swept away. And the coming gen- 
 eration will find it difificult to understand the 
 manners and customs that continued in this 
 town until shaken to their destruction by the 
 earthquake of the terrible civil war. 
 
CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 FARM LIFE IN OLDEN TIME. 
 
 When we were glancing at the settlement of 
 this town in one of the earlier chapters, we 
 noticed how little land was under cultivation 
 before the year 1700. Attention was called to 
 the great " bouwerie " of maize the Indians 
 were cultivating just north of the village of 
 Saugerties in 1663, and had been during un- 
 known years, and the beginning of farm life as 
 the first permanent settler, Cornelius Lambert- 
 sen Brink, took possession of his grant in 1688 
 on the Plattekill and Esopus at the south end 
 of the town, with Peter Winne adjoining him 
 in 1692. No one besides these resided in the 
 town when the year 1701 ushered in the 
 Eighteenth Century. 
 
 For twelve years there was no further con- 
 veyance of land in the town of Saugerties. 
 The four Meals and Hayes grants of 1685-8/ 
 had been passing through different hands with- 
 out anything being done towards settlement 
 upon them. On the i6th of August, 1712, the 
 large patent covering so much of the village of 
 Saugerties was deeded to John Persen, who 
 
FARM LIFE IN OLDEN TIME. 21^ 
 
 settled upon it. One month later (September 
 13, 1712) the British government abandoned 
 the tar-making project at West Camp, and al- 
 lowed the Palantine colonists to seek homes 
 for themselves, which most of them who were 
 on the west side of the Hudson did within our 
 town. The twenty-five years following (171 5- 
 40) witnessed the clearing of the forests and 
 the breaking of the soil to the plow, especially 
 at Katsbaan and about the present village t)f 
 Saugerties. And almost every one of the 
 early deeds in this town on record covering the 
 more desirable farming land is dated during 
 these twenty-five years. So that at the time 
 under consideration, or the year 1783, the 
 farms of the town had not been tilled for much 
 more than fifty years. We propose to look in 
 this chapter at this comparatively virgin soil 
 and its harvests. 
 
 We find the farmers raising the standard 
 crops year by year. On every farm the great 
 crop was hay for the subsistence of the domes- 
 tic animals of the farm. There was no local 
 market for it, as every one but Domine De 
 Ronde, who lived where is now the residence 
 of Mrs. Dawes in the village of Saugerties, was 
 engaged in farming. Captain Benjamin Snyder 
 carried some to New York, as he had resumed 
 his trips with his sloop from the creek since the 
 Treaty of Peace was signed. But baling hay 
 
220 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 was not yet thought of, and the sloop could 
 not carry much loose. 
 
 Old meadows, as now, were turned over 
 by the plow, and potatoes or corn planted on 
 the upturned sod. Potatoes was the profitable 
 crop in the virgin soil. And on almost every 
 farm were potash kettles producing pot and 
 pearl ash from the exhaustless forests, and the 
 residuum kept the fertile soil yielding such 
 crops of potatoes as the town has never pro- 
 duced since. The same may be said of the 
 cereals, corn, rye and wheat, and during the 
 short days of winter the country resounded 
 with the ring of the flails as the golden sheaves 
 of wheat and rye were parting with their treas- 
 ures. 
 
 On every farm was a tobacco patch. Every- 
 body smoked or chewed, and the use of snuff 
 was almost universal. It was known that bet- 
 ter tobacco came from Virginia, but there was 
 no money for Virginia tobacco, and the home 
 product must suffice, though snuff was brought 
 up the river and could be obtained at Persen's 
 store in Katsbaan. In those days, as now, the 
 great tobacco firm was that of the Lorillards, 
 and jars of Lorillard's snuff stood on the shelf 
 of every merchant. On every farm were flocks 
 of sheep. The winter clothing of all was 
 woolen. This was from the backs of the sheep 
 of the farm. Sheep shearing every spring 
 
FARM LIFE IN OLDEN TIME. 22\ 
 
 provided the raw material, which was then 
 taken to the wool carder and returned in rolls 
 for the large spinning wheel to be spun for the 
 loom, and the whir of these made music in 
 every house as the spinner, holding the roll in 
 her left hand and whirling the wheel with her 
 right, stepped back five or six feet on the floor 
 and then wound the spun thread upon the 
 spindle as she returned. Twenty years before 
 this Hargreaves had invented the spinning- 
 jenny, which could spin a dozen threads or 
 more at once, and a few of these had already 
 come in use in the town. This yarn was then 
 dyed and woven into cloth or blankets and 
 the cloth again taken to the mill to be fulled,, 
 after which a traveling tailoress cut and made 
 
 the family clothing. 
 
 Every farmer had his field of flax as well. 
 
 This was carefully tilled and when ready to 
 gather was pulled and laid in rows to rot the 
 outer stalk. Then it went to the "crackle," 
 by which those stalks were broken. This was 
 a frame of long wooden knives upon which 
 was a lid of similar knives hinged to the frame 
 at one end. The upper knives were raised 
 and, descending, each just avoided the corre- 
 sponding lower knife while breaking the outer 
 stalks of the bunch of flax placed between the 
 knives. The bunch of flax went next to the 
 " switchel," or ** swingle." This was an erect 
 
222 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 board, not quite perpendicular, about three 
 feet high and the upper end was sharpened. 
 The bunch of flax from the crackle was laid 
 over this and beaten with a long wooden knife 
 to separate the fibrous parts from the stalky 
 and entirely break up the coarser fibers. It 
 was then ready for the " hetchel." This was a 
 board with a square of iron teeth in alternat- 
 ing rows. Through this the bunch was repeat- 
 edly drawn and the fine fibers of flax were 
 combed from the coarser tow. This fine pro- 
 duct was then ready for the distafl" of the 
 small flax wheel, so well known everywhere, 
 on which it was spun. Its future course to 
 the loom and the bleaching-green need not be 
 told. The years we are describing found 
 chests and presses filled with countless yards 
 of linen, and garments of the same, in the 
 dwellings of the town. Some of these were 
 especially fine in texture and witnessed to the 
 labor and skill of the fair hands that had spun 
 and woven them. One of the pleasantest 
 recollections of the boyhood days of the writer 
 is a scene in which a half a dozen or more men 
 were cradling grain together, each man one 
 step behind the one leading him, and each 
 clad in a suit of homemade white linen. The 
 graceful swing of the cradle, as each kept 
 stroke along a hillside was a pastoral picture 
 which will never be seen again. The tow, the 
 
FARM LIFE IN OLDEN TIME. 223 
 
 coarser flax from the hetchel, was spun into 
 rope or mops, or woven into doormats. 
 
 The orchards were laden with apples. There 
 were not as many varieties as to-day, many of 
 those we use having been developed by the 
 systematic and scientific culture of the apple. 
 But a few of the excellent old varieties as the 
 Straat and Esopus Spitzenbergh are either 
 lost, or deteriorated. The delicious pears of 
 to-day were almost unknown as they were 
 originated during the Nineteenth Century. 
 This is true of most of the orchard fruits as 
 peaches, plums, nectarines and apricots. 
 
 Many of the vegetables which now enrich 
 our tables were unknown. There were no 
 cauliflowers, no egg-plants, no tomatoes, no 
 nasturtiums. The seeds of the tomato were 
 brought in after years from France to be cul- 
 tivated as an ornamental shrub for its golden 
 love-apples. The fruit was at first thought to 
 be poisonous. Turnips, beets, cabbage and 
 onions were grown, but not spinach and aspar- 
 agus though the latter began to be gathered 
 where it was found to be growing wild. 
 
 On the hills and in the woods huckleberries, 
 strawberries, raspberries and blackberries grew 
 in abundance. But nothing had been done to 
 produce the exquisitely flavored berries found 
 in the gardens of» today. Nor were the 
 beautiful flower gardens of to day possible. 
 
224 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES, 
 
 The beautiful geraniums, fuchsias, and chry- 
 santhemums which bloom with us were 
 unknown. So were many others of those 
 which every woman cares for now and loves. 
 Tulips were there and roses. But the exquisite 
 productions of the propagating skill of the 
 florist which we enjoy had not been conceived 
 of. And yet the gardens of those days with 
 their bachelor's buttons, sweet peas, sweet 
 Williams, holly hocks, marigolds, pinks and 
 violets will be ever fragrant in the memory of 
 those who gathered them in childhood. 
 
 No one gathered ice in those days. Every 
 thunder storm curdled the milk. The butter 
 was hung after every meal in a pail in the 
 coolest corner of the well and bushes were left 
 to grow to shade the cellar windows to pre- 
 serve the delicious coolness to be found in 
 every farmer's cellar. 
 
 Oranges were sometimes seen, cocoanuts 
 often and lemons were frequently found in 
 groceries, but pine-apples and bananas were 
 unknown. A fruit store, such as every coun- 
 try village now knows, had never been seen in 
 the largest cities, and a representative of 
 sunny Italy could hardly be found in America 
 at that day. It was known that Columbus 
 was an Italian, and Amerigo Vespucci, but it 
 had not been conceived that any other would 
 ever come, and modern Italian exhibitions of 
 
FARM^LIFE IN OLDEN TIME. 225 
 
 fruit could not have been displayed at their 
 completest county fair. 
 
 On every farm porkers were fattening for 
 the November " butchering." And in the 
 stall a beef was being fed for this event. In 
 May the farmers flocked to the Hudson river 
 for shad and herring, and a barrel of each was 
 salted for the family larder. Game was still to 
 be had in reasonable plenty and streams were 
 stocked with fish. Every farmer had a flock 
 of poultry, including ducks, geese and turkeys 
 while the last in their wild state were fre- 
 quently found by the sportsman. Every spring 
 the sky was darkened by the interminable 
 clouds of wild pigeons flying north, of which 
 hundreds found their way into the farmer's 
 kitchen. So the life of those days was still 
 one of comfort and plenty though many 
 things we find to be necessities had never 
 been conceived of. Above all there was a 
 whole-soulness in the life they lived which the 
 strenuousness of modern existence has almost 
 destroyed from the earth. 
 
CHAPTER XXXII. 
 
 THE INDISPENSABLE LOOM. 
 
 Much more remains to be told of the life 
 and work on the farm in the early days of 
 1783. The present generation will be inter- 
 ested in the appearance of our grandsires and 
 dames. They were largely, or almost entirely, 
 clad in garments homespun and made. We 
 attempted to tell of the cultivation, prepara- 
 tion and use of the flax and linen. More should 
 be said of homemade woolens. 
 
 A description of the large spinning wheels 
 for wool, and for tow as well, was given in the 
 last chapter. We propose to take the reader 
 to a Saugerties farm in the spring. There 
 comes a balmy day in that season and the flock 
 of sheep is driven to some stream where a 
 waterfall is tumbling. The flock is there im- 
 pounded. One by one they are taken to the 
 fall and the water pours into the heavy fleece 
 which has coated them through the wintry 
 days now gone. Holding the sheep in his 
 arms the farmer rubs the drenched fleece until 
 the water from it runs clearly. Then another 
 takes its place. After a few days drying it is 
 
THE INDISPENSABLE LOOM. 227 
 
 ready for the shearer who quickly robs it of its 
 winter coat. This was taken to the fulling mill 
 where it was carded to remove burs and other 
 foreign substances, and to transform it into 
 rolls for spinning. From the spindle the yarn 
 was run off upon a reel which had a clock 
 ratchet to give notice when a hundred yards of 
 yarn had been wound. This was called a skein, 
 and two or more of them twisted together a 
 ''hank." Sometimes it was necessary to twist 
 the threads of yarn. Two skeins were then 
 hung around a "swift." This was a cage of 
 wooden rods which hung upon an upright staff 
 upon which it revolved. The only bearing 
 was at the top of the staff which was sharpened 
 and inserted in the cross-pieces supporting the 
 rods. From the revolving swift the yarn un- 
 wound as it was twisted upon the spindle of 
 the large spinning wheel. As the bearing of 
 the swift had never been known to be oiled the 
 friction soon produced a wierd, uncanny sound 
 which, once heard, could never be forgotten. 
 Thirty knots of warp and stocking yarn, and 
 forty of woof, or filling were considered a day's 
 work. 
 
 After reeling the yarn was scoured and went 
 to the loom. The warp was "spooled" and 
 thence run off on the warping bars. Then each 
 thread by itself was drawn through one of two 
 *• harnesses" and wound on the warping beam 
 
228 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 after each passed through a reed. The filling 
 was run on a quill, which was usually a cone of 
 small paper, home-made. A quill wheel was 
 used to fill both spools and quills. The quills 
 were then inserted in a shuttle which was 
 thrown by hand through the alternating threads 
 of warp. Then by treadles worked by the foot 
 one harness was pulled down as the other 
 raised, the reed, hung in a heavy frame, was 
 beaten with one hand and the shuttle with the 
 woof was thrown back by the hand which had 
 caught it to ihe hand which threw it while the 
 other harness was brought down and the shuttle 
 returned. 
 
 From the loom the web went to the dye. 
 The colors were usually snuff-brown or butter- 
 nut and either often mixed with white. After 
 dyeing the cloth was fulled, teasled, sheared 
 and pressed and was then ready for the tailor- 
 ess, as before described. But no process could 
 keep this homemade cloth from catching lint 
 and dust, and from fulling when it became wet^ 
 and the clothes often shrank in the wearing. 
 It possessed one great virtue, it would wear, 
 and through seasons not a few. To prevent 
 the shrinking the wool was frequently mixed 
 with cotton and a cloth called satinet was 
 made which was almost universally worn, or 
 the wool was mixed with linen and called 
 linsey-woolsey. 
 
CORNELIUS PERSEN. 
 
THE INDISPENSABLE LOOM. 22^ 
 
 Dresses and petticoats were also made from 
 homemade flannel, and whatever the aesthetic 
 eye might say about them they had the merit 
 of warmth, and with the homemade woolen 
 stockings, cuffs, mittens and comfortables the 
 women, boys and girls of the families were 
 ready for the blasts of winter. 
 
 For all ordinary wear, and even for service 
 on Sunday, our ancestors, both in youth and 
 in older years were thus clad in homespun 
 woolen, and in summer in linen of their own 
 production. But all occasions were not ordi- 
 nary, especially for the young of both sexes, 
 ' and few were so poor as to be unable to secure 
 a suit, at least, of what was worn in the outer 
 world. This had been hard to obtain. It was 
 difficult to secure the money to buy with and 
 more difficult to buy. During all the years 
 from 1776 to 1783 the British had been in pos- 
 session of New York city and thus merchants 
 up the Hudson had been shut out from the 
 city. Cornelius Persen, who kept the town 
 store at Katsbaan, had been compelled to 
 transport his merchandise all the way from 
 Philadelphia by the inland route of the Ron- 
 dout valley to Port Jervis and the Delaware 
 valley to Philadelphia. And during the long 
 months of the British occupation of that city 
 he had made the long journey with teams to 
 Boston. As most of what the people used 
 
230 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 was raised on their own farms a merchant did 
 not keep the assortment of to-day. Still 
 spices were needed, and tea. Salt was a 
 necessity. Farmers produced their own flour, 
 sugar, molasses and tobacco. But they pur- 
 chased their snuff, exchanged farm products 
 for their tea and spices, and in their barter 
 provided for finer garments from the mer- 
 chant's shelves. What had he to offer? His 
 dry goods were called broadcloths, tammies, 
 half-thicks, persians and pelongs, blue sagatha 
 and red bunts, ticklenburghs and black ever- 
 lastings, and handkerchiefs bearing the unin- 
 telligible names of bandanoe, lungee, romals, 
 culgee, puttical and silk setetersoy. If Per- 
 sen's shelves could not supply the would-be 
 purchaser who desired any of the above dry 
 goods a journey of twelve to fifteen miles over 
 a rough road would provide for his or her 
 selection the assortment to be found in 
 Groote 'Sopus, as the Dutch always called 
 Kingston. 
 
 The wagon of that day had no springs, and 
 jolted fearfully over the roots and stumps and 
 through the ruts of country roads. One day 
 Cornelius Persen brought home a vehicle 
 which was the wonder of the country-side. It 
 had only two wheels. The body was hung 
 upon two heavy straps of leather stretched 
 from a cross-bar in the shafts under the box 
 
THE INDISPENSABLE LOOM. 231 
 
 and around big iron bows behind the seat and 
 thence down to the axle. There was not 
 much spring to the leather straps, but when 
 the wheels struck an obstacle there was a 
 lateral motion which prevented a jolt at the 
 risk of being thrown from the gig. This 
 vehicle could be used only to ride to church 
 and on other occasions of state. But it was 
 the predecessor of modern conveyances, and 
 the days of the lumber wagon as a family car- 
 riage waned. 
 
 Most of the labor was done by oxen. Oxen 
 plowed the fields, for they were cheaper and 
 more steady and patient to break up the 
 newly-cleared ground so full of stumps, roots 
 and stones. Oxen drew the logs and fire- 
 wood, oxen were yoked to most of the wagons 
 upon the highways. The crops were drawn 
 from the fields upon ox-carts and hay was 
 loaded so far over the beasts that they were 
 hidden and the load seemed almost to move 
 itself. These patient beasts of burden were 
 emblematic of the slow, the sure and the safe 
 life of those days when the foundations of the 
 prosperity of this mighty land were being laid. 
 We may smile at their slowness. But our 
 fathers built sure, and they built well. The 
 foundations thus laid have never needed 
 repairs and all the stress of modern life would 
 have shaken any other to its overthrow. 
 
CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 
 SOCIAL LIFE IN OLDEN TIME. 
 
 The culmination of the year among our an- 
 cestors one hundred years ago was the holiday 
 season. With the labors of the field completed 
 and, for the time, the flail in the barn sus- 
 pended and the wheel and the loom in the 
 house set aside, the families who had toiled so 
 hard gave themselves over to a season of en- 
 joyment. In those days this season began 
 with the day of Santa Claus, or St. Nicholas, 
 December 6th. That worthy saint, or his em- 
 bodiment, went about distributing presents to 
 good children, and at that time all were good, by 
 filling their stockings hung in chimney corners. 
 All had made great preparation for his recep- 
 tion. The children had been singing all day: 
 
 " Santa Claus, goedt heilig man, 
 Loop uw wag van Amsterdam, 
 Van Amsterdam na Spanje, 
 
 Van Spanje na Oranje, 
 En breng deze kindjes eenige graps. 
 
 Sint Nicholas, mijn goeden vriend, 
 
 Ik had u altijd wel gediend. 
 Als gij mij nu wat wilt geven, 
 
 Zal ik u dienen mijn leven." 
 
SOCIAL LIFE IN OLDEN TIME. 233 
 
 This petition might be roughly rendered into 
 English after this fashion to us degenerate 
 Dutch-Americans : 
 
 Santa Claus, good holy man, 
 Go your way from Amsterdam, 
 
 From Amsterdam to Spain, 
 From Spain to Orange, 
 
 And bring these little children toys. 
 
 Saint Nicholas, my dear good friend. 
 To serve you ever was my end. 
 
 If you me now something will give, 
 Serve you I will as long as I live. 
 
 But a generation or so before the time of 
 which we are writing this day had been less 
 and less frequently observed and all its essen- 
 tial features transferred to Kerstijdt, or Christ- 
 mas, which followed in nineteen days thereafter. 
 Services were held in the church, with the 
 communion of the Lord's Supper, while at 
 home great preparations were in progress for 
 the family dinner of the year. 
 
 Nieuw Jaar, or New Year's Day, was always 
 kept. There was not as much calling to bring 
 the greetings of the New Year as in villages 
 and cities, but houses were ever open on that 
 day and the fullest hospitality shown. And 
 every New Year's day services were held in 
 the church in Katsbaan and the sermon re- 
 viewed the year. With the coming of the 
 
234 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 Rev. Dr. Ostrander, in 1812, he introduced the 
 feature of an interpretation of the immediate 
 future in the h'ght of the recent past, which 
 was exceedingly profitable, as he used the 
 Scriptures to show how all was bearing on the 
 extension of the kingdom of Christ on earth. 
 Paas, or Easter, was duly observed and Pinxs- 
 ter, or Whitsuntide, was a holiday. This was 
 the special day of the colored people. 
 
 Shortly after New Year's day had come and 
 gone a succession of visits was begun and con- 
 tinued. Leaving part of the family at home 
 to care for the stock on the farm and keep the 
 house the team Avas hitched to the sleigh and 
 driven to some distant relatives for a stay of a 
 day or two. From there to another, and some- 
 times a dozen or more such visits would be 
 paid to relatives and friends living within a 
 radius of twenty or thirty miles. Upon their 
 coming home the visiting family would begin to 
 receive return visits and this interchange would 
 be kept up until the returning sun would begin 
 to send the sap of spring into the sugar maples, 
 and the season for providing the sugar and mo- 
 lasses for the year's supply was at hand, and it 
 was time to tap the maples. 
 
 It was a busy scene around the sap-bushes. 
 The upturned troughs of previous years 
 would be cleaned, the elder or sumac spiles 
 prepared and the trees tapped. It was a work 
 
SOCIAL LIFE IN OLDEN TIME. 235 
 
 that required attention to gather the sap into 
 the sugar house and boil it. In those early- 
 years brass and iron kettles hung over the fire 
 and slowly evaporated the water, but in time 
 the well-known large, shallow pans displaced 
 the former and rapidly reduced the sap to the 
 desired sweets. No one who has ever been so 
 fortunate as to enjoy the delicious sugaring-off 
 can ever forget the occasion when a mass 
 thrown into the newly fallen snow to cool de- 
 lighted the palate. 
 
 But no sooner was the close of the winter 
 celebrated by these preparations for the sac- 
 charine neccessities of the family than busy 
 housewives found other needs equally pressing. 
 Into an immense tub set upon a large flat 
 stone, and upon a layer of straw, a great 
 quantity of ashes was put for leaching. The 
 lye thus obtained was boiled into soap with 
 the accumulated grease. In the cellar of the 
 house usually stood a trough excavated from 
 the trunk of a huge tree and divided into two 
 compartments. Into one of these compart- 
 ments this soap, which had been made soft^ 
 was poured and kept for a year to thoroughly 
 cure before using. The succeeding spring the 
 other compartment was filled and from the 
 first the year-old soap was used. 
 
 Meanwhile during the short days of winter^ 
 the threshing had been done and the beaten 
 
236 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 grain been winnowed by being thrown by 
 broad winnowing baskets against the wind 
 blowing across the barn floor, as fanning mills 
 were yet unknown. It was a long and laborious 
 process. And during all this time the axe had 
 been plied in the forests, and the year's supply 
 of wood for the fires, and of rails for the Vir- 
 ginia fences, which zigzagged around all the 
 fields, had been chopped, brought home, split 
 and piled. The farmer had erected his rope- 
 walk, and the tow from the flax the women had 
 spun had been made into rope. His flint-lock 
 musket had been cleaned for the northward 
 flight of the wild pigeons that would darken 
 the sky for days, and pigeons in every variety 
 of preparation would find their way from his 
 kitchen to his table. 
 
 With the young men and boys he had set his 
 traps in the forests about, and many a skin of 
 mink, otter or muskrat, or it may be of larger 
 game, had been obtained. The gun had se- 
 cured for him the pelts of a number of foxes, 
 and these were prepared for the annual visit of 
 John Jacob Astor to Persen's store in Kats- 
 baan. Here they brought welcome dollars to 
 the hunter and the trapper, for Astor came 
 with the earliest sloop up the Hudson in the 
 spring, and trappers and hunters from the Cats- 
 kills and beyond the mountains resorted to this 
 store to meet him. At times the old store- 
 
SOCIAL LIFE IN OLDEN TIME. 227 
 
 house was filled with them, and Astor carried 
 the overflow into the kitchen against the indig- 
 nant protests of the mistress of the house. 
 
 The social life of the young people had been 
 maintained through the winter. Many had 
 been the spinning-bees, and these had been 
 followed by a frolic. Quilting bees had been 
 numerous, and to these the young men came in 
 the evening. Regularly during the winter a 
 singing school was held every week. Here 
 some vocal instructor gathered the young in 
 school house or church, and catching the pitch 
 of the key from his pitch-pipe instructed and 
 led them in sacred song. Often some one who 
 was an expert with the flute or violin would 
 give instruction thereon as well, and train a 
 choir of voices not only, but develop an or- 
 chestra in the use of violin, violoncello and 
 flute. About the year 1830 a teacher by the 
 name of Dunton was such an one, who visited 
 Katsbaan and trained a choir remarkable for 
 their cultivated voices and skill with the above 
 instruments. 
 
 Debating societies were features of the win- 
 ter. The questions were argued with every 
 recurring year. The disputants were ranged 
 upon the afifirmative and negative sides, and 
 the decision as to which brought forward the 
 better arguments and reasoned most cogently 
 was left to three judges. Our Dutch ancestors 
 
238 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 in this locality became noted reasoners, and 
 held their opinions with tenacity, but there 
 were those who prided themselves upon their 
 logic. It was related of some that when they 
 found their opponents abandoning the field, 
 they would go over to those adversaries' side 
 and argue their view of the case to a trium- 
 phant conclusion. In these forums the ques- 
 tion of liberty had been argued time and 
 again preceding, during and after the Revolu- 
 tion ; and preceding the civil war of 1861-5 
 these debating societies were once more arenas 
 for the discussion of the mighty questions 
 finally decided in that momentous conflict. 
 
 The Fourth of July was the great holiday of 
 the year. Around it centered all that was 
 patriotic. Its spirit was an exhilaration of the 
 energy of a young nation conscious of possess- 
 ing boundless resources not only, but of being 
 free. The day was ever celebrated by young 
 and old. The Declaration of Independence 
 was read by him who possessed the most so- 
 norous voice, and the orator of the day was 
 ever expatiating on the deeds of Washington 
 and the army, and ever viewing the universal 
 spread of liberty and American institutions. 
 And in view of what has been achieved in the 
 Nineteenth Century the boast of those orators 
 has been entirely justified. 
 
CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 INTERESTING DOCUMENTS OF THE 
 REVOLUTION. 
 
 The story of our town was brought down to 
 the close of the Revolution, but before we 
 leave this period the writer desires to call 
 attention to two or three interesting docu- 
 ments and have them become part of that 
 story. We will consider them in their chrono- 
 logical order. The first is a request made by 
 Captain Jeremiah Snyder of Governor Clinton 
 for ammunition. To explain the situation it 
 should be said that the battle of Oriskany, in 
 the Mohawk valley in 1777 and the terrible 
 slaughter of the Indians there aroused in them 
 a burning desire for revenge. From this time 
 the settlements on the frontier suffered from 
 the torch and tomahawk, or were in constant 
 alarm. Early in 1778 Governor George Clin- 
 ton placed the defense of the north-west 
 frontier of Ulster county in the hands of Col- 
 onel Johannis Snyder. He had charge of this 
 until the close of the war. One of the princi- 
 pal approaches by which the savage foes came 
 to the settlements was through the Esopus 
 
240 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 valley. Colonel Snyder stationed a force at 
 Little Shandaken which was continued there 
 with short intervals until 1781. Captain Jere- 
 miah Snyder, of this town, was in command 
 in the autumn of 1778 and his letter needs no 
 explanation. 
 
 Captain Snyder Asks For Ammunition. 
 
 Little Schondeacon, Octbr, 15, 1778. 
 
 Sir, I think proper to let you know that upon my 
 taking the Command at this place I found that the 
 Company was in a bad posture of Defence in Regard 
 to Ammunition. I, therefore, would be glad you 
 would endeavor to send a fresh Supply as soon as 
 possible, that we may be able to make some Resist- 
 ance in case the enemy should make an excursion 
 upon this Settlement, but we have at Present no 
 InteUigence of their being near this Place. 
 
 This Company now Consists of Forty-one Private, 
 besides Serjeants & Corporals, and these I can not 
 Suply with three Cartirages a peice ; from this you 
 may Judge what Defence we can make. My Request 
 is, therefore, you will Send a Supply as soon Possible 
 and you'll obUdge, Sir, 
 
 Your Most Hble Serv't 
 
 Jeremiah Snyder, Capt. 
 
 To Gov. George Clinton. 
 
 The second document is a year and a half 
 later. To the First Ulster Regiment, com- 
 manded by Colonel Johannis Snyder, had been 
 attached a troop of horse commanded by Cap- 
 tain Sylvester Salisbury. For some reason 
 this troop had been detached from this regi- 
 
INTERESTING DOCUMENTS. 241 
 
 ment and assigned to some other. Neither 
 the circumstances nor the other regiment is 
 now known. The petitioners, who were Sau- 
 gerties men, protested and joined in the follow- 
 ing 
 
 Petition to Governor George Clinton. 
 
 Kingston, April 24th, 1779. 
 
 The Petition of the Troopers in the north Part of 
 Ulster County to his Excellency Governor Clinton 
 humbly sheweth : 
 
 As a mutual attachment and good Understanding 
 between Officers and their men are an Essential Part 
 of the many Requisites which are necessary to ensure 
 victory to our arms and Freedom to our Country, 
 And, Whereas, Capt. Sylvester Salisbury, (between 
 whom and your petitioners there subsisted the Great- 
 est Harmony and Confidence), has resigned his 
 Commission, and that solely, because he was to be 
 under the Command of a man whom he deems 
 unworthy of the Rank he holds : 
 
 We, the Subscribers, Beseech your Excellency, 
 either to annex the Troop to some other Regiment, 
 or put them under the Command of some superior 
 Officer, and re-appoint Captain Sylvester Sahsbury 
 to the Command of the Troop. Should this be the 
 case, your Petitioners beg leave to assure your 
 Excellency, that their Services shall be, as they have 
 heretofore been. Free, Chearful, & Ready. And 
 your Petitioners &c. shall ever Pray &c. 
 
 Adam Woolfven, Abraham Keater, Roeloff 
 Eltenge, Christian Dull, Moses Pattison, Tjerck 
 Low, Petrus Winne, Junier, Henry P. Freligh, John 
 Dewitt, Jr., John A. D. Witt, John E. Schoon- 
 maker, Peter C. Brinck, Edward Osterhoud, Hen- 
 
242 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 dryck Turck, John Turck, John FreUgh, Benjamin 
 Velten, John J. Chrispel, Benjamin Winne, John 
 DeWitt, Jun., John Brink, Jun., Baltus Kiffer, 
 Peter VanLeuven, Christian Fero, Marten Hommel, 
 jr., Hermanus Hommel, Abraham Hoffman. 
 
 The third of these documents exhibits a 
 serious state of affairs. We have just noticed 
 the conditions that required the presence of 
 troops to guard against invasion by the way of 
 the Esopus valley in 1778. Before that year 
 had passed Wyoming and Cherry Valley had 
 been blotted out by the tomahawk, the torch 
 and scalping-knife. And every settler in an 
 exposed place trembled for his home and loved 
 ones. It was known that the savage foe was 
 preparing for further devastation. In view of 
 pending danger the following petition was 
 started in Katsbaan and circulated through the 
 town : 
 
 Saugerties Men Ask for a Guard. 
 
 To His Excellency George CHnton, Esq., Gov- 
 ernor and Commander in Chief of all the MiUtia of 
 the State of New York and Admiral of the Navy of 
 the same. 
 
 The Petition, of the principal well affected Inhab- 
 itants of the most northerly part of Ulster County, 
 Humbly Sheweth : 
 
 That, whereas, after Sincerely consider' d our 
 present Situation, we find that we live in a very Dan- 
 gerous part of this State ; many Disaffected Persons 
 among us, and a Savage Enemy dayly on our weakly 
 Guarded frontiers ; and whereas, four young men of 
 
 I 
 
INTERESTING DOCUMENTS. 242 
 
 our Neighborhood, who have lately Engaged in the 
 Eight months service, are gone off, and Joyned 
 without Doubt the Enemy, they will Discover unto 
 them, our present weak Situation, for the Small 
 Guard at Woodstock is in no State to our Safety, for 
 this minute we are alarmed, and Called out to the 
 Blue mountains, for the Enemies are making their 
 approach on our Quarter, as we Supose, will take 
 their Revenge on us, because a few Disaffected Per- 
 sons have been sent under Guard to Kingston out of 
 our Neighborhood. In any General Alarm, when 
 the mihtia is Called forth in Defense of this State, 
 the well affected men turn out, and the Disaffected 
 Persons remain at home ; as witnesseth the late 
 alarm in every such Case. Our Famihes and Ef- 
 fects are greatly Exposed, for some of our mihtia 
 Men are gone to Nepenak (Napanoch), some at 
 Woodstock, and if more men Should be Continually 
 Called, our Farming Business must be neglected, to 
 the great Loss of this State, and we fear much, if 
 we be not Timely assisted. Shall be obliged to flight, 
 and leave our all to a Savage Enemie. 
 
 Therefore, We, the Subscribers, most humbly 
 approach your Excellency with this our humble 
 Petition, imploring your Protection in Sending a 
 Reinforcement of Fifty or Sixty men out of Dutch- 
 ess County, and to Station them at the Blue Moun- 
 tains, at and near Tobias Wynkoop's, for Such a 
 Guard will be most handy, when Station' d as above 
 said, either to reinforce the present Guard at Wood- 
 stock, or assist us in time of need. 
 
 Sir, we do not presume, to prescribe unto your 
 Excellency how to protect this State, but knowing 
 your Excellency's Mind can not at once be every- 
 where, makes us approach you with these presents, 
 not doubting your aid. 
 
 Sir, That Divine Providence may bless and pro- 
 
244 HISTORY OF SAUCER TIES. 
 
 long your Days and give Success to your Endeavours 
 to Suppress our Savage Enemy, we Shall Ever pray. 
 
 John Christian Fiero, Christian Will, Christian 
 Fiero, Jeremiah Snyder, Yurry William Reghtmyer, 
 Petrus Emrich, Jurry Hommel, Benjamin Snyder, 
 Johannes Folck, John L. DeWitt, Capt. , Johannes 
 Rechtmeyer, Peter Osterhoudt, Lu. , Ludwigh Roes- , 
 sell, Ephraim Myer, Christian Fiero, Jr., Cornelius J 
 DeWitt, Petrus Backer, Abraham Low, Jr., Stephen 
 Fiero, John Langandyck, Christiaen Snyder, Peter 
 T. Myer, Petrus Myer, Jacobus Whitaker, Jr., Jo- 
 hannes Persen, Peter Myer, Jr., Cornelius Persen, 
 Jacop Frans, Matthew Dederick, John Cox, Jr., 
 Peter Eygener, Corn's Langendyck, William Emer- 
 ich, Tunis Myer, Salomon Schut, PhiHp Feltan, 
 Jacobus Dederick, Tunis Osterhoupt, Jury William 
 Dederick, James Winne, William Falk, Willi' m De- 
 Witt, Peter Eygener. 
 
 May ye 15th, 1779. 
 
 The Governor granted their request. A for- 
 mer chapter told of the scouting during 1779 j 
 by Capt. Jeremiah Snyder and Anthony Van- 
 Schaick along the foot of the Catskills, and of 
 the service of the detachment under Lieut. 
 Peter Post in the same year. It also told of 
 the terrible punishment visited on the savages 
 by Sullivan's expedition, which destroyed their 
 crops and villages. Although the next year 
 (1780) Capt. Snyder and his son were seized 
 and carried into captivity in Canada, there was 
 no other molestation of the people of this 
 town. Nevertheless, the regiment of Col. 
 Snyder patroled this frontier until 1781. 
 
CHAPTER XXXV. 
 
 THE KATSBAAN CHURCH. 
 
 This old church is frequently called in early 
 documents "de steene kerk op de Kats Baan," 
 the stone church on the Kats Baan. What 
 was the Kats Baan? To this there have been 
 two answers. In the first entry made in the 
 church records by Domine Mancius (who was 
 a German) the name is spelled Kaatsbaan. 
 Kaatsbaan is the Dutch word for tennis court, 
 and many have held its derivation to have 
 been that the church, which is upon a hill, 
 stands upon the south end of a barren rock, 
 almost level, which extends northwards for 
 one-fourth of a mile. An active imagination 
 may fancy this rock to resemble a tennis court 
 on which Titans might play. There was a 
 spot two hundred years ago between Kingston 
 and The Strand (Rondout) which was called 
 in deeds of that day by the same name, *' Kaats- 
 baan." 
 
 The other derivation finds the root of the 
 name with Katskill and Katerskill in the pan- 
 ther, or wild cat, with which this densely 
 wooded region was infested. As Katskill is 
 
246 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 the kill or creek of the wild cat, Katerskill the 
 creek of the male of the species, so the Dutch 
 words Kats and baan, a haunt, resort, course or 
 range mean tlie haunt or resort of the animal. 
 Around this baan, or haunt, the most majestic 
 of white oaks flourished in which these terrible 
 creatures had their home. 
 
 When the Palatine colony came to the Camp 
 in 1 7 10 they immediately built a church at 
 West Camp. This was a church for the col- 
 ony in which the services were conducted by 
 both the pastors, Kocherthal, the Lutheran, 
 and Hager, the Reformed. The people lived 
 in peace and amity during the next ten years, 
 and worshipped there. But a cause of dissen- 
 sion had arisen. On Dec, 20, 1709, a month 
 before the Palatines sailed from England, 
 Hager had taken orders in the Church of Eng- 
 land, being ordained by the Bishop of London, 
 and upon his arrival at the Camp had en- 
 deavored to introduce the ritual of the Angli- 
 can Church in the worship of the colony. 
 Kocherthal protested. But he died in 1719 
 and Hager in 1721. The colonists had but 
 occasional religious services for a year or two 
 from Rev. Daniel F. Falckner and Rev. William 
 C. Berckenmeyer, both Lutherans, when an- 
 other Reformed clergyman appeared, Rev. 
 John Jacob Ehle, or Oehl, a German, who also 
 had taken orders before leaving London. He 
 
REV. GEORGE WII,HEI.MUS MANCIUS 
 
THE KATSBAAN CHURCH. 247 
 
 attempted to continue the efforts of Hager and 
 remained among the people until about 1727. 
 But the Germans did not take kindly to these 
 attempts at conformity, and would have none 
 of the ritual or liturgy. To what extent this 
 caused them to be found worshipping "on the 
 Kats Baan" in 1730 it is impossible to say. 
 But Nov. 8, 1730, the records at Katsbaan be- 
 gin in the handwriting of Rev. George Wilhel- 
 mus Mancius, who signs himself in Dutch 
 •'their at that time pastor." 
 
 Who was Mancius? He was born in Nas- 
 sau, Germany, 1706; was educated in Leyden 
 University, Holland, and Herborn Theological 
 Seminary in Germany, and sailed from Amster- 
 dam to this country July 12, 1730, coming 
 immediately to the Camp. The question why 
 he came here to this town has never been 
 answered. But reasons may be found. The 
 Palatines upon the east side of the Hudson 
 greatly desired a church of the Reformed faith, 
 but could not obtain a minister. The Classis 
 of Amsterdam, in Holland, would not permit 
 an ordination in America, and candidates for 
 the ministry were compelled to take the long 
 voyage across the sea. John Van Driessen 
 was ready to become the pastor at East Camp 
 (Germantown), but unwilling to go to Holland 
 for ordination. So he presented himself to a 
 Congregational Association in Connecticut and 
 
i 
 
 248 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 laid before them documents which had been 
 forged, upon which they ordained him to the 
 ministry, and he assumed charge of the Pala- 
 tine church of East Camp. When the Classis 
 of Amsterdam heard of it they protested, but 
 could do nothing. (See Chapter IX.) The 
 writer is disposed to find a reason for the com- 
 ing here of Mancius by the way of Holland in 
 this matter in connection with the efforts of 
 Hager and Ehle to Anglicize the Palatine 
 church, taking account of the further fact that 
 Mancius, a German, would naturally come to 
 the place where the first German colony in 
 New York had settled. 
 
 - When Mancius appeared at West Camp he 
 found most of the colony removed a mile or 
 two west to the lands of the Kingston Com- 
 mons, as stated in Chapter VII. There is no 
 record or evidence of his organizing the church 
 at Katsbaan. He speaks of 'Me germeente," 
 or the congregation worshipping on the Kats- 
 baan and says the churchbook is begun Nov. 
 8, 1730, by himself, ''their at that time pastor." 
 Where they worshipped, or in what building is 
 not known, as the stone church was not erected 
 until 1732. He became their pastor and con- 
 tinued so until his death in 1762, with the 
 exception of eight months during 1731-2 when 
 he was the pastor in Schraalenberg, New Jer- 
 sey. He was called to Kingston in May, 1732, 
 
THE KATSBAAN CHURCH, 249 
 
 to become associate pastor in the Reformed 
 church with Rev. Petrus Vas and continued in 
 charge of Katsbaan with his Kingston church 
 until his death. 
 
 The lease for the land upon which the stone 
 church was built and a description of the 
 church have been given in Chapter XL As 
 stated in Chapter VII the Lutheran church at 
 West Camp seems to have been virtually- 
 abandoned from this time until 1765, after the 
 death of Mancius, and the church of Katsbaan 
 was the only place of worship between Kings- 
 ton and Katskill (Leeds). The death of Man- 
 cius in 1762 created a vacancy in the pastorate 
 which was not filled until 1780. During this 
 interval it was supplied by Domines Doll, of 
 Kingston, Schuneman, of Katskill, and West- 
 erlo, of Albany, who regularly administered 
 the sacraments. Occasional services from other 
 ministers appear from the church records. 
 
 Rev. Lambertus DeRonde became the fourth 
 pastor of the flock, of which we have reckoned 
 Hager, Ehle and Mancius his predecessors. 
 His pastorate began in 1780 and continued 
 until 1786. How he was driven by the British 
 from the Collegiate Church in New York city 
 for his patriotism is told in Chapter XXVII. 
 But this persecution gave to Katsbaan a faith- 
 ful pastor. For seven years after 1786 the 
 church stood without a pastor and was, as be- 
 
250 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 fore ministered to by Domines Schuneman and 
 Doll until the conning of Rev. Petrus Van 
 Vlierden in 1793 to be the fifth pastor. He 
 came by way of the island of St. Croix in the 
 West Indies, now just transferred from the 
 sovereignty of Denmark to the United States. 
 He had taken high honors at Leyden Univer- 
 sity, and remained in the pastorate at Katsbaan 
 for eleven years, or until 1804. The church 
 was once more without a pastor until 1808, 
 when for two years Rev. James D. Demarest 
 served. Again pastorless until 18 12, Rev. Dr. 
 Henry Ostrander was called and settled in May 
 of that year, and continued for fifty years. 
 This long pastorate brings down the story far 
 beyond the limits of this work. 
 
 A legend has been handed down by tradition 
 through successive generations in the Katsbaan 
 Church to this effect : After the Palatines came 
 to the Camp, and the Lutherans and Reformed 
 separated the question arose whether Katsbaan 
 should be a German Reformed or Dutch Re- 
 formed church. A meeting was called of which 
 the presiding officer was Hans Martin Snyder. 
 The argument that there would be no other 
 German Reformed church with which to affili- 
 ate, while all future growth would be from the 
 incoming Dutch from Kingston prevailed, and 
 the vote was a tie. Snyder gave the casting 
 vote as president and as he was not fluent 
 
THE KATSBAAN CHURCH. 251 
 
 in Dutch he decided in favor of a " Neger 
 Deutsche kerk" (Negro Dutch church), and 
 not Neder Deutsche (Low Dutch), as he in- 
 tended. 
 
 But there are difficulties in the way of this 
 tradition. The name of Hans Martin Snyder 
 does not appear among the Katsbaan church 
 people until about 1770; there is no evidence 
 that it was ever organized as a Dutch Reformed 
 church at all; and while Mancius was here 
 both Lutherans and Reformed worshipped in 
 the stone church as in the church of the colony 
 until 1762. The church never came under the 
 supervision of the Dutch Reformed church 
 until after 1773, as it was reported to Synod 
 that year that it still "stood out ; " and was first 
 reported under the jurisdiction of Synod in 
 1784. If the traditionary incident ever occurred 
 it must have been about 1780, and there was a 
 Hans Martin Snyder at Katsbaan at that time. 
 The meeting may have then and thus decided 
 through its president in this ludicrous manner 
 that Katsbaan become a Dutch Reformed 
 church. 
 
 A generation or two ago there was a story 
 current at Katsbaan which showed the wit of 
 Domine De Ronde. He did not reside in 
 Katsbaan, but in what is now the village of 
 Saugerties upon the present Dawes property. 
 There was a time during his pastorate when 
 
252 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 his salary was greatly in arrears. One Sunday 
 after preaching a most excellent discourse, as 
 he came down from the pulpit, and took the 
 hand of each one of the consistory in turn, one 
 of the elders remarked in Dutch, " Well, 
 domine, you have given us employment for a 
 whole afternoon ; there is enough in the 
 sermon we have just heard for a week's 
 digestion." He replied, "Very well, then it 
 will be on Sundays with you as upon every 
 other day of the week ; you are filled to the 
 full, and I, I have nothing from you but 
 mauger zaagertjes (lean Saugerties)." 
 
 The old church of 1732 remained unchanged 
 until 181 5, except some minor improvements 
 and a new floor in 1813. In 1815 the roof was 
 taken off, the walls were raised, galleries were 
 built on the east, west and south sides of the 
 church, the pulpit was placed at the north side 
 of the church, with a canopy above it, straight 
 back pews were put in place of the former 
 benches, the porch upon the east side was 
 removed, two doors were inserted in the south 
 wall and a steeple was erected in which a bell 
 was hung. When all was done the seats were 
 •distributed by lot. But even with these 
 improvements the church could not hold the 
 worshippers. When days were pleasant and 
 weather favorable, the church was full to over- 
 flowing and on summer days outside every 
 
THE KATSBAAN CHURCH. 253 
 
 open window were groups of listeners to the 
 preaching of the Word of God. For from the 
 Emboght and from Kiskatom, from Maiden 
 and from Saugerties, from Blue Mountain and 
 from Plattekill, the people gathered. Thus 
 the building remained until 1867 when it was 
 rebuilt as it is to-day. In 1841 the canopy 
 and pedestal had been taken away and the 
 steeple altered. 
 
 The church was not incorporated until 
 March 28, 1796, when its title became *'The 
 Minister, Elders and Deacons of the Reformed 
 Protestant Dutch Church of Kaatsbaan in the 
 town of Kingston, in Ulster Country." When 
 the town of Saugerties was organized in 181 1 
 this title became a misnomer, and as the town 
 grew and the consistory had charge of the 
 religious interests of the whole town including 
 Saugerties village, Blue Mountain, Maiden and 
 Plattekill it was re-incorporated July 1 1, 1826, 
 under the title ** The Minister, Elders and 
 Deacons of the Reformed Dutch Church of 
 the town of Saugerties." It has been said it 
 was made "The Church of Saugerties," but 
 actually, it had the comprehensive title just 
 stated. When the division was made in 1839^ 
 and Katsbaan became a new organization it 
 was incorporated as " The Reformed Protest- 
 ant Dutch Church of Cattsbane." But this 
 title was not historically correct, and the con- 
 
254 HISTOR Y OF SA UGER TIES. 
 
 sistory constantly erred in official papers. At 
 last this was corrected by a re-incorporation 
 April 4, 1892, as "The Reformed Church of 
 Katsbaan." 
 
 In 1816 the residents of the present village 
 of Saugerties petitioned for a house of worship 
 in that village. The Katsbaan church respond- 
 ed favorably, provided that the necessary funds 
 were raised. Nothing resulted therefrom, and 
 in 1 82 1 another petition was presented with a 
 like reception and with the same result. In 
 1826 a third petition was successful and the 
 brick church was built, which was afterwards 
 the Saugerties Academy and is now the George 
 Burhans building on Livingston street. In 
 1 83 1 the village of Saugerties was incorporated 
 as the village of Ulster and the inhabitants, 
 which were largely of other extraction than 
 Dutch, made a determined and continuous 
 effort to get rid of the name of Saugerties for 
 that locality. The bank when incorporated 
 was "The Bank of Ulster," the papers "The 
 Ulster Palladium" (1828); "The Ulster Star" 
 (1833) and "The Ulster Telegraph" (1846); 
 the iron mill was "The Ulster Iron Works," 
 and the lead mill "The Ulster White Lead 
 Co.," and in every way possible the attempt 
 was to rid the community of the Dutch name 
 which seemed to mean nothing, and was 
 thought to be of uncertain origin. This effort 
 
THE KATSBAAN CHURCH. 255 
 
 was finally abandoned in 1855 and the village 
 was re-incorporated as the village of Sauger- 
 ties. The conservative families of the town 
 and village had continued to call the latter 
 by the old name during all the prolonged at- 
 tempt to foist the new one. 
 
 On October ist, 1833, the classis of Ulster 
 was petitioned by residents of the village of 
 Ulster to divide the congregation, and on Jan. 
 II, 1834, the application was made to the con- 
 sistory for a separate organization in the village 
 to be known as the Reformed Church of 
 Ulster. This petition was denied. Few 
 signers were of the Dutch membership, or ele- 
 ment because of the fear that in a new church 
 elements not Dutch would preponderate, and 
 that at an early date an effort might be made, 
 and be successful, to take the church into some 
 other denomination. In denying the applica- 
 tion the consistory remarked "Some are not 
 members and others not of our denomination." 
 It expressed a willingness to divide as soon as 
 each could support a church. In 1835 another 
 petition was presented, with one in opposition. 
 In June of that year consistory met with a 
 committee of the classis of Ulster to see if a 
 division could be made, and a day was ap- 
 pointed when the male members of the con- 
 gregation should meet at the church in Kats- 
 baan to vote on the proposition. Such a vote 
 
256 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 was taken and the division was disapproved of. 
 In 1838 another petition of the inhabitants of 
 the village of Ulster was denied. 
 
 By this time it became evident that some- 
 thing must be done in the matter. As these 
 petitions came almost wholly from the elements 
 in the church in the village of Ulster which 
 were not Dutch the consistory felt more and 
 more indisposed to grant their request. The 
 result was that Katsbaan was influenced by 
 the consistory and their pastor to be consti- 
 tuted a new congregation. This would leave 
 the Dutch element in Ulster as a balance of 
 power in the church where they would not 
 petition to be. But it would make the Ulster 
 church the old organization, the church of the 
 town of Saugerties legally, which it was not in 
 history, nor in fact. It cost the people of the 
 Katsbaan church many a feeling of sadness 
 thus to give up the historic church of their 
 fathers to those whom they felt to be in many 
 things not in harmony with their origin. Very 
 few of the families of the village of Ulster in 
 1839 were of Palatine descent, the element 
 there which was called Dutch being mostly of 
 Holland lineage, while at Katsbaan nine-tenths 
 of the Dutch families were of Palatine ances- 
 try. These felt that they surrendered som.e- 
 thing when they consented that the Palatine 
 church, as an organization go to strangers. 
 
CHAPTER XXXVI. 
 
 THE BEAVER CREEK. 
 
 The development of the manufacturing in- 
 dustries of this town is but a story of the last 
 seventy-five years. But it will be of interest 
 to speak of the history of such industries 
 which preceded 1825. The name of the town 
 came from the ** little sawyer" who had a mill 
 at the mouth of the Sawyer's creek before 1670 
 and two grist mills, respectively, upon the upper 
 and lower falls of the Esopus, or particularly at 
 Stony Point and about the site of the Martin 
 Cantine Co., were built before 1725. The mill 
 of the Posts, now owned by Martin Terwil- 
 liger, is older than the Revolutionary war, but 
 older than any was the grist mill on the south- 
 ern border on the Plattekill at the bridge into 
 the present town of Ulster. Still this mill 
 was not, nor has it ever been, within the bor- 
 ders of this town. 
 
 When the Palatines landed at West Camp in 
 1710 there was no grist mill in the town. The 
 colony was fed by Robert Livingston, of the 
 Manor, under contract with Gov. Hunter, from 
 Livingston's mill on Roeloff Jansen's kill. 
 
258 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 Complaints were made as to the quality of the 
 flour furnished, and a white-washing investiga- 
 tion was made. But there is no disputing the 
 facts that complaint was made by the colon- 
 ists. Tradition in the family of the descend- 
 ants of Christian Myer has always kept alive 
 the following story : The wife of Christian 
 Myer was Anna Gertrude Theunis, of a well 
 born Palatine family reduced to destitution in 
 the terrible wars in the Palatinate. When 
 they came to the Camp she submitted to the 
 trials and deprivations of the terrible first win- 
 ter without complaint until at last, under the 
 miserable quality of the flour furnished, her 
 spirit broke down completely. Her husband 
 had obtained some wheat somewhere, but there 
 was no mill nearer than Twaalfskill, now Wil- 
 bur, in the city of Kingston. Obtaining his 
 consent, which, not thinking her in earnest, he 
 gave one morning as he went to his task of 
 preparing pines for the production of naval 
 stores to release their obligations to the gov- 
 ernment, she took a schepel of wheat (three- 
 fourths of a bushel) in a bag and carried it on 
 her shoulders through the woods all the long 
 way from West Camp, by way of the Old 
 Kings road to Wilbur, where it was ground, 
 and back again the same day, arriving home 
 after her thirty-four mile tramp exhausted, but 
 conscious that she had flour fit for the table. 
 
THE BEAVER CREEK. 259 
 
 It is worthy of remark that the industries of 
 the town aside from grist and saw mills began 
 along the Beaver creek. No other stream in 
 the town pursues so many miles of course 
 within its borders. It rises in a swamp on the 
 farm of Larry Van Wart near the Blue Moun- 
 tain church. Flowing south it reaches the 
 valley of Unionville and makes use of this to 
 reach the lowlands. Swinging a great circle it 
 bisects the farm of Mrs. Germond and then 
 upon a course due north it winds through a 
 valley for about five miles until it flows into 
 the Cauterskill at the Greene county line. 
 
 To-day its windings can be traced by the 
 many walnut trees upon its banks. Some 
 twenty years ago a local poet wrote of it : 
 
 ^' Soft-flowing Beaver, by thy winding side 
 
 I wander with the hours of passing day. 
 Through thy pellucid depths and shallows glide 
 
 The phantom forms of finny tribes at play. 
 Umbrageous are thy banks; in close embrace 
 
 The walnuts o'er thy bosom interlace; 
 And in their mottled shade, by yonder spring, 
 
 The circling swallow dips his restless wing. ' ' 
 
 When the first mention is made of the region 
 in the earliest land grants in 1685, it was 
 already called the Beaver creek. Hunters and 
 trappers had obtained their peltries for many 
 years along its banks and from its beaver 
 dams. As we pass in review the incipient in- 
 dustries of the town we will follow the stream 
 
260 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 towards its mouth. The first claiming our at- 
 tention, if not the earliest erected, was the mill 
 at Unionville which was built by Adam Mon- 
 tross in the earliest years of the last century 
 for a grist mill. This subsequently passed into 
 the possession of a man named Backus and 
 then into the Van Hoesen family. From a 
 grist mill it was made a plaster mill and finally 
 dismantled has disappeared. Even the high 
 dam is broken and the stream is unconfined. 
 
 On the northern portion of the Wynkoop 
 tract was the next industry. Here where now 
 is the bridge leading over the Beaver to the 
 house of Russell Wynkoop, was a hat factory. 
 There are those still living who remember the 
 stone benches within it where beaver skins 
 were dressed. Judge Henry Wynkoop, who 
 lived there seventy-five years ago, was called 
 "The Hatter." The stone foundations of this 
 factory are now the abutments of the bridge 
 above named. Just north of the old hat fac- 
 tory is a strong sulphur spring and there is 
 another a mile north on the farm of Addison 
 
 Sax. 
 
 A few hundred yards north of this spring of 
 Sax, a brick yard was in operation early in the 
 past century. The brick in the erection of the 
 store of Daniel Lamb in this village were from 
 this brickyard. A little farther north, on the 
 north side of the Maiden Turnpike, was the 
 
THE BEAVER CREEK. 261 
 
 tannery of Cornelius Fiero. This remained 
 there until within the past fifty years, and 
 the vats were where is the present bed of the 
 stream for, by a freshet after the tannery was 
 demolished the raging waters cut through a 
 new course which the line of vats made one of 
 least resistance. 
 
 Another grist mill was built in olden times 
 on a branch of the Beaver where is now the 
 residence of C. P. Finger and a saw mill on the 
 same branch at the residence on the farm of 
 William H. Hommel and in days long since 
 another brickyard was in operation upon the 
 farm of Abram E. Hommel. 
 
 All of these have disappeared. Not a wheel 
 is turned upon the Beaver to-day. No brick is 
 made and so far as this stream is concerned 
 tanning is a lost art. The little stream in its 
 winding course of almost ten miles flows un- 
 obstructedly and fed by never failing springs, 
 waters the valley even in its droughtiest sea- 
 sons recalling Tennyson's "Brook": 
 
 '' For men may come and men may go, 
 But I go on forever." 
 
CHAPTER XXXVII. 
 
 THE DAYS OF SLOOPS. 
 
 When the Treaty of Peace between Great 
 Britain and this country was at last in effect in 
 1783 the interest and concern of the people of 
 this town turned in the direction of the peace- 
 ful pursuits of life. So far almost the sole 
 occupation had been agriculture. The grind- 
 ing of grain and the sawing of lumber were 
 about the only work of mills. As the British 
 had swept the river of what sloops there had 
 been in 1777, river commerce had almost dis- 
 appeared. A former chapter told of the pur- 
 chase of the sloop of Capt. Benjamin Snyder 
 during 1776 for a fire ship, and a subsequent 
 one of the burning of two sloops in the Eso- 
 pus at this village by Vaughan's marauding ex- 
 pedition. 
 
 Soon after the keel of another was laid by 
 Capt. Snyder, and for some years it ran regu- 
 larly to New York on monthly trips. Some 
 time about the middle of the decade (1790- 
 1800) Capt. Andrew Brink built a large sloop, 
 which he named for a favorite sister, " The 
 Maria." His father had instituted many years 
 
THE DAYS OF SLOOPS. 263 
 
 before the scow ferry which crossed the river 
 from his door at the mouth of the Sawyer's 
 creek to Chancellor Livingston's, just opposite, 
 and the son was born with a love of the water. 
 The Maria was thought by the people of those 
 days a craft of wondrous size, and its owner 
 immediately secured from the Chancellor the 
 transportation of the products of his manor, 
 and from other up-river towns a most profit- 
 able trade. 
 
 The captain of a Hudson river sloop before 
 the advent of steam occupied a unique 
 position. He was the link socially between 
 the river towns and city life. He was the 
 business agent not only of the merchant, but 
 of the farmer. He selected the merchant's 
 stock ; he sold the farmer's products ; he was 
 the expressman ; he carried the news ; he 
 matched the goods in the city from samples 
 which the housewives of the river towns gave 
 him ; bore the messages of friendship and bus- 
 iness with which he was entrusted at each end 
 of his route ; he was the welcome guest in the 
 city families on which he called, to whom he 
 told of their country friends, and through him 
 the news of sorrow and bereavement of his 
 patrons, or the tidings of their prosperity, 
 were conveyed, for he often carried the writ- 
 ten missives as postman, but more frequently 
 he was intrusted with the verbal message 
 
264 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 which bore the tidings of a sad death or 
 burial ; or was the happy messenger to 
 announce a marital engagement of youthful 
 lovers ; or he bore the gossip of the river 
 village as he was asked to carry to city friends 
 and relatives what had passed since the last 
 voyage. 
 
 When the boat arrived at the pier in the 
 city and her lines were thrown the captain 
 went ashore to deliver his messages from 
 house to house and do his errands from store 
 to store. With him went the ladies who had 
 been confided to his care during the voyage 
 and whom he delivered to their friends. 
 When his errands were all done he set about 
 drumming up a return cargo. The pur- 
 chases for merchants and farmers made he 
 would peradventure find the sloop not yet 
 half laden. He must use his influence to 
 secure some business ventures on the part of 
 mercantile friends. Meanwhile days slipped 
 by. The date of the return of the vessel was 
 problematic. But when at last a satisfactory 
 cargo was obtained, or in default when the 
 captain decided that a cargo of grain and 
 timber, or hay, or skins, or other products of 
 the soil or chase could be more readily 
 obtained up the river than one of goods in the 
 city the captain gave the announcement that 
 on a certain day the sloop would sail. It 
 
THE DAYS OF SLOOPS. 265 
 
 quickly circulated from mouth to mouth and 
 when the appointed day and hour arrived 
 there was a gathering on the pier that rivaled 
 a modern farewell at the departure of a 
 European steamer, and amid the fluttering of 
 handkerchiefs and good-bye cheers the vessel 
 dropped out from her pier into the stream. 
 
 It was an Elysian delight to lie on deck on 
 a summer day under the shadow of a sail and 
 watch the transformation of the Highlands, or 
 the lights and shadows of Catskill mountain 
 scenes. But all days were not summer days, 
 nor all days Elysian. There were voyages in 
 storms of snow, or when ice was forming. 
 There were days in late autumn when the hay 
 from farms was loosely piled in a mighty stack 
 on the deck of the craft. And then no fire 
 must be built on the vessel, despite the dis- 
 comfort. For no ardent mariner dared risk 
 the danger, as baling hay was unknown and 
 the idea of stoves was yet unborn. 
 
 Once started on the voyage, the uncertainty 
 of its duration was the most prominent fea- 
 ture. A sloop setting sail on an afternoon 
 might have reached her destination at Sauger- 
 ties when her passengers awoke the next 
 morning. And again, it might be becalmed 
 before Spuyten Duyvil was reached, and be a 
 week on the trip up the Hudson. And light 
 winds often blew so gently that the travelers 
 
266 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 would go ashore in a small boat and buy 
 butter, eggs or milk and regain the vessel a 
 mile or two from where they left it. 
 
 As stated above the sloop Maria carried 
 much of the produce of Livingston Manor. 
 And during the ten years Captain Brink sail- 
 ed her, Livingston was a frequent ptissenger. 
 He had been experimenting with steam before 
 he went as Minister to France in 1801, and 
 while there had been interested in the steam- 
 boat that Robert Fulton had put on the Seine 
 in 1804, and which had broken down. The 
 men became very intimate and Fulton married 
 a niece of the Chancellor. So he came to be a 
 frequent and welcome guest at Clermont, the 
 home of Livingston. 
 
 In the cabin of the Maria the Chancellor 
 and Fulton often discussed the problem of 
 steam navigation as a quicker means of com- 
 munication, and a more reliable power than 
 wind, and around the captain's table talked 
 over their plans, the obstacles encountered 
 and the causes of their failures. They were 
 now in the presence of a practical navigator, 
 who had been on the water from boyhood and 
 was in command of the fleetest of river craft 
 built under his own supervision. Fulton was 
 a man of great scientific knowledge for one of 
 those days, and had many a mechanical inven- 
 tion to his credit ; and Livingston to a pro- 
 
THE DAYS OF SLOOPS. 267 
 
 found knowledge of law and statecraft added 
 a rare skill in mechanics, and besides was the 
 possessor of one of the largest of American 
 fortunes. On a voyage up the river the three 
 decided to attempt once more to solve the 
 problem and use every means to succeed. 
 They went to work. Chancellor Livingston 
 furnished the capital. Robert Fulton obtain- 
 ed from Scotland a Watt engine of twenty 
 horse power, with a copper boiler, which he 
 adapted to his plans, while Captain Brink set 
 about embodying his ideas as to what the 
 craft should be from his experience as a navi- 
 gator of the Hudson. The latter part of the 
 year 1806, and until midsummer of 1807 were 
 spent upon the boat and the engine, to the 
 ridicule of many of the acquaintances of the 
 captain in his own town. Even his own wife 
 laughed at him to which he replied that he 
 he would soon go to Albany in command of 
 the steam craft and stop opposite his father's 
 place on the river and take her along. All she 
 could say was " when I see you and Mr. 
 Fulton driving a boat with a tea kettle I will 
 believe it." We will see how the captain's 
 wife took her ride. 
 
CHAPTER XXXVIII. 
 
 THE TRIP OF THE CLERMONT. 
 
 The morning of August 3, 1807, was bright 
 and warm. At a pier in the harbor of New 
 York a vessel was lying which the events of 
 that day were to make historic and the trip 
 she was just to undertake would never be 
 forgotten. A motive power would be utilized 
 that day which would change the face of all 
 the earth and would plow every sea. The 
 power of millions of millions of horses would 
 not be able to accomplish during the century 
 then just begun what would be wrought by 
 the force confined in what was derisively 
 called *' a tea kettle." Fulton's copper boiler, 
 bubbling and hissing at that North River pier 
 that morning, seemed to be throbbing with a 
 consciousness of its power and what it was to 
 do when it would come to its birth. And all 
 the material forces of modern civilization 
 awaited a touch of a hand on a lever there 
 that day to spring full-grown into being. 
 
 The craft that was lying at the pier that 
 morning in the early days of the Nineteenth 
 Century would have excited the contempt of 
 
THE TRIP OF THE CLERMONT. 26^ 
 
 those who saw that century's close. A long 
 narrow vessel with two masts on each of 
 which was to be spread a sail ; a low cabin on 
 each side of the deck ; somewhat forward of 
 the center of the vessel a revolving wheel on 
 either side with ten paddles like the arms of a 
 wind-mill, and these unenclosed in a wheel 
 house ; and on the pier a jeering crowd of 
 spectators exchanging cheap witticisms with 
 each other at the expense of Fulton and his 
 associates on board, silent, but confident. 
 
 When the appointed hour had arrived the 
 vessel was cast loose, and the scofifing crowd 
 became quiet, for they saw her paddles revolve 
 and the boat worked its way out into the 
 stream. Soon after reaching the middle of 
 the river there was a break in the machinery 
 which occasioned alarm, and which took some 
 time to repair. This was duly accomplished 
 and the vessel slowly proceeded up the Hud- 
 son, and the crowd was quiet as the visionaries 
 with their jeered-at boat propelled by a tea 
 kettle passed out of sight. 
 
 The trip excited great interest along the 
 river and some alarm, especially at night, as it 
 was thought to be a vessel on fire. Dry pine 
 wood was used in the furnace and its light 
 illuminated the sky for miles. The boat left 
 the pier in New York at one o'clock in the 
 afternoon of Monday, August 3rd, and reached 
 
270 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES, 
 
 Clermont (opposite Saugerties), the seat of 
 Chancellor Livingston, at one o'clock, on 
 Tuesday. The one hundred and ten miles 
 had been covered in just twenty-four hours. 
 Here the boat was anchored in mid-stream 
 and Fulton went ashore to spend the night 
 with Livingston, while Captain Brink, at his 
 father's on the opposite bank, at the mouth of 
 the Saw creek, came to redeem his promise 
 and take his wife to Albany in the boat driven 
 by a tea kettle. 
 
 Anchor was raised on Wednesday morning 
 at nine o'clock and Albany reached that after- 
 noon at four so that the actual traveling time 
 had been thirty-one hours. The next morn- 
 ing at nine the return began and Saugerties 
 was not made until six in the evening — nine 
 hours. Here they anchored for the night and 
 left for New York at seven on Friday morn- 
 ing, which was reached at four that afternoon, 
 or in nine hours, the whole return trip in 
 eighteen hours of actual traveling. Both on 
 the trip to Albany and upon the return the 
 wind had been dead ahead and no benefit 
 could be derived from the sails. 
 
 It is a fact but little known that Fulton had 
 named the craft " Experiment " and it was not 
 until her return to New York and her paddle- 
 wheels had been enclosed and cabins and 
 other accommodations provided for carrying 
 
THE TRIP OF THE CLERMONT. 271 
 
 passengers that the name "■ Clermont " was 
 substituted. By the latter name she has 
 always been known. 
 
 It is a striking comment on the lack of news 
 enterprise in those days that the Albany jour- 
 nals contained no notice of this trial trip. 
 The vessel arrived in Albany on her second 
 trip on Saturday, September 5th, 1807. The 
 Albany Gazette of that date notes in an 
 obscure corner of an extra, without flourishes ; 
 '' The steamboat which left New York on 
 Friday morning arrived at Albany on Satur- 
 day, having twenty-four passengers on board." 
 It left on Monday morning following with 
 forty ladies and gentlemen as passengers. On 
 October 1st following the New York Evening 
 Post announced that the steamboat arrived 
 from Albany with sixty passengers in twenty- 
 eight hours. She left New York next day at 
 ten o'clock against tide and a strong head 
 wind, ran foul of a sloop eighteen miles up 
 which tore away one of her paddle wheels, 
 and after various detentions arrived in Albany 
 on the evening of October 4th, at ten o'clock, 
 with ninety passengers, having forced her way 
 up against a constant wind with one paddle 
 wheel. 
 
 She was now put on the regular course to 
 Albany for freight and passengers. The writer 
 has in his possession the following letter of 
 
272 HISTOR Y OF SA UGER TIES. 
 
 instructions written to his grandfather by 
 Robert Fulton : 
 
 New York, Oct. 9, 1807. 
 Capt. Brink : — 
 
 Sir — Inclosed is the number of voyages which is 
 intended the Boat should run this season. You may 
 have them pubhshed in the Albany papers. 
 
 As she is strongly man'd and every one except 
 Jackson under your command, you must insist on 
 each one doing his duty or turn him on shore and 
 put another in his place. Everything must be kept 
 in order, everything in its place, and all parts of the 
 Boat scoured and clean. It is not sufficient to tell 
 men to do a thing, but stand over them and make 
 them do it. One pair of quick and good eyes is 
 worth six pair of hands in a commander. If the 
 Boat is dirty and out of order the fault shall be 
 yours. Let no man be Idle when there is the least 
 thing to do, and make them move quick. 
 
 Run no risques of any kind when you meet or 
 overtake vessels beating or crossing your way. Al- 
 ways run under their stern if there be the least 
 doubt that you cannot clear their head by 50 yards 
 or more. Give in the accounts of Receipts and ex- 
 penses every week to the Chancellor. Your most 
 Obedient 
 
 ROBT. FULTON. 
 
 The boat was advertised to sail from " Paul- 
 er's Hook ferry (now Cortland Street Ferry), 
 provisions, good berths and accommodations 
 provided." For the first time in history travel 
 on the Hudson river could arrange its journey- 
 ings with regard to time. It was the begin- 
 
THE TRIP OF THE CLERMONT. 273 
 
 ning of the day of time tables for journeys by 
 water. The schedule of rates was as follows: 
 
 Titne. 
 
 New York to Newburgh $3 oo i4h 
 
 " *' *' Poughkeepsie ... 4 oo lyh 
 
 '' *' '* Esopus (Kingston) . 5 00 2oh 
 
 *' '* '* Hudson 5 50 3oh 
 
 <* " *' Albany 7 00 36h 
 
 It was proposed to accomplish three entire 
 trips from Albany to New York and back in 
 two weeks. On November 6th the boat car- 
 ried over one hundred passengers. 
 
 The Hudson Bee in June, 1808, contains 
 this interesting description of the boat : ** The 
 steamboat is certainly a curiosity to strangers. 
 To see this large and apparently unwielded 
 machine without oars or sails, propelled through 
 the element by invisible agency at a rate of 
 four miles an hour, would be a novelty in any 
 quarter of the globe, as we understand there is 
 none in Europe that has succeeded in the plan 
 upon which this is constructed. The length 
 of the boat is 160 feet, and her width in pro- 
 portion so as not to impede her sailing. The 
 machine which moves her wheels is called, we 
 believe, a twenty-horse-power machine, or equal 
 to the power of so many horses, and is kept in 
 motion by steam from a copper boiler, 8 or 10 
 feet in length. The wheels are on each side, 
 similar to those of water mills, and are under 
 
274 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 cover; they are moved backwards or forwards, 
 separately or together, at pleasure. Her prin- 
 cipal advantage is in calms, or against head 
 winds. When the wind is fair, light square 
 sails, etc., are employed to increase her speed. 
 Her accommodations, 52 berths, (besides sofas, 
 etc.,) are said to be equal, or superior to any 
 vessel that floats on the river, and are 
 necessarily extensive as all the space unoccu- 
 pied by the machinery is fitted in the most 
 convenient manner. Her route between New 
 York and Albany is a distance of 160 miles, 
 which she performs regularly twice a week, 
 sometimes in the short period of 32 hours, ex- 
 clusive of detention by taking in and landing 
 passengers. On her passage last week she left 
 New York with 100 passengers, upwards, and 
 Albany with 80 or 90. Indeed this aquatic 
 stage, the Experiment, from Albany, together 
 with the public sloop, the Experiment, of this 
 city, bid fair to attach the greatest part of the 
 travelers which pass the Hudson, and afford 
 them accommodations not exceeded in any 
 other part of the world." Thus the connection 
 of this town with the introduction of steam 
 navigation was vital and close. 
 
CHAPTER XXXIX. 
 
 THE FORMATION OF THE TOWN. 
 
 As the history of the town has been brought 
 down to the opening years of the Nineteenth 
 Century a glance at the development of the 
 village of Saugerties may be of interest. 
 
 In chapter X. it was shown that in 1763 but 
 twelve, or strictly speaking, eleven houses were 
 to be found on the north side of the Esopus 
 within the corporate bounds of the village of 
 Saugerties. To obtain this number the house 
 of John Brink, Jr., at the mouth of Sawyer's 
 creek, of Myndert Mynderse on the river and 
 others had to be counted. So that in the 
 closely built part of the village there were but 
 six houses, namely: Those of Hiskia DuBois, 
 John Post, Abraham Post, Jecobus Post, Isaac 
 Post and Petrus Myer, Those occupied nearly 
 the location of where are now the old Kiersted 
 house, the Reformed Church parsonage, James 
 Russell's store, the Dawes residence, a site 
 under the hill west of the north end of Elm 
 street, and the Sherwood D. Myer residence. 
 The house of Johannes Myer on the site of the 
 present house of J. M. Genthner might be added* 
 
276 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 The close of the Revolution in 1783 saw- 
 little change in the village. About 1792 
 Robert R. Livingston became a purchaser of 
 lands hereabout, and in after years the Liv- 
 ingston family owned considerable property 
 here. When Henry Barclay began the manu- 
 facturing interests in Saugerties in 1825 the 
 Livingstons invested largely in real estate in 
 this village. 
 
 The present town of Saugerties had always 
 been the northerly part of Kingston Commons, 
 and thus part of the town of Kingston. But 
 the lands belonging to the Kingston trustees 
 had been sold off, or divided, about the year 
 1804 and there was little need for the corpora- 
 tion to continue. Besides dissensions arose 
 among the trustees and complaints against 
 them became frequent. They finally and per- 
 manently dissolved December 13, 1816, after a 
 corporate existence of one hundred and thirty 
 years. The funds remaining in their hands 
 were divided and assigned to the overseers of 
 the poor of the towns of Saugerties, Esopus 
 and Kingston, in which three towns the lands 
 of the corporation lay. 
 
 Previous chapters have spoken of the dis- 
 puted questions of the boundaries of the town. 
 The northern portion about Asbury was long a 
 scene of strife between the town officials of 
 Catskill and Kingston because the boundary 
 
THE FORMATION OF THE TOWN. 277 
 
 line was indefinite. About 1746 this was de- 
 termined. Then arose the question of the 
 triangle bounded by the Hudson river, the Saw 
 creek and the present Greene county line. 
 This was what is now West Camp, Maiden 
 and the adjacent territory. The inhabitants 
 had to attend to all their civil duties as far from 
 home as Albany and a forty mile drive over the 
 miserable roads of those days and as many 
 back occasioned much complaining. Finally 
 the present boundary of Ulster county on the 
 north from the Hudson westward was fixed in 
 1767 and the triangle was annexed to this 
 town. With the opening century it became a 
 burden to transact all town affairs as far from 
 home as Kingston and a separate town exist- 
 ence was mooted. Almost a dozen years 
 passed before this was effected. The town of 
 Saugerties was incorporated April 5, 181 1, and 
 on April 16 the first town meeting was held at 
 the house of Christian Fiero (now Kaufman's) 
 in Katsbaan at which John Kiersted was chosen 
 supervisor; Capt. Andrew Brink town clerk; 
 Benjamin Snyder and Hezekiah Wynkoop over- 
 seers of the poor; Cornelius Wynkoop, John 
 T. Schoonmaker and Samuel Post assessors; 
 Peter P. Post, Jonah Valck and Abraham 
 Wolven commissioners of highways ; and Elisha 
 Snyder collector. By successive elections Capt. 
 Andrew Brink was continued town clerk for 
 
278 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 the next ten years and had his office at the 
 store of his father-in-law, Cornelius Persen, in 
 Katsbaan, as Capt. Brink had retired from the 
 command of the steamboat Clermont, had de- 
 clined the offer of Livingston and Fulton to 
 move to Albany and act as the Albany agent 
 of their steamboat line, and had taken charge 
 of Persen's store. 
 
 The town was laid out in twenty-nine road 
 districts upon organization, and the present 
 bounds of such districts largely follow the old 
 establishment both in the number of the dis- 
 trict, its limit and the feature natural or arti- 
 ficial which bounds it. 
 
 At the incorporation of the town in i8il 
 the following' families were living in the pres- 
 ent village of Saugerties : Jacobus Post was 
 living under the Canoe Hill ; John Post on 
 what is now the corner of Market street and 
 Ulster avenue (the Jeremiah Russell place) ; 
 Peter Post on the Dawes property; Abraham 
 Post where is now the James Russell store, 
 and in the building now in the rear of that 
 store and which was then the village tavern ; 
 Cornelius Post where was lately the Gustave 
 Peters saloon on Partition street ; Petrus 
 Myer where Sherwood D. Myer now lives ; 
 Abram Myer where J. M. Genthner lives ; Peter 
 I. Post on the Fosmyre place on Main street ; 
 Tjerck Schoonmaker on what is now the site 
 
THE FORMATION OF THE TOWN. 279 
 
 of the Whitaker building on Main street ; 
 John Burhans on the opposite corner where 
 the Davis shoe store stands ; Andrew McFar- 
 lane where is now the Zeigler saloon on Parti- 
 tion street ; Luke Kiersted in the old Kiersted 
 house on Main street ; Peter Schoonmaker at 
 the corner of Main street and Maiden avenue 
 where the late Peter P. Schoonmaker lived ; 
 James Brink on the Brink homestead on the 
 river ; Garret Mynderse in the old stone house 
 at the river now the residence of F. T. Rus- 
 sell ; Isaac Post in the old stone house on the 
 dock near the mouth of the Esopus ; Henry 
 Heermance, who taught the village school, 
 lived on Partition street below the Phoenix 
 hotel; Samuel Schoonmaker on the Finger 
 place on Market street ; while Asa Bigelow, 
 who had come to Saugerties from Connecticut 
 in 1807, lived and kept store on the site of 
 Russell Block. 
 
 Farther north were two small houses owned 
 by Alexander McKenzie, one of which burned, 
 while the other was afterwards long the home 
 of Joel T. Persons. The only other house was 
 that of Samuel Wolven east of the Canoe Hill, 
 where is now the place of James O. Beers. 
 Thus in 181 1 there were but twenty-one houses 
 in this village north of the Esopus, and this 
 was but an increase of nine from the twelve 
 found here in the spring of 1763, forty-eight 
 
280 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 years before. But the progress was to be more 
 rapid in immediately succeeding years, even 
 before the boom came in 1825, with the com- 
 ing of Henry Barclay. 
 
 The town was but a year old when the war 
 of 1812 broke out. Four years before a mili- 
 tary company had been formed in the town 
 which was known as ** The Rangers." It main- 
 tained its organization for thirty years. Cap- 
 tain John Clark, its commander, moved from 
 the town in 181 1, and the first lieutenant, Luke 
 Kiersted, removed to Durham, Greene county; 
 Abraham Post, the ensign, went to Ontario 
 county in 181 1, leaving the company under the 
 command of the orderly sergeant, Peter Post. 
 Then Captain Peter Elmendorf was placed in 
 command, with Peter Post first lieutenant. 
 The company was ordered to Plattsburg, 
 where they served three months. Another 
 company was formed from this town and 
 Woodstock, of which William Osterhoudt died 
 in the service ; Daniel E. DuBois was killed in 
 a sortie at Fort Erie, and Alexander McKen- 
 zie died in the service. The others who served 
 from this town were of the garrison on Staten 
 Island and were the following: — Andrew 
 Brink, James Brink, Francis Brown, John H. 
 Coon, Philip Carle, John H. Carr, Tjerck Bur- 
 bans, Andrew DeWitt, Jr., John I. Decker, 
 Egbert Dederick, John H. DuBois, Jeremiah 
 
THE FORMATION OF THE TOWN. 281 
 
 DuBois, Peter Elmendorf, Cornelius Fiero, 
 Joshua Fiero, Peter M. Fiero, Peter Freligh, 
 Valentine Freligh, John Hendrick, Cornelius 
 Hoff, Thomas Holland, Abraham Hommel, 
 Andrew Hommel, Isaac Hommel, John A. 
 Hommel, Matthew Hommel, Levi Hommel, 
 Solomon Hommel, Thomas A. Houghtahng, 
 Henry Hovenburg, Alexander Ingram, Jacob 
 I. Kipp, Frederick Krows, James Kortz, 
 Solomon Lewis, William Low, fifer ; Peter A. 
 Low, William Lasher, Adam Moose, Benjamin 
 C. Myer, Jonathan C. Myer, Peter D. Myer, 
 Simeon Myer, Tjerck Myer, Isaac Myer, John 
 A. Myer, Jacob Mauterstock, Benjamin Over- 
 bagh, Garret Post, Abraham I. Post Abram 
 Post, Victor Post Samuel Raymond, John 
 Rightmyer, Robert Schoonmaker, Egbert 
 Schoonmaker, Joseph Schutt, John Shute, Jr., 
 George J. Sitzer, Alexander Snyder, EHsha 
 Snyder, Martin Snyder, Jeremiah Snyder, Joel 
 Snyder. Noah Snyder, Peter I. Snyder, Zach- 
 ariah Snyder, Jacob Staats, Henry Stewart, 
 Moses Schutt, Jeremiah Teetsell, drummer; 
 John Teetsell, Peter VanKeuren, Jonas Van- 
 Etten, Peter VanVlierden, Jacob Valck, Moses 
 Valck, Aaron Vedder, Peter P. Whitaker, 
 Peter L. Winne, Peter P. Winne, William 
 Winne, Andrew Wolven, Evert H. Wyn- 
 koop, Henry Wynkoop, Admiral Warren, 
 Gunn Watts, and Henry VanHovenberg. But 
 
282 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 the service of those from this town was but 
 short as the theatre of war was not in this 
 vicinity, and the latter part of the conflict was 
 on the ocean so largely, and the later military 
 operations were around Washington and New 
 Orleans. 
 
 Before this chapter is concluded mention 
 should be made of the coming to this town of 
 Rev. Dr. Henry Ostrander in 1812 to become 
 pastor of the church of Katsbaan. Here he 
 continued for fifty years, or until 1862. He 
 was intellectually the most gifted man, prob- 
 ably, who ever resided in the town and his 
 influence was very great, especially during the 
 early years of his residence. Through his 
 efforts a library was established in 1814 which 
 consisted of about seven hundred volumes, 
 covered with leather, and which was called 
 "The Saugerties Library." It was kept in 
 Katsbaan and some volumes of it were in 
 existence as late as 1895. It was largely of 
 historical works and travels, with volumes of 
 adventure and such works as the " Spectator." 
 Comparatively little fiction was in the library. 
 
CHAPTER XL. 
 
 BEGINNING TO GROW. 
 
 With its incorporation as a town in 1811 
 Saugerties began to grow. At that date the 
 village, as was shown in the last chapter, had 
 added to its numbers but about nine houses 
 since 1763, or in about forty-eight years, and 
 the rest of the town had advanced but little as 
 well. Until 1807 there had been only two 
 churches in town, the Lutheran at West Camp 
 and the Reformed in Katsbaan. The West 
 Camp church had had intermittent pastor- 
 ates before 1800, and during the existence of 
 the Katsbaan church from 1730 to 1812 there 
 had been at various times no less than thirty- 
 two years of dependence upon occasional ser- 
 vices of such ministers as could be obtained to 
 administer the sacraments and preach as 
 opportunity was afforded. The Reformed 
 church of Flatbush had been organized in 1807 
 and had increased the number of the churches 
 of the town at its organization to three. In 
 May, 1 8 12, Rev. Dr. Henry Ostrander was 
 called to become the pastor of the Church of 
 Katsbaan. He was immediately an intel- 
 
284 HISTOR Y OF SA UGER TIES. 
 
 lectual and moral force in the town. Within 
 three years he had rebuilt the church in Kats- 
 baan ; had begun religious services at Sauger- 
 ties, using for the next fourteen years the ball- 
 room of the hotel of Frederick Krows ; had 
 begun services at Plattekill in conjunction 
 with the pastor of the Flatbush church, and 
 was conducting like services at Blue Moun- 
 tain, Saxton, Maiden and elsewhere. He 
 organized the first Sunday school in the town 
 in 1818; he started a town library of seven 
 hundred volumes in Katsbaan in 1814 and 
 almost as soon as he came into the town 
 agitated the question of a classical school. 
 That year (1812) witnessed the organization of 
 the State system of district schools. Under it 
 the town was divided into twelve school dis- 
 tricts. Dr. Ostrander earnestly desired that a 
 classical school be formed to give an advanced 
 education. His wishes were not destined to 
 an immediate realization. But such a school 
 was organized in Maiden in the early 30's and 
 was conducted by Merritt Bradford, of Connec- 
 ticut. It preceded the organization of the 
 Saugerties Academy, which was instituted 
 about 1855 when the congregation moved from 
 the old brick church into the present Reformed 
 Church in this village. While speaking of this 
 church it is worthy of remark that services in 
 Dutch were never held there. At the old 
 
BEGINNING TO GROW. 285 
 
 stone church in Katsbaan none other were 
 held until the pastorate of Domine Van Vlier- 
 den closed in 1804. With the coming of Dem- 
 arest in 1808 English services began and when 
 Dr. Ostrander became pastor in 1812 he alter- 
 nated the services between the two languages. 
 When he began to preach in Saugerties in the 
 ball-room of Frederick Krows he did so in 
 English, with occasional Dutch, leaving those 
 who desired Dutch preaching to have it at 
 Katsbaan. As the older generation died less 
 and less was had until in 1825 it ceased alto- 
 gether. After that date Dr. Ostrander held an 
 occasional Dutch service, but it was usually at 
 a school house in the outlying parts of his con- 
 gregation on a Sunday afternoon. The last 
 Dutch sermon in the town of Saugerties was 
 preached at the Blue Mountain church about 
 1886 by its pastor, the Rev. Abram G. Lansings 
 and was thoroughly enjoyed by his many 
 parishioners who were able to understand it, 
 as well as by many from surrounding congre- 
 gations. It is an interesting question if an 
 audience of three hundred could be gathered 
 from our town population of ten thousand 
 to-day who could understand a sermon in 
 Dutch, even if it were in the colloquial dialect 
 spoken as late as 1850. 
 
 To what was said above concerning the or- 
 ganization of schools it should be added that 
 
286 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 from the very first settlement of the town the 
 education of the young was attended to. One 
 of the earliest of these chapters told how the 
 Palatines of 17 lo built a school house even be- 
 fore they built dwellings for themselves. And 
 our glimpse in former chapters of the conditions 
 of things in 1763 showed school houses in 
 every settled locality within our borders. It 
 was there noticed that when the educational 
 act of 1812 went into force the trustees of the 
 Katsbaan district (No. 6) received from the 
 school board of that place a deed for the school 
 house and site, and ever since the school has 
 been conducted an that spot where for years 
 before the youth had been trained ; and it 
 should be noticed that when the Kingston 
 Academy, which had been founded in 1774, 
 was incorporated in 1795, the third name of 
 incorporators in the list was that of the Rev. 
 Petrus Van Vlierden, pastor of the Katsbaan 
 church. 
 
 From its formation as a town Saugerties be- 
 gan to be actively alive. The last chapter 
 spoke of Asa Bigelow as a resident of the vil- 
 lage and keeping store where is now Russell 
 Block. He had begun the shipment of the 
 produce of the town to New York markets. 
 But ingress and exit by the Esopus creek, 
 which was full of sand bars, was very uncer- 
 tain, and in 18 13 he removed to Bristol (now 
 
BEGINNING TO GROW. 2S7 
 
 Maiden), where he had purchased a village site 
 of the Wolven heirs in 1808 and built a frame 
 store. In 18 14, with Samuel Isham, he built 
 the brick store so long known as ''The Isham 
 Store," and four years later the stone store, 
 now the of^ce of the Bluestone Company. 
 Thus before 1820 the village of Maiden had 
 entered upon its prosperous career, and was to 
 become the chief centre of the bluestone in- 
 dustry when the immense quarries would be 
 discovered during the next decade. To the 
 Wolven lands Bigelow had added by purchase 
 in 1813 a part of the Schutt patent, so that the 
 growing village had an unrestricted oppor- 
 tunity. 
 
 Although Bigelow withdrew from Saugerties 
 village in those early years of the town to 
 found Bristol, or Maiden, others came to take 
 his place. In the spring of 1814, Jeremiah 
 Russell, who had been keeping a country store 
 in Asbury, removed to Saugerties and engaged 
 in the business of a merchant and forwarder, 
 shipping to New York large quantities of wood, 
 tan bark, staves and lumber. He built a num- 
 ber of sloops, and contiuued in business until 
 1833, when, disposing of it to his son, William 
 F. Russell, he became a private banker. 
 George A. Gay also engaged in mercantile pur- 
 suits in those earlier years and continued a 
 merchant on the site of the present " Corner 
 
288 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 Drug Store " until he was elected county clerk 
 in 1840. 
 
 Nor were these the only centres of business 
 in the town before 1820. Aside from Persen's 
 store in Katsbaan, which had been the prin- 
 cipal one for fifty years, and the store at As- 
 bury, of which mention has been made, about 
 1820 William Adams opened one at West 
 Camp, and for ten years Glasco had been 
 growing into notice. About the time of the 
 organization of the town a company had been 
 formed for the manufacture of glass in Wood- 
 stock, and it was known as " The Woodstock 
 Glass Company." Although their factory was 
 not within the bounds of the town of Sauger- 
 ties, their shipments were made across it. The 
 company built its docks on the Hudson below 
 Saugerties and built a road from the river to 
 Bristol, in the town of Woodstock. This road 
 has ever since been known as " The Glasco 
 Turnpike." Upon its storehouse on the river 
 was painted in large letters ** The Glass Co. 
 Store House," and by dropping the final'' s " 
 from the name the locality became known as 
 Glasco. The company had hard sledding from 
 the first. Dissensions arose, the transporta- 
 tion of raw material and finished products over 
 more than ten miles of very rough and hilly 
 roads cost more than the advantage of unlim- 
 ited fuel for the furnaces was worth, and the 
 
BEGINNING TO GROW. 289 
 
 company became loaded with debts. On the 
 17th of August, 1 816, Isaac Honfield recovered 
 judgment against the glass company for $76,- 
 018.56, and an execution seized the property. 
 Despite the litigation an effort was made for 
 years to keep the enterprise going. At last the 
 burdens became so heavy that its life was 
 crushed out, leaving no memorials of it but a 
 local n^me for a road and for a village. The 
 latter has been perpetuated by the inexhaust- 
 ible deposits of blue clay for the manufacture 
 of brick. Here uncounted millions have been 
 made each year for more than half a century. 
 
 There remains one other event of the decade 
 ending 1820, which requires our notice. It is 
 the incorporation of the Methodist Episcopal 
 Church of Saugerties. A certificate was filed 
 bearing date August 12, 181 5, but the church 
 does not seem to have been organized until the 
 the spring of 1828, when the lot on which the 
 church now stand was bought of Henry Bar- 
 clay on March 19, for $200, During the next 
 year the church was built. 
 
 The date of the first Methodist services in 
 the town is not as clear as it might be. The 
 Rev. John Crawford, a soldier of the Revolu- 
 tion, who came from Westchester county, is 
 said to have preached in a barn which stood 
 near the Exchange hotel in the village of Saug- 
 erties, as early as 1794, and also to have held 
 
290 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 services in Asbury as early as 1800. From 
 these dates services were occasionally and 
 sometimes frequently held in private houses, 
 with camp meetings annually in various parts 
 of the town down to the year when the incor- 
 porating certificate was filed. Whatever the 
 date of the first Methodist services, the Meth- 
 odist Church of the town, so strong in num- 
 bers and influence in our day, may properly be 
 said to have begun in the decade under con- 
 sideration in this chapter. 
 
CHAPTER XLI. 
 
 BUILDING THE FACTORIES AND OPENING 
 THE QUARRIES. 
 
 In the last chapter we considered the growth 
 of the town from its organization in i8ii 
 through the first decade of its existence. That 
 growth was rapid and steady. But the second 
 decade was to witness a boom. This had two 
 causes— the beginning of manufacturing and 
 the opening of bluestone quarries. 
 
 Petrus Burhans and others conveyed to John 
 Brink and Robert R. Livingston, under date 
 of December i, 1790, about one hundred and 
 five acres of land on the north side of the 
 Esopus in the village of Saugerties. The in- 
 terest of Brink therein was sold to Liv- 
 ingston January 26, 1792, and October i, 
 1806. Thus Robert R. Livingston became a 
 landholder here and his holdings were increased 
 until about 1820 he owned a large portion of 
 the north side of the Esopus. 
 
 On the first day of September, 1825, the 
 founder of the village and its industries ap- 
 peared. Henry Barclay that day purchased 
 for $7,000 of Tjerck Schoonmaker, Jr., and 
 
292 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 Jane, his wife, one hundred and fifty acres of 
 land. Four months later, January i, 1826, 
 he completed his scheme by purchasing of 
 Robert L. Livingston for $28,250, forty-eight 
 and one-fourth acres on the north side of the 
 creek, a small tract on the south side and ten 
 acres on an island in the Esopus called " Per- 
 sen's Island." Barclay had now both sides of 
 the stream, including the lower falls and the 
 upper at Stony Point. He constructed a dam 
 on the lower falls, cut the raceway through the 
 rocks, and began to build the iron mill and the 
 paper mill. The foundations for both these 
 enterprises did not await the purchase of the 
 Livingston property, but began in 1825 in the 
 same month in which Barclay secured the land 
 of Schoonmaker. In 1827 the Ulster Iron 
 Company was formed and took possession of 
 the iron mills in that year. John Simmons 
 signed a contract with the company April 18, 
 1828 as manager. Some attempts had already 
 begun at iron making, but Simmons remodeled 
 the furnaces, and in the autumn of 1828 oper- 
 ations started in earnest. For sixty years this 
 mill was the principal industry of this town. 
 It is not purposed in this history to tell the 
 story of the iron mill. The writer would only 
 call attention to the quality of the iron made 
 by an incident of the year 1840. The Navy 
 Department desired chain cable of iron of ten- 
 
FACTORIES AND QUARRIES. 293 
 
 acity disproportionate to the size of the iron it 
 was proposed to use. A test was ordered, and 
 the links were to be made of iron two and one- 
 eiehth inches in circumference. It was made 
 in the Washington navy yard, with President 
 Young, of the Ulster Iron Company, present. 
 The cable stood the test. He then asked that 
 it be subjected to twice the strain. It stood 
 this. He then requested a greater strain. 
 The officials demurred that it would break the 
 chain. Mr. Young insisted, saying that he 
 would risk the chain if they would the ma- 
 chine. They consented, and the test was 
 applied. The links were drawn together until 
 the chain resembled a solid bar of iron, and 
 finally the machine broke down under the 
 terrific force. The naval officials hung up the 
 chain as a specimen of the iron America could 
 produce. 
 
 With the building of the iron mill Barclay 
 had laid the foundation for the paper mill, 
 which was put in operation in October, 1827. 
 Upon the death of Barclay in 185 1 it passed 
 into the hands of J. B. Sheffield & Co. This 
 book is not to tell the history of the paper 
 mill, which continued to turn out an increased 
 product until^it suspended, more than sixty 
 years later. As an element in the growth of 
 the town it ranks next to the manufacture of 
 iron. 
 
294 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 Three years later, in 1830, Isaac McGaw 
 erected a building for the manufacture of 
 calico prints on the north side of the Esopus, 
 and below the falls, paying Henry Barclay a 
 rental of $850 a year for the water privilege. 
 It was never used for the purpose, and in 1835 
 Charles Ripley bought and enlarged the works 
 and began the manufacture of white lead. 
 This was continued until after the beginning 
 of the civil war of 1861-65, when the works 
 were abandoned. In this connection the white 
 lead works at Glenerie should be mentioned, 
 which were also begun in 1835 and were finally 
 closed only with the absorption of the Ulster 
 White Lead Company into the lead trust. 
 
 With these industries, whose motive power 
 was derived from the almost exhaustless 
 power of the falls in the Esopus, the town 
 grew into the most active and prosperous 
 place in the Hudson river valley. The village 
 was chartered as the village of Ulster in 1 831, 
 and continued as such until 1855, when it was 
 re-incorporated as the village of Saugerties. 
 The scope of this work will not cover the 
 organization of the banks, fire companies, the 
 origin of the steamboat lines, etc., of the town. 
 These have followed the enterprise we have 
 mentioned as such always follow. We are 
 compelled to deal only with the origin of what 
 distinctively made the town of Saugerties, 
 
FACTORIES AND QUARRIES. 295 
 
 pausing solely to speak of the press. The 
 first paper published in Saugerties was the 
 Ulster Palladium, by P. J. Fish and C. Frary 
 in 1828. The second was the Ulster Star, in 
 i833» by William Cully. Both died in their 
 infancy. The third, the Ulster Telegraph, by 
 Solomon S. Hommel in 1846, is still published 
 as the Saugerties Telegraph. 
 
 Here we must notice the tanning industry 
 which was largely carried on across the town 
 during the first half of the Nineteenth Cen- 
 tury, but which was not located distinctively 
 within the town except the tannery of Peter 
 B. Myer in this village, and the Shaler tannery 
 at West Saugerties. All this has passed away 
 with the passing of the hemlock forests. Also 
 just speak of the manufacture of powder on 
 the Plattekill and Cauterskill by the Laflins, 
 although the latter mill was just over the 
 county line. Nevertheless the powder was 
 shipped through Saugerties. This industry 
 was established in Fish Creek by Matthew 
 Laflin in 1832 and developed into the great 
 Laflin & Rand Powder Company. The bus- 
 iness was finally removed from the town in 
 
 1874. 
 
 The story of the town includes the dis- 
 covery and development of the blue stone 
 quarries. Silas Brainard came to this town in 
 1 83 1 to build for Henry Barclay a bridge over 
 
296 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 the Esopus in tliis village. He heard of the 
 opening of a flagging-stone quarry at Coey- 
 mans, and went to investigate. He found the 
 stone to be the same as he had seen cropping 
 out on the farm of John Valkenburgh at 
 Unionville. Returning to town he purchased 
 twenty acres of Valkenburgh for $2,000 and 
 opened a quarry. The following year his 
 nephew, Nelson Brainard, purchased the 
 remainder of the Valkenburgh farm, and 
 engaged in the business. Meanwhile Elisha 
 Parks had found the same blue flagging-stone 
 at Quarryville, and the industry rapidly 
 extended. This town became the centre of 
 the business in the United States, and from 
 Maiden alone more than $1,000,000 of dressed 
 blue stone was shipped per annum for years. 
 
 A large industry to-day is brick making. 
 Its development within forty years at Glasco 
 has been enormous. Preceding chapters have 
 spoken of this and of the earlier yard on the 
 Beaver creek. 
 
 We have considered the nationalities of the 
 first settlers. The earliest comers were the 
 Dutch, with a few Huguenot families and one 
 or two English. In 1710 the Palatine colony 
 at West Camp brought in a preponderance of 
 Rhineland Germans. More families of Eng- 
 lish descent came in during the next one hun- 
 dred years from New England, but at their 
 
FACTORIES AND QUARRIES. 2^7 
 
 close in 1811, when the town was organized, 
 the proportion was practically the same. In 
 the decade beginning with the coming of 
 Henry Barclay in 1825, a great change came 
 over the town as strong immigration affected 
 its population. Many English iron-makers 
 settled here, and many Irish. But far more 
 of the latter came when the quarries were 
 opened and Quarryville was settled. The lead 
 mills brought many Germans from elsewhere 
 in Germany than the Palatinate, and less akin 
 to the Dutch. The making of brick in recent 
 years has added hundreds of Italians. So that 
 to-day it is probable that the descendants of 
 the original Dutch and Palatines are not one- 
 half of the population. 
 
 The last chapter said that in 181 1 there 
 were no churches in town, but the Reformed 
 at Katsbaan and Flatbush and the Lutheran 
 at West Camp. And it told of the organiza- 
 tion ot the Methodist church in 18 15 in this 
 village. During the '20's the Methodist church 
 at Asbury was built. Before 1840 the influx 
 of new elements of population had called for 
 the organization of Trinity Episcopal in Sau- 
 gerties in 1831 ; St. Mary's Catholic in Sau- 
 gerties in 1832; the Baptist in Saugerties in 
 1833 ; the Presbyterian in Maiden in 1834; the 
 Reformed in Plattekill in 1838; and the sep- 
 aration of the original Reformed congregation 
 
298 HISTOR Y OF SA UGER TIES. 
 
 into Katsbaan with the stone church there, 
 and that of Saugerties in the village of Ulster 
 with the brick church which had been built in 
 1827. This division was made in 1839. Many 
 other churches have been incorporated since 
 that day, but later than the period under con- 
 sideration. The consecutive story of the 
 origin and development of the town of Sau- 
 gerties has been as closely covered as the 
 scope of this work will permit it and it has 
 been brought down to a date late enough to 
 take in all the elements that have entered into 
 the making of the town. 
 
CHAPTER XLII, 
 
 MILITARY LEADERS. 
 
 Among the names of the leaders of the 
 patriots of the Revolution in Ulster county 
 there is none shining with a brighter lustre 
 than that of Colonel Johannis Snyder, who 
 commanded the First Ulster Regiment during 
 the war. The public services of George Clin- 
 ton, James Clinton and Charles DeWitt have 
 received recognition, but little has been said 
 of those of Colonel Snyder. There are a few 
 allusions to his services in some of the papers 
 of The Ulster County Historical Society and 
 in Sylvester's History of Ulster County, and 
 Schoonmaker's History of Kingston speaks 
 of him at some length. Most of what has 
 been published is based upon the paper on 
 '' Vaughan's Expedition," read before the 
 historical society by Col. George W. Pratt, 
 October i6, i860. This paper states that " na 
 descendant of Col. Snyder remains in Kings- 
 ton," which was an error that has been per- 
 petuated by speakers and writers ever since,, 
 for a number of families in that city are 
 descended from him, and many in this town. 
 
300 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 Colonel Johannis Snyder was a son of 
 George Snyder and Christina Theunis, his 
 wife, and was born in what is now the town of 
 Saugerties, January 4th, 1720. George Snyder 
 was one of the Palatines who settled at West 
 Camp. He removed to Kingston. Here for 
 forty years, and up to the time of his death 
 the colonel served as justice of the peace and 
 Judge of the Court of Common Pleas. 
 
 This sketch is especially concerned with the 
 military record of Colonel Snyder. The ap- 
 pointment, in August, 1775, of George Clinton 
 as brigadier-general, occasioned deep feeling 
 among the officers of the Northern Regiment 
 of Ulster county, and they united in a protest 
 against being superseded. Various attempts 
 to settle were unsuccessfully made. Finally 
 the First Regiment was officered, on May i, 
 1776, with Colonel Snyder as colonel. It re- 
 ported 472 officers and men. In April of that 
 year he had been elected Delegate to the Pro- 
 vincial Congress and the regiment was not 
 called to active service until Sept. i, 1776, after 
 the battles of Long Island and Harlem had 
 put the British in possession of New York 
 city. He was then directed to proceed to 
 Fort Montgomery in the Highlands, opposite 
 Anthony's Nose, to take command of The 
 Levies. Here he arrived September 27. The 
 three months for which his regiment had been 
 
MILITARY LEADERS. 301 
 
 called out expired November 30, and as offen- 
 sive operations by the British during the winter 
 were impossible the regiment of Colonel Sny- 
 der returned home at the end of its term of 
 service. 
 
 On May 5th, 1777, a great excitement was 
 occasioned in Kingston by the act of Colonel 
 Snyder in taking into custody Charles DeWitt, 
 a member of the Convention which formed the 
 first constitution of this State. The name of 
 Charles DeWitt had been included in a list of 
 delinquents in serving in the militia, and who 
 had not furnished a substitute. By the orders 
 of Colonel Snyder all such were taken into 
 custody. DeWitt claimed exemption because 
 of his position as member of the Convention. 
 The Convention sided with him and reported 
 that Colonel Snyder was ** guilty of a high 
 breach of the privilege of the Convention." 
 He was ordered before it, but did not go. 
 General George Clinton wrote a long letter 
 defending Colonel Snyder and the matter was 
 dropped. His regiment is shown by the Clin- 
 ton papers, just published, to have been at 
 Fort Montgomery as early as June 4th of this 
 year (1777) under his command until the or- 
 ganization of the State government July 30, 
 1777, when Colonel Snyder took his seat as 
 Member of Assembly in the first legislature 
 chosen in the new State. To this office he was 
 
302 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 repeatedly re-elected and sat as such in the 
 legislatures of 1777, 1778, 1786, 1787 and 1791. 
 
 The year 1777 was the most momentous in 
 the history of this State. It was at the darkest 
 hour of the Revolution and the commonwealth 
 was struggling to the birth. On the north 
 Burgoyne was preparing to cut the revolting 
 colonies in twain along the line of the lakes 
 and the Hudson. On the south Howe and 
 Sir Henry Clinton were preparing to co-oper- 
 ate, and all the energies of the patriots were 
 aroused to defend the northern frontier and 
 the passes of the Hudson. Colonel Snyder's 
 activity was untiring. He was at the head of 
 his regiment in the Highlands ; he was assigned 
 by Gen. George Clinton to almost every court- 
 martial convened to try Tories who were active 
 everywhere, and whom our troops were seizing 
 on every hand ; he was a member of the Coun- 
 cil of Safety ; he was Member of Assembly and 
 in all these capacities, executive, legislative 
 and judicial his strong common sense made 
 him easily first. None could be more energetic 
 than he when action was required, and none 
 more calmly poised when conflicting evidence 
 was to be weighed and decided on, and the 
 opinion of none was more highly esteemed as 
 measures were to be proposed for enactment 
 into laws. 
 
 As before stated, Colonel Snyder left his 
 
MILITARY LEADERS. 303 
 
 regiment to meet the first legislature, and after 
 its prorogation to serve on the Council of 
 Safety it appointed. For Gov. Clinton had 
 prorogued the Legislature in view of the ap- 
 proach of the British. So Colonel Snyder was 
 at Kingston when Gen. Vaughan landed to 
 destroy it. Gov. Clinton had written to the 
 colonel committing to him its defense. But 
 with what ? He could find but five small can- 
 non and no troops. They were either with 
 Governor Clinton defending the Highlands, or 
 at Saratoga facing Burgoyne. All told, in- 
 cluding old men and boys, not one hundred 
 and fifty, and these poorly armed responded to 
 his call. Colonel Snyder threw up a hasty 
 earthwork at Ponckhockie, and one near the 
 present site of the City Hall and planted his 
 toy cannon. But the British, numbering about 
 2,000, soon drove away the defenders. The 
 story of the destruction of Kingston is so fa- 
 miliar that it need not be told here. 
 
 After Governor Clinton withdrew to New 
 Windsor and the Highlands with his forces 
 Colonel Snyder was left here in charge of the 
 remaining troops until he went to Poughkeep- 
 sie to meet with the Legislature, Jan. 5, 1778. 
 
 As spring approached the people of Kingston 
 began to take measures to rebuild the settle- 
 ment. But they needed assistance. The story 
 is familiar of the noble contribution made by 
 
304 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 Charleston, S. C, and the help of Robert R. 
 Livingston. The official assistance received is 
 less so. Governor Clinton assigned Colonel 
 Snyder and a part of his regiment to Kingston, 
 and he energetically took hold of the work 
 with the men of his detachment. 
 
 Things assumed new life and energy when 
 the colonel directed them and the town rap- 
 idly arose from its ruins. But new tasks 
 awaited Colonel Snyder. The battle of Oris- 
 kany in August, 1777, and the bloody slaugh- 
 ter of the Indians who ambushed the patriot 
 troops on that hard-fought field aroused the 
 savages to vengeance. Everywhere the settle- 
 ments on the frontier suffered greatly during 
 the next three years. Wyoming, Cherry Val- 
 ley and Minisink are witnesses to the cruelty 
 of the fiendish foe. It is to the credit of Col. 
 Snyder that no descent was made in Ulster, 
 county upon the exposed settlements. Gov- 
 ernor Clinton committed the defense of its 
 north-west frontier to him as he committed 
 the south-west to Colonel Cantine. The ene- 
 mies were not the Indians alone. More blood- 
 thirsty than all were the Tories who were liv- 
 ing all around among the patriots. While 
 with his regiment in the service during the 
 years 1776 and 1777 Colonel Snyder had been 
 a member of most of the courts martial held 
 when Tories had been tried, and when their 
 
MILITARY LEADERS. 305 
 
 guilt was proved had been severe. Now, with 
 the frontier of Ulster county to defend against 
 such human devils as gave to the tomahawk 
 and scalping-knife defenceless women and chil- 
 dren at Wyoming and Cherry Valley, Colonel 
 Snyder laid a heavy hand upon the Tory whites 
 who incited the red men to their fiendish deeds. 
 An article in an Ulster county paper some 
 years after the Revolution speaks of Colonel 
 Snyder's success in unearthing their machina- 
 tions, and defeating their plottings so invariably 
 that no raids occurred in his territory except 
 the one when Captain Jeremiah Snyder was 
 captured. 
 
 Part of his regiment was usually stationed 
 at Little Shandaken to watch the approach 
 through the valley of the Esopus, and until the 
 close of the war scouts constantly covered the 
 territory from the Hurley woods to the Palen- 
 ville Clove along the foot of the Catskills. On 
 two or three occasions marauding Indians and 
 Tories were turned back by finding their move- 
 ments watched, and at least one raid in force 
 along the line of fhe present Ulster and Dela- 
 ware Railroad in Shandaken led by nearly one 
 hundred Tories was thus foiled. To his regi- 
 ment was attached a troop of light horse which 
 did very efficient service and was commanded 
 by Captain Sylvester Salisbury, most of the 
 members of which had been recruited in the 
 
306 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 town of Saugerties. A petition by them to 
 Governor George Clinton will be found in an- 
 other chapter in which they ask to remain with 
 their old regiment. 
 
 With the advent of peace Colonel Snyder 
 returned to his duties as magistrate, and to 
 active labor in the Board of Trustees of the 
 Corporation of Kingston, of which for many 
 years he had been a member. Here he con- 
 tinued to serve until his death in 1794, at which 
 time he was president of the board and had 
 been of five preceding ones. 
 
 On Friday, August 22, 1794, Colonel Johan- 
 nis Snyder died in the seventy fifth year of his 
 age. The next day a public funeral was given 
 him. At three in the afternoon the procession 
 was formed at his residence on Maiden Lane, 
 and his remains were taken to their burial in 
 the churchyard of the Dutch church. Min- 
 ute guns were fired from field pieces stationed 
 on *' The Plains," as the present Academy 
 Green was then called, during the march to the 
 grave and as the procession returned. That 
 procession was the greatest that Kingston had 
 ever seen, and the officials, soldiers and citizens 
 composed a rank and file which was longer than 
 the distance from his residence to the grave. 
 
 His residence was on the south-west corner 
 of Maiden Lane and Fair street, in Kingston 
 on the site of the present residence of the Rev. 
 
MILITARY LEADERS. 307 
 
 F. B. Seeley, the pastor of the Fair Street Re- 
 formed Church. Colonel Snyder's house was 
 torn down in 1807 by Edward Eltinge, and the 
 site has been occupied by the residences of 
 various prominent families until it passed to its 
 present owner a year ago. 
 
 The only other military officer above the 
 rank of captain in the army of the Revolution 
 who can be claimed as a Saugerties man was 
 Major John Gillespy of the Fourth Ulster 
 Militia. He was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 
 1 741, and was the son of John Gillespy and 
 Elizabeth Wilkins, his wife. He was early left 
 an orphan, and was brought to this country by 
 an aunt, and reared by her at New Windsor 
 Orange county, New York. Here he lived and 
 married Miss Margaret Smedes. 
 
 When a boy he volunteered in the French 
 and Indian War and served in the navy on the 
 vessel " Harlequin." He was engaged in one 
 fight at sea, which lasted " nine glasses," or 
 hours. After the war he served as justice of 
 the peace. 
 
 When the colonies rebelled against Great 
 Britain he immediately espoused their cause 
 and offered his services. He was made major 
 of the Fourth Ulster Militia, Colonel Johannes 
 Hardenbergh commanding. Early in the sum- 
 
308 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 mer of 1776 he went with the regiment to 
 New York city to assist in its defense. The 
 regiment then consisted of four companies 
 from Ulster county and one from Livingston 
 Manor, Columbia county. But many of the 
 troops were without arms, and lacked most of 
 the necessaries for service. Upon an earnest 
 request from Colonel Hardenbergh addressed 
 to General Woodhull, President of the State 
 Convention, on the 9th of August, 1776, in 
 which he stated that his troops asked to be 
 supplied even if it were deducted from their 
 pay, supplies were granted at the expense of 
 the patriotic troops themselves. 
 
 On the 27th of the same month the bloody 
 battle of Long Island was fought, in which 
 this regiment bore its share. The Americans 
 were defeated, and many of the prisoners 
 taken were murdered in cold blood by the 
 British and Hessians. Among these was Gen- 
 eral Woodhull himself. 
 
 The regiment participated in the battle of 
 Harlem Heights and in the other engagements 
 in the vicinity of New York city. During the 
 summer of 1777 the regiment was with Gov- 
 ernor George Clinton defending the passes of 
 the Highlands of the Hudson, and when the 
 passage was forced in October of that year, 
 they came with the rest of Clinton's command 
 to the relief of Kingston. They had reached 
 
MILITARY LEADERS. 309 
 
 the residence of their colonel in Rosendale, 
 eight miles from Kingston, on the afternoon 
 of October i6th and halted temporarily. 
 Major Gillespy was dealing out rations to his 
 men when the smoke from the burning town 
 of Kingston became visible. Orders to re- 
 sume the march were immediately given, but as 
 the troops came over the '* Kijkuit " and 
 caught sight of the town they found they 
 were too late. The enemy were retiring to 
 their vessels off Rondout. 
 
 Major Gillespy removed to Saugerties after 
 the close of the war and died here January 
 5th, 1810, aged 69 years. During the whole 
 of his residence in this town he was engaged 
 in the business of a tanner, and his home was 
 the constant resort of members of his old reg- 
 iment to whom his hand and purse were ever 
 open to so great an extent that he suffered 
 much in financial depletion. 
 
CHAPTER XLIII. 
 
 THE SAUGERTIES BARD. 
 
 Sir Walter Scott has made forever famous 
 the troubadours of his native land, who wan- 
 dered as minstrels through the mountains and 
 valleys of Scotland, singing the brave deeds of 
 olden times. All remember the opening lines 
 of " The Lay of the Last Minstrel " : 
 
 " The way was long, the way was cold. 
 The minstrel was infirm and old, 
 His withered cheek, and tresses gray, 
 Seemed to have known a better day ; 
 The last of all the bards was he 
 Who sang of border chivalry. 
 For well-a-day ! their date was fled, 
 His tuneful brethren were all dead. 
 And he, neglected and oppressed. 
 Wished to be with them and at rest." 
 
 There are many living to-day who will 
 recall the wandering minstrel, who was uni- 
 versally known along the Hudson in the years 
 preceding the Civil War. 
 
 All through the counties of Ulster and 
 Greene, at least, was he well known in the 
 years from 1835 to i860; and often was he 
 
THE SAUGERTIES BARD. 311 
 
 seen all down the Hudson River valley, and 
 even upon the streets of New York, and west- 
 ward along the Mohawk he had occasionally 
 wandered, and into Canada. He was harm- 
 less, eccentric, impulsive, and at times inco- 
 herent, with a faculty for impromptu rhyming, 
 a sweet, sympathetic voice, and skill sufficient 
 to draw the sweetest sounds from violin or 
 flute. He would take a popular air, which 
 everyone just then happened to be singing, 
 and passing along the country sides would 
 gather the local events and happenings. Then 
 with violin in hand, would improvise the tale 
 in a song to the popular air, and the passer by 
 would stop to hear. And if the song caught 
 the fancy of his auditors, he would have the 
 words printed as a ballad, and with an old 
 horse, and his loved violin and flute, he would 
 drive away, along the country roads, or village 
 streets, accompanied by his troop of dogs, 
 singing, playing and selling his ballads. 
 
 Such was Henry S. Backus, " The Sauger- 
 ties Bard," as he called himself. He was a 
 native of the northern part of Greene county, 
 New York. His father was a colonel in the 
 War of 1812, and was at Sackett's Harbor 
 during the building of Commodore Chauncey's 
 fleet, and was shot in one of the conflicts on 
 the Niagara frontier. The colonel was an 
 agreeable companion, with an excellent voice 
 
3 1 2 HISTOR Y OF SA UGER TIES. 
 
 and great skill with musical instruments, and 
 from him his son derived his love for martial 
 music. A brother of the bard was educated 
 at West Point, married a daughter of General 
 Brady, U. S. A., became a colonel also, and 
 repeatedly received honorable mention for 
 gallantry in the Mexican War. 
 
 The subject of this sketch grew to manhood 
 with a passion for what concerns a soldier. 
 He possessed a peculiarly correct ear for 
 martial music, and in early years was an 
 efHcient teacher of the fife, the drum and the 
 bugle. Later he taught school, and coming to 
 Saugerties he married a Miss Legg, with 
 whom he lived for a number of years. After 
 her death his mind received a peculiar bias 
 and he began to lead the life of a wandering 
 minstrel. When events occurred which startled 
 the community, he often retired into the room 
 in the rear of the store of his friend, John 
 Swart, in the village of Saugerties, and 
 reduced the account to rhyme. This he pub- 
 lished, and on his minstrel tours would sell 
 these penny ballads with others narrating 
 striking events in the region. Much of his 
 composition, in cold type, is the merest dog- 
 gerel, which, when sung as an improvisation, 
 in his sweet voice, accompanied by his charm- 
 ing violin, seemed to capture his auditors. 
 
 The songs are forgotten to all except a few 
 
THE SAUGERTIES BARD. 313 
 
 of the older inhabitants, and yet occasionally 
 one of the almanacs of the Saugerties Bard 
 comes to light, of one of the years from 1845 
 to 1855, which contains, besides the tables of 
 an almanac, his ballads on the local events of 
 the prevfous year. There is a little poetic 
 merit in his " Dying Californian ": 
 
 ''Lay up nearer, brother, nearer. 
 
 For my limbs are growing cold ; 
 And thy presence seemeth dearer 
 
 When thine arms around me fold. 
 I am dying, brother, dying, 
 
 Soon you'll miss me from your berth, 
 And my form will soon be lying 
 
 'Neath the coral-bedded earth." 
 
 One summer evening the writer remembers 
 to have heard the notes of a whip-poor-will in 
 a thicket not far away. Listening to the 
 querulous complaint of the bird, he did not 
 notice in the darkness that someone was pass- 
 ing. Presently a voice was heard to sing : 
 
 " In rural strains, with right good-will. 
 Loud sings the lovely whip-poor-will 
 
 From eve till dawn of day. 
 She all night long the descant sings. 
 Through shady groves her music rings, 
 A sharp and thrilling lay — 
 Whip-poor-will, whip-poor-will, whip-poor-will." 
 
 It was the Saugerties Bard, who, with a 
 troop of dogs, and his ever-present violin, 
 
314 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 passed by, and found his inspiration in the 
 woodland note. 
 
 But the poetic muse was impractical. 
 Though he wooed her and received her favors 
 she did not provide for his subsistence. 
 Friends, voluntarily, contributed for years to 
 his support. But as his generation died, or 
 sought homes elsewhere, the bard began in his 
 older days to suffer wan{. The writer can see 
 him now pass by, clad in a suit of gray, with 
 long gray locks covered with a cap ; and his 
 wanderings took him from his more familiar 
 haunts. The country during the winter of 
 1860-61 was in the throes of the excitement 
 before the great Civil War. The minstrel was 
 forgotten, and his mental powers were in their 
 decadence. During the winter he was hardly 
 seen. The night of Monday, May 13, 1861, 
 was cold, cheerless and wet, as sometimes are 
 nights in May. On Tuesday morning, James 
 H. Gaddis, who kept a hotel at Katsbaan, 
 went past a shed near his barn at an early 
 hour. He saw a man lying there, and exam- 
 ining him found him unconscious, numb with 
 the cold and almost starved. He was fed and 
 taken to the village of Saugerties. Here some 
 one entered a charge of vagrancy against him, 
 and an ofificer was sent with him to the Kings- 
 ton jail, and the harmless singer of the hap- 
 penings of village and countryside was com- 
 
THE SAUGERTIES BARD. 315 
 
 pelled to learn that practical men had no com- 
 passion upon an impracticable troubadour who 
 could not work, or, if he could, would rather 
 sing. The sick and starving minstrel was 
 locked in a cell, a physician prescribed for him, 
 but never came to see him again. The jail 
 physician threw away the medicines of the first 
 practitioner and left others, but gave him no 
 further attention. For two or three days the 
 poor outcast tossed on his cot in his cell unat- 
 tended, suffering physically and mentally until 
 the morning of Monday, May 20, 1861, when 
 he turned his face to the wall and breathed his 
 last. One who had known him heard of it and 
 went to the jail. On his cot was lying an 
 emaciated skeleton, scantily clad and exhausted 
 by starvation and sleeping out of doors. His 
 violin was gone, his canine companions were 
 dead, his friends had deserted him, and now, 
 within the walls of a jail, the sweet voice of 
 the Saugerties Bard was silenced forever, to 
 the disgrace of those whose inhumanity saw in 
 the helpless indigence of a harmless trouba- 
 dour nothing but the worthlessness of a 
 vagrant, fit only for a convict's cell. 
 
CHAPTER XLIV. 
 
 " KATSBAAN." 
 
 In a former chapter on the Beaver creek 
 allusion was made to a poem, " Katsbaan," 
 from which a few lines were quoted. This 
 poem was published in the Saugerties Tele- 
 graph about twenty-five years ago without the 
 name of its author. As some lines are descrip- 
 tive of persons and scenes of which former 
 chapters speak it has been thought well to 
 give the poem entire in this connection. 
 
 The glorious splendor of thine arching sky ; 
 
 The winning beauty of thy smiling fields, 
 As verdant in the summer' s sun they lie, 
 
 Or golden with the stores their harvest yields, 
 Woo me, sweet Katsbaan, to thy paths to-day, 
 By brook, or lane, or field, or haunt to stray, 
 And let thine influence o'er my spirit steal. 
 To sing thy charms — thy history reveal. 
 
 Each day to greet thee, with enraptured haste 
 Taghkanic's peaks he climbs — the morning 
 sun ; 
 
 Then when, with ever new delight, has gazed 
 Through all the hours thy varied charms upon, 
 
 The Catskills makes his easel in the west 
 
 To paint the curtained chambers of his rest, — 
 
''KATSBAAN:' 317 
 
 Delighted, as thy beaming eyes behold 
 His cloud-wove tapestries of purpled gold. 
 
 Soft-flowing Beaver, by thy winding side 
 
 I wander with the hours of passing day. 
 Through thy pellucid depths and shallows glide 
 
 The phantom forms of finny tribes at play. 
 Umbrageous are thy banks. In close embrace 
 The walnuts o'er thy bosom interlace ; 
 And, in their mottled shade, by yonder spring 
 The circling swallow dips his restless wing. 
 
 How clear those fountain depths reflect the 
 shade ! 
 
 How glistening that crystalhne outflow ! 
 I take this cup, of shell of cocoa made, — 
 
 The virtues of ''The Powder Spring" would 
 know. 
 Deep in that sparkling mirror plunge the cup, 
 And, of its liquid brightness, gather up 
 A draught medicinal. Health overflown ! 
 Then grasp my pilgrim staff" and wander on. 
 
 I pass along thy lanes and many a bee 
 
 His clover-gathered harvest homeward brings ; 
 Robert of Lincoln's burst of melody. 
 
 As rising from yon copse he floats and sings ; 
 Those fields of corn in serried ranks extend 
 With spears upraised, they would their stores 
 
 defend ; 
 And, as a veil of gauze no charm conceals. 
 That orchard fruit that every leaf reveals. 
 
 Another field, God's acre. Resting here 
 
 Behold the spoils the hand of death hath won : 
 
 Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. And year 
 By year the conflict and defeat goes on. 
 
318 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 'Tis quiet here. Beneath this tree I'll rest, — 
 Ponder the questions springing in the breast : 
 Is it defeat ? And evermore to be ? 
 May not this field become a plain of victory ? 
 
 Behold this ancient church of mossy stone, — 
 
 The tapering spire that pointeth to the skies ; 
 Tell these of conquering Death, and this alone ? 
 
 Of hopeless griefs, and cheerless miseries ? 
 Let us approach the venerable pile 
 With reverent step and docile heart the while : 
 God's house it is. His Holy Name it bears 
 Honored through fifty and one hundred years. 
 
 What is the tale thy rock-based walls can tell ? 
 What teachings from that sacred desk within ? 
 *' I tell of victory over death and hell, — 
 I tell of God's great sacrifice for sin, — 
 I teach to all, — to thee if thou wouldst know, 
 God saved the world that sin had plunged in woe! " 
 Tell some calm message to my heart in strife. 
 " I am the Resurrection and the Life." 
 
 O comfort this ! His is the victory ! 
 
 The conqueror Death His messenger becomes 
 To hold our bodies in security, 
 
 And take our spirits to their heavenly homes ! 
 Within thy walls, O house, a while I wait. 
 Wouldst thou the history of thy years relate ? 
 Who were the heralds from the courts of grace 
 Who told these precious truths within this place ? 
 
 It speaks. ' ' From homes in ruin by the torch 
 of war ; 
 
 From hills ; from valleys by the storied Rhine ; 
 A band of storm-tossed exiles journeying far, 
 
 Here found a home, and here arose this shrine. 
 
''KATSBAANr 319 
 
 Here 'op de Kats Baan ' laid they stone on stone 
 With songs of praise to Him, their Guide alone ; 
 Far from the Fatherland, and far from war's 
 
 uncease — 
 They raised this temple to the Prince of Peace. 
 
 '< Here came the myriad-tongued, came Mancius, 
 to weld 
 Dutchman and Palatine and Huguenot in one : 
 Their voices to a common Father swelled, — 
 
 Reformed or Lutheran, — an irenicon. 
 The Wallkill valley and the Hudson wide 
 Saw spires arise in vale ; on mountain side, — 
 Of an unceasing toil the monument, 
 As thirty years and two of life were spent. 
 
 '' So stood I here reveahng God to man ; 
 
 For many years thus floorless, fireless stood. 
 Then Mancius died. And eighteen years passed 
 when 
 No pastor here to guide this flock to God. 
 'Twas Freedom's time ; and fortunate in their 
 
 need 
 Came patriots to preach, who came to lead, — 
 To fan the patriot flame to ruddy glow. 
 Thus Doll ; thus Schuneman ; thus Westerlo. 
 
 " As Israel's tribes to Zion's holy hill, 
 
 Up to these courts the worshippers would come 
 From where is Saugerties ; where Plattekill, 
 
 Flatbush, Blue Mountain, Maiden, Kiskatom : 
 All daughters fair of mine. But passing fair 
 Those faithful ones who traveled leagues to 
 
 prayer. 
 Call others privileged? These had this much ; 
 The gospel undefiled in Holland Dutch. 
 
320 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 " I see the pulpit high — an octagon. 
 
 Its pedestal, doophtiisje, winding stair ; 
 And room within for one, and one alone ; 
 
 A canopy above, suspended there. 
 No spire, no bell ; but, 'neath the eaves, a porch 
 With trumpet hung to summon all to church : 
 Till innovation brought stoves, bell and spire. 
 Floors, straight-back pews, voorleser and a choir. 
 
 '' With brows enwreathed by the scholastic bays 
 In rivalry at far-famed Leyden won ; 
 Van Vlierden, first in learning and in grace. 
 
 Took up the task De Ronde had laid down. 
 Through eleven years of controversial storm, 
 While feuds ran high and party spirit warm. 
 He preached the cross, and multitudes were blest. 
 Then passed the short two years of Demarest. 
 
 ^' The 'noblest Roman of them all' I see ! 
 
 Before me stands Paul of this latter age ! 
 Giant in logic — deep in philosophy — 
 
 Learned in the lore of classic history's page — 
 Mighty in Scripture — theologian — 
 A lion-hearted, tender-hearted man ! 
 Ostrander ! yes, thy locks of driven snow 
 Before me rise ! Thine eagle glances glow ! 
 
 " Perchance to-day the sovereignty of Heaven 
 
 The burden of his theme. On wings sublime 
 A view of God's prerogatives is given ; 
 
 Or we with Moses up Mount Sinai chmb. 
 Perchance His fatherhood. The wayward will, 
 Drawn by the fihal cords he binds with skill ; 
 Breaking, is led to Abba, Father, call — 
 Returning home, a weeping prodigal. 
 
''KATSBAAN:' 321 
 
 *' Or justifying faith, that maketh whole, — 
 
 Or hope — the anchor caught within the vail ; — 
 
 Devotion — wing of the aspiring soul, — 
 Or charity — that nevermore shall fail. 
 
 Depravity — lo, an Egyptian night ! 
 
 God's holiness — mount of transfiguring hght ! 
 
 Man ruined ; — see the track a cyclone trod ! 
 
 Redeemed, — a living temple of his God ! 
 
 *' Perchance God's wondrous love, in Christ, 
 declared : 
 See, as he speaks, his tender bosom glow ! 
 Perchance the theme God's arm in justice bared : 
 
 The spirit of Elijah burning now. 
 Perchance a Pisgah view ; as with the seers 
 He reads with Daniel of the coming years ; 
 Or walks with John the rock-ribbed isle of 
 
 Greece, 
 And sees the dawning of Millennial peace. 
 
 *' Or by the couch of pain, or bed of death: 
 
 He tells of Him who pain and sickness bore : 
 
 Who made the grave His spoil : Who vanquisheth 
 The King of Terrors now and evermore : 
 
 Who bore our sins, — is wilhng to receive 
 All who will come, repent, confess, beheve. 
 
 The dying, and the living, day by day 
 
 He points to Jesus and he leads the way. 
 
 * ' The story this of half a century's space. 
 
 Sons laid their sires to rest beneath this sod : 
 His tears were dropped with theirs within this 
 place ; 
 Committing them unto their father's God. 
 Their sons in turn laid theirs. That pastor old — 
 The old, old story of the Love re-told 
 
322 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 That came and wept, and won at Bethany : 
 'Forevermore the dead shall live, in Me.' 
 
 ** Often another and a different scene : 
 Some Cana here, as once in Galilee : 
 He went, as following the Nazarene ; 
 
 And when the vows in their sincerity 
 Were made his spirits burst their close restraint 
 With humor, wit, tales new, and old, and quaint : 
 As from a bubbling spring his mirth outpoured — 
 Cheer filled the room, as plenty filled the board. 
 
 *' Such is the story of these ancient walls. 
 I can not of the living pastors tell — 
 Of Collier, Chapman, Searle — in winning souls 
 They served their Master, and they served Him 
 well." 
 Such was the tale. With hngering steps, and 
 
 slow, 
 And many a backward glance, I turned to go : 
 And still that voice oft in a silent hour 
 The ''Old Stone Church's" tale re-tells with 
 power. 
 
 Ye field of oaks, down all the hoary past 
 
 The faithful sentries at this house of God ; 
 Ye braved the summer's lightning — winter's 
 blast : 
 True to your charge in solid phalanx stood. 
 How few ye are ! About on every side 
 I see the stations where your comrades died ; 
 Faithful to death, in branch, in twig, in stem. 
 The zephyr sings e'en now their requiem. 
 
 Again I set me down. Around me lie 
 
 The goodly farms that cover hill and plain ; 
 
''KATSBAAN:' 323 
 
 The happy homes ; their guardian roof-trees by : 
 
 Do any after all these years remain 
 An olden heritage, and unconveyed ? 
 Behold the home by yonder maple's shade ; 
 The spreading farm house, through whose open 
 
 door 
 We see God's gift of generations more. 
 
 I take my staff, dear Katsbaan, to depart ; — 
 
 Thy well-taught lessons on my soul impressed ; 
 And as I journey on would hft my heart 
 
 To do His will, and leave with Him the rest. 
 The evening shadows round my pathway lie, — 
 The Catskills darken in the western sky ; — 
 I soar in soul ! Their aspiration given : 
 They lift their peaks and converse hold with 
 heaven. 
 
CHAPTER XLV. 
 
 OLD DUTCH BALLADS, RHYMES AND 
 FOLK SONGS. 
 
 Among the pleasing recollections of every 
 one brought up from infancy in a home where 
 the parents were able to speak Dutch there is 
 one that ever haunts the memory with its 
 strains. It is that of the rhymes of the nur- 
 sery. Who that was ever trotted on the knee 
 of such a father can forget " Trip a trop a 
 troontjes ? " 
 
 Trip a trop a troontjes, 
 De varkens in de boontjes, 
 De koetjes in de klaver, 
 De paarden in de haver, 
 De eenjes in de water-plas, 
 De kalf in de lang gras ; 
 So groot mijn kleine poppetje was. 
 
 This might be rendered into English 
 
 Trip a trop a troontjes. 
 The pigs are in the bean vines, 
 The cows are in the clover blooms, 
 The horses in the oat fields, 
 The ducks are in the water-pond, 
 The calf is in the long grass ; — 
 So tall my little baby was ! 
 
DUTCH RHYMES AND SONGS. 325 
 
 Or, when he had thrown one leg over the 
 knee of the other and made a saddle of the 
 free foot, he asked you to ride, and then he 
 sang 
 
 Zoo rijden de Heeren 
 
 Met hun mooije kleeren ; 
 
 Zoo rijden de vrouwen 
 
 Met hun bonte mouwen ; 
 
 Dan komt de akkerman 
 
 Met zijn paardjes toppertan ; 
 
 Hij drijft voorbig nauw Amsterdam 
 
 Met zijn koetsier achteran : 
 
 Schoe, schoe paardjes 
 
 Met zijn vlossa staartjes ; 
 Draf, draf, draf. 
 
 A free-handed translation into English could 
 render it : 
 
 So ride the Lords 
 With their handsome clothes ; 
 So ride their ladies 
 With their calico sleeves ; 
 Then comes the farmer 
 With his horses tandem ; 
 He drives them on to Amsterdam 
 With his coachman behind : 
 Shoe, shoe the horses 
 With their flossy tails ; 
 Trot, trot, trot. 
 
 And as the mother rocked a Dutch cradle 
 she might be heard to sing 
 
326 HISTOR Y OF SA UGER TIES. 
 
 Slaap, kindje, slaap, 
 
 Daar buiten loopt een schaap, 
 
 Een schaap met vier witte voetjes, 
 
 Dat drinkt zijn melk zoo zoetjes : 
 
 Witte wol en zwarte wol, 
 
 Zoo krijgt ieder zijn buikje vol. 
 
 The English would be 
 
 Sleep, baby, sleep, 
 In the fields there runs a sheep, 
 A sheep with four white feet 
 That drinks its milk so sweet : 
 White wool and black wool ; 
 So either gets its stomach full. 
 
 When spinning-bees were held the maidens 
 would tease each other with the following 
 song: 
 
 *' Spin, mijn lieve dochter, 
 
 Dan geve ik u een hoen. " 
 '' Ach ! mijn heve moeder, 
 Ik hav het niet gedaan ; 
 Ik kan niet spinnen, — 
 Ach zie ! mijn vinger doetmijn zoo zeer. 
 
 '' Spin, mijn lieve dochter, 
 
 Dan geve ik u een schaap. ' ' 
 '* Ach ! mijn lieve moeder, 
 Het geve mij de gaap ; 
 Ik kan niet spinnen, — 
 Ach zie ! mijn vinger doet mijn zoo zeer.'* 
 
 " Spin, mijn lieve dochtor, 
 
 Dan geve ik u een koe." 
 *' Ach ! mijn lieve moeder, 
 
DUTCH RHYMES AND SONGS. 327 
 
 Het maakt mij zoo moe ; 
 Ik kan niet spinnen, — 
 Ach zie ! mijn vinger doet mijn zoo zeer." 
 
 <' Spin, mijn lieve dochter, 
 
 Dan geve ik u een paard. ' ' 
 '' Ach ! mijn lieve moeder, 
 Ik ben het niet waard ; 
 Ik kan niet spinnen, — 
 Ach zie ! mijn vinger doet mijn zoo zeer." 
 
 '' Spin mijn heve dochter, 
 
 Dan geve ik u een man." 
 '■'■ Ach ! mijn heve moeder, 
 Dan gaan ik daaran ; 
 Ik kan wel spinnen, — 
 Ach zie ! mijn vinger doet mijn geen zeer." 
 
 In English the song vi^ould be similar to 
 this: 
 
 '< Spin, my beloved daughter. 
 
 Then give I thee a hen." 
 " Oh,. my beloved mother, 
 
 I never this have done ; 
 I can not spin, — 
 Oh, see ! my fingers are so sore." 
 
 '' Spin, my beloved daughter, 
 
 Then give I thee a sheep. ' ' 
 " Oh, my beloved mother. 
 
 That would only make me yawn ; 
 I can not spin, — 
 Oh, see ! my fingers are so sore." - 
 
 <' Spin, my beloved daughter, 
 Then give I thee a cow." 
 
328 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 ** Oh, my beloved mother, 
 That makes me so tired ; 
 I can not spin, — 
 Oh, see ! my fingers are so sore." 
 
 *' Spin, my beloved daughter, 
 
 Then give I thee a horse." 
 *' Oh, my beloved mother, 
 
 It is not worth the while ; 
 I can not spin, — 
 Oh, see ! my fingers are so sore." 
 
 " Spin, my beloved daughter. 
 
 Then give I you a husband." 
 *' Oh, my beloved mother. 
 Then go I now right on ; 
 I can spin well, — 
 Oh, see ! my fingers do not get sore." 
 
 A popular ballad of the olden time was 
 
 De Heer en de Meisje. 
 
 Ik zagen een mooije meisje ; en vroeg zij 
 
 opstaan ; 
 Voor haar zoete-lieve uit zij onderzoeken gaan : 
 Zij trachten en zij zoeken uit onder de linde, 
 Maar zij kunnen haar zoete-heve niet ergens 
 
 bevinde. 
 
 Met dat komt een heer, en, ophouding, hij roep ; 
 " Schoon meisje, wet gij wel wat gij zook ? " 
 *' Ach ! wet gij mijn heer ik mijn zoete-lieve 
 velore. 
 En ik kun niet van hem zien, — ik kun niet van 
 hem hoor. " 
 
DUTCH RHYMES AND SONGS. 329 
 
 Met dat trekt de heer uit zijn fluweelen mouw 
 Een ketting zoo lang van geellachtig goud : 
 ** School! meisje, dit zal ik met blijdschap beschenk, 
 Dan zal gij op uvve lieve niet langer gedenk. ' ' 
 
 *' Hoewel de ketting bezitting zuck lengte, 
 Dat het van de aarde tot de hemel bereik, 
 Dan liever ik wensch voor eeuwig verreizen, 
 Als dat ik een ander geliefde verkiezen." 
 
 Met dat spreek de heer, bezweren bij zijn bloed ; 
 *' Schoon meisje, wet gij wel wat gij doet ? 
 Gij zeker zal zoo wezen mijn Ueve huisvrouw. 
 En ook een ander Heve zal ik ooit getrouw." 
 
 Without attempting to give a translation in 
 rhyme or rhythm, a rendering into English 
 might read : 
 
 I saw a handsome maiden, and early she arose ; 
 For her sweet-heart she went out to search : 
 She tried and she searched out under the Hndens, 
 But she could not her sweet-heart anywhere find. 
 
 With that came a lord, and, holding up, he called : 
 
 *' Beautiful maid, know you well what you seek? " 
 
 *' Oh, know you, my lord, I my sweet-heart have 
 
 lost, 
 
 And I can not of him see ; I can not of him 
 
 hear." 
 
 With that drew the lord out his velvet sleeve 
 A chain so long of yellow gold : 
 <* Beautiful maid, this shall I with pleasure bestow, 
 Then shall you on your love no longer think. ' ' 
 
330 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 ' * Although the chain possessed such a length 
 That it from the earth to the heaven reached, 
 Then rather I desire to spend it forever in search, 
 As that I another lover must choose." 
 
 With that spoke the lord, a swearing by his blood : 
 *' Beautiful maid, know you well what you do ? 
 You surely shall so be my loving wife. 
 And too no other love shall I ever marry.' ' 
 
 There was another little rhyme very widely 
 sung which runs after this manner : 
 
 Daar was e^n mooije meisje in het killetje vervallen : 
 Had ik niet hoor haar dompelen, — 
 Had ik niet hoor haar schreeuwen, — 
 Had haar kopje niet boven steken 
 Dan had zij wis verdrunken. 
 
 The English of this would be : 
 
 There was a handsome maiden in the httle creek 
 
 had fallen : 
 Had I not heard her plunging, — 
 Had I not heard her screaming, — 
 Had not her head kept out 
 Then had she sure been drowned. 
 
 Some Dutch Mother Goose must surely 
 have dreamed the following nonsense rhymes. 
 How her patriotic soul delights to impale the 
 Spaniards whom her compatriots had so suc- 
 cessfully fought for eighty years : 
 
 Hinken de pinken 
 Zitten te klinken, — 
 
DUTCH RHYMES AND SONGS. 331 
 
 Zat met de kan 
 Dat hij uit gedrinken. 
 *' Is daar niet in ? 
 Laten het halen ! 
 Jan van Spanje 
 Hij zal het betalen ! " 
 
 Or, rendered into English, the rhyme runs : 
 
 Hinker the winker 
 Sitting to touch glasses — 
 Drunk with the can 
 That he had emptied. 
 ** Is there nothing in ? 
 Let it be brought ! 
 John of Spain, 
 He shall pay the bill ! " 
 
 A boisterous boaster is thus described : 
 
 Daar komt hij ! Een snoeshaan geweldig gestampen \ 
 Een beest hij gebruUen ! Een mansbeeld gezwoUen ; 
 Een openlijic bloodard ! Het maakt neen vershil ; 
 Het ware Jan van Spanje zonder zijn bril. 
 
 Or, in English : 
 
 There comes he ! A braggart hard riding ! 
 A beast he a-roaring ! A mannikin swelled up ! 
 An arrant coward ! It makes no difference ; 
 He is John of Spain without his spectacles. 
 
 The allusion seems to be to the historic joke 
 of Holland, in which the loss by the Duke of 
 Alva of the city of Brille has always been 
 called '* The loss of the Duke of Alva's spec- 
 tacles " (zijn bril). 
 
332 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 Here is a churning song : 
 
 Ha ! ja ! zaa ! ha ! ja ! zaantjes ! 
 De boter loopt door de roerstok eindjes. 
 Ha ! ja ! je ! Ha ! ja ! je ! 
 Boterje, boterje, komt ! 
 ledereen kHentje tobbetjevol. 
 
 So far as it can be expressed in English, it 
 would be : 
 
 Ha ! ja ! zaa ! ha ! ja zaantjes ! 
 The butter runs through the dasher's ends. 
 Ha ! ja ! je ! Ha ! ja ! je ! 
 
 Butter, butter, come ! 
 Everybody a httle tub full. 
 
 In this is a riddle : 
 
 Holder-de-bolder 
 Dans boven de zolder ; 
 En al de lands heeren 
 Kunnen niet Holder-de-bolder 
 Van de zolder pareeren. 
 
 The answer is " Smoke," and the English 
 
 Head-over-heels 
 Dances over the garret ; 
 And all the nation's lords 
 Can not Topsy-turvey 
 Ward oif from the garret. 
 
 The Netherland Mother Goose was surely 
 the author of this : 
 
 ** Ik bakken mijn brood ; ik brouwen mijn bier ; — 
 Had ik mijn paardjes ik zouda gij jagere." 
 
DUTCH RHYMES AND SONGS. 333 
 
 '* Wedden uwe paardjes weinigje man 
 Op den koop toe, achter an." 
 
 This jingle may be in English : 
 
 * ' I bake my bread ; I brew my beer ; 
 
 Had I my horses I would you drive." 
 *' Wager your horses, little man, 
 
 Into the bargain, on behind." 
 
 In one of her patriotic moods the venerable 
 dame thus sings : 
 
 Wij wil mee naar Engeland vare, 
 Voor Van Tromp doet Engeland zeer. 
 
 Engeland is opsluiten ; 
 
 De sluitel is verbreken. 
 Zwarte bedelaar, wat doen gij hier ? 
 
 The reference to Van Tromp is, without 
 doubt, to his great naval victories over the 
 British, after which the Dutch admiral sailed 
 up the English channel with a broom at his 
 masthead. The translation is: 
 
 We will also to England sail. 
 
 For Van Tromp does England sore. 
 
 England is locked up (blockaded) ; 
 
 The key is broken. 
 Black beggar, what do you here ? 
 
 At parties of young people in those days 
 
 this ditty was usually sung : 
 
 Het regent, en het hagelt, en 'tis onstuimig weder ; 
 In komt de boerman zuigen cider : 
 
334 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 Wie wezen de maaier ? ik wezen de binder ; 
 
 Ik heb mijn lieve verloren ; waar zal ik vind haar ? 
 
 The song survives and is still sung in rural 
 companies in the English version as follows : 
 
 It rains, and it hails, and ' tis boisterous weather ; 
 
 In comes the farmer sucking cider : 
 
 Who is the reaper ? I am the binder ; 
 
 I have my love lost ; where shall I find her ? 
 
 A popular children's rhyme was 
 
 Wie komt met mij naar koetjestal 
 Zoete melk ter halen ? 
 
 Ik en gij en kindjes al 
 Zal het wel betalen. 
 
 Vier paardjes voor wagen 
 
 Had het haast verjagen. 
 Toe, paardjes, toe. 
 
 which may be translated thus : 
 
 Who comes with me to the dairy 
 
 Sweet milk to bring ? 
 You and I and children all 
 
 Shall pay for it well 
 Four horses before the wagon 
 Had almost run away with it. 
 Hurry, horses, hurry. 
 
 Here is an old riddle : 
 
 Een koning moet een koning onder een essche- 
 
 boom : 
 De koning tot de koning zegt, **Wat ben uwe 
 
 naam?" 
 
DUTCH RHMYES AND SONGS. 335 
 
 '' Goud ben mijn zadel ; zilver ben mijn teugel ; 
 essche ben mijn boog. 
 Ik vertelt mijn naam drie tijdt in een rij." 
 (Antvvoord, Ben.) 
 
 In English the riddle would run thus : 
 
 A king met a king under an ash tree : 
 The king to the king said, ' ' What is your name ?' ' 
 *' Gold is my saddle ; silver is my bridle ; ash is 
 my bow. 
 I told my name three times in a row. ' ' 
 (Answer, Ben.) 
 
 Here is the story of the trading of 
 
 Een Arme Schepzel. 
 
 *' Goeden-morgen, naaste Jan ! 
 
 Waar komt gij zoo vroeg van daan ? " 
 * * Van de markt. " " Wat doen gij daar ? ' ' 
 '■ ' - Verkoopt mij n dochter. " " Wat krijgt gij voor ? ' * 
 *' Een schepel geld." " Geve mijn de geld." 
 *' Kom aan," zegt Jan. 
 
 " Goeden-morgen, naaste Jan ! 
 
 Waar komt gij zoo vroeg van daan ? * ' 
 ' ' Van de markt. " " Wat doen gij daar ? ' ' 
 ' ' Handelt mijn geld. " " Wat krijgt gij voor ? ' ' 
 " Een vosse paard." " Geve mijn de paard." 
 " Kom aan," zegt Jan. 
 
 '* Goeden-morgen, naaste Jan ! 
 
 Waar komt gij zoo vroeg van daan ? ' ' 
 ' * Van de markt. " " Wat doen gij daar ? ' ' 
 " Handelt mijn paard." " Wat krijgt gij voor ? " 
 " Een bontekoe." '' Geve mijn de koe." 
 * ' Kom aan, ' * zegt Jan. 
 
336 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 '' Goeden-morgen, naaste Jan ! 
 
 Waar komt gij zoo vroeg van daan ? ' ' 
 ' * Van de markt. " ' ' Wat doen gij daar ? ' ' 
 " Handelt mijn koe. " " Wat krijgt gij voor ? " 
 ** Een zwarte schaap." " Geve mijn de schaap.'* 
 *' Kom aan," zegt Jan. 
 
 ** Goeden-morgen, naaste Jan ! 
 
 Waar komt gij zoo vroeg van daan ? ' ' 
 " Van de markt." " Wat doen gij daar ? " 
 '' Handelt mijn schaap." " Wat krijgt gij voor? " 
 '* Een kraaien hoen." '' Geve mijn de hoen." 
 '* Kom aan," zegt Jan. 
 
 " Goeden-morgen, naaste Jan ! 
 
 Waar komt gij zoo vroeg van daan ? ' ' 
 ' ' Van de markt. " " Wat doen gij daar ? ' ' 
 " Handelt mijn hoen." "Wat krijgt gij voor?'* 
 '* Een bits wetsteen." " Geve mijn de steen. " 
 
 " Kom aan," zegt Jan. 
 Met dat hij verwerpt zijn wetsteen achter zijn 
 
 dochter. 
 
 '• Arme schepzel " is a contemptuous ex- 
 pression meaning " A poor creature," and the 
 story of his trading may be told in these 
 words : 
 
 " Good-morning, neighbor John ! 
 
 Whence come you so early to-day? " 
 ** From the market." *' What did you there ? " 
 '* Sold my daughter." " What got you for her? " 
 * ' Three pecks of money. " ' ' Give me the money. ' * 
 '' Come on," said John. 
 
 *' Good-morning, neighbor John ! 
 Whence come you so early to-day? " 
 
DUTCH RHYMES AND SONGS. 337 
 
 «' From the market." " What did you there ? " 
 ' ' Traded my money. " " What got you for it ? " 
 ** A sorrel horse." '' Give me the horse." 
 '• Come on," said John. 
 
 The next day, John returned from the 
 market, having traded his horse for a spotted 
 cow, the next his cow for a black sheep, then 
 his sheep for a crowing rooster, then the 
 rooster for a keen whetstone. Then, realizing 
 his foolishness, he threw the whetstone after 
 his daughter. 
 
 When boys were anxious that the sap should 
 
 loosen the bark that whistles might be made 
 
 they sang 
 
 Sappen, sappen, rijpen ! 
 Wanneer zal gij pijpen ? 
 Onsluit mij fluitje ! 
 Los ! los ! los ! 
 
 Or in English 
 
 Sap, sap, ripen ! 
 When will ye pipe ? 
 Unlock my whistle ! 
 Loosen ! loosen ! loosen ! 
 
 The following was inscribed in an old book: 
 
 Die dit vint en brengt het hier, — 
 Om een appel ; om een peer : 
 Die het vint en niet het doet ; 
 Is hij gallig niet te goet. 
 
338 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 And interpreted it is: 
 
 Who this finds and brings it here, — 
 About an apple, — about a pear : 
 Who it finds and does it not ; 
 His gall is not too good. 
 
 A St. Nicholas song is given in a former 
 chapter. Here is another : 
 
 Zie ! de maan schijnt door de boomen ! 
 
 Makkers, stuit uwe wild gerass ! 
 De heilig avondstonds aankomen ; 
 
 De avonding van Santa Claus. 
 Van verwachting klopt onze hart — 
 Wie de koek krijgt ; wie de garde. 
 
 Attempting to render this into English we 
 have 
 
 See ! the moon shines through the trees ! 
 
 Comrades, stop your wild rackets ! 
 The holy evening is approaching ; 
 
 The evening of Santa Claus. 
 With expectation throbs our heart — 
 Who the cake gets ; who the rod. 
 
 Then follows a short homily on diligence 
 and industry : 
 
 Wie in de somer vergaardert haast, 
 Dan kun hij in de winter leest. 
 Die set hem bij een warme vier 
 En eet en drinkt op zijn pleizier. 
 Maar die niet somer' s haast gespart, 
 Men ziet wel hoe zijn winters varet ; 
 
DUTCH RHYMES AND SONGS. 339 
 
 Zij leven lui, en slaapen lang ; 
 En borgen op de Kersttijdt aen ; 
 Betalen op St. Nimmer's dag ; 
 Zulk lui gespuys ik niet vermaagh. 
 De Schrift de wijz haar tot de mier ; 
 Al is het maar een arme dier. 
 
 A free translation would make it : 
 
 Who in the summer reaps with speed, 
 Then can he in the winter read. 
 Such sits him by a warm fire 
 And eats and drinks at his pleasure. 
 But such as summer's haste have spared, 
 Men see well how their winters go ; 
 They live lazily, and sleep long ; 
 And borrow on the Christmas next ; 
 Paying upon St. Never' s day. 
 Such lazy rabble I do not delight in. 
 The Scriptures point them to the ant ; 
 Though it is but a poor insect. 
 
 Another rhyme which was often repeated in 
 former days was this : 
 
 De molenaar is een groote dief, — 
 De groote zakken have zijn lief; 
 De kleine laten hij doorlopen. 
 Uit elk een zak 
 Hij sluipen wat ; 
 Dan nood hij niet eenig brood te koopen. 
 
 English readers may read it after this 
 fashion : 
 
 The miller is a great thief, — 
 The larger bags have his love ; 
 
340 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 The smaller lets he run out. 
 Out of each bag 
 He steals a little ; 
 Then needs he not to buy any bread. 
 
 The following is a Mother Goose rhyme pure 
 and simple : 
 
 Terre, leere, lits-a-lote — 
 
 De hond lijt in de keuken doode : 
 
 Zijn staart was voort ; 
 
 Zijn kop ontbloot. 
 Toe komt mijn heer, a jonger ; 
 En hij zegt de hond was dronker. 
 Den komt een timmerman, 
 En timmert de hond zijn staart weer aan. 
 
 Suppose we make this read 
 
 Terre, leere, lits-a-lote — 
 
 The dog lies in the kitchen dead : 
 
 His tail is gone ; 
 
 His head is bare. 
 Then comes my young lord ; 
 And he says the dog is drunk. 
 Then comes a carpenter, 
 And builds the tail on again. 
 
 Another children's riddle was similar to 
 this: 
 
 Daar blijft een mooije dingetje altijd langst de dijk ; 
 Met zijn oogen op zijn kopje als rondom hij kijk ; 
 Met zijn voeten in de moerashij dans wipperty- wop. 
 Raader, raader, raader, wat dingetje was dot ? 
 (Antwoord, Kikvorsch.) 
 
DUTCH RHYMES AND SONGS. 341 
 
 The riddle might be thus in English : 
 
 There lives a handsome little creature the while 
 
 beside the dyke ; 
 With his eyes above his head all around him he 
 
 gazes ; 
 With his feet in the swamp he dances whipperty- 
 
 whop. 
 Guesser, guesser, guesser, what creature is that ? 
 
 (Answer, Frog.) 
 
 There was a riddle v^hich ran after this sort ; 
 
 Ik vare hier van oude land, 
 Verbonden dicht met ijzer band ; 
 Moorde have ik niet gedaan; — 
 
 Versluipen niet; 
 
 Bedriegen niet; 
 Maar een pin is in mijn kop verslaan. 
 (Antwoord, Vat.) 
 
 To English children the riddle would be: 
 
 I sailed here from the old land, 
 And am bound with iron bands; 
 Murder have I not done; — 
 
 Stolen not; 
 
 Cheated not; 
 Yet a peg is beaten into my head. 
 
 (Answer, Cask.) ^ 
 
 Old-time horses are represented as saying 
 
 Op de berg slaan mij niet; 
 Neder de berg haast mij niet; 
 DoOr de vlakte spaar mij niet; 
 So kan ik werk en verget u niet. 
 
342 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 An American horse would interpret this to 
 read 
 
 Up the hill whip me not; 
 Down the hill speed me not; 
 Across the level spare me not; 
 So I can work and forget you not. 
 
 An old Dutch aphorism made use of by 
 Washington Irving is this : 
 
 De waarheid die in duister lag ; 
 
 Die komt met klaarheid aan den dag. 
 
 It is just as true in English : 
 
 The truth that in the darkness lay ; 
 That comes with clearness in the day. 
 
 The advice in this motto is certainly 
 judicious : 
 
 Drink wat klaar is ; 
 Spreek wat waar is ; 
 Eet wat gaar is. 
 
 Translated it is : 
 
 Drink what pure is ; 
 Speak what true is ; 
 Eat what is well cooked. 
 
 Something of an entirely different order is 
 the following homely rhyme : 
 
 Wij planten eens aardappelse, — de oogst was niet 
 heel groote; 
 
DUTCH RHMYES AND SONGS. 343 
 
 En wij gedachte zij zoo verrotten daar was nietig 
 
 voor ons nood. 
 Wij doen hen in de kelder in de mooije drogen 
 
 weer, 
 En de aardappelse ware mooije de heel jaar door. 
 
 An English version would have it : 
 
 We planted once potatoes ; the harvest was not 
 great ; 
 
 And we thought they had rotted so there was noth- 
 ing for our need. 
 
 We put them in the cellar in the lovely dry weather, 
 
 And the potatoes were excellent the whole year 
 through. 
 
 The following is cumulative after the man- 
 ner of the English *' House that Jack Built": 
 
 De eerste dag van Kersttijdt 
 Mijn heve stuurde tot mijn 
 Een patrijs in de peerboom. 
 
 De tweede dag van Kersttijdt 
 Mijn heve stuurde tot mijn 
 Twee tortelduif en een patrijs in de peerboom. 
 
 De derde dag van Kersttijdt 
 Mijn Ueve stuurde tot mijn 
 Drie Fransch hoenen, twee tortelduif en een patrijs 
 in de peerboom. 
 
 De vierde dag van Kersttijdt 
 Mijn lieve stuurde tot mijn 
 Vier leggen ganzen, drie Fransch hoenen, twee tor- 
 telduif en een patrijs in de peerboom. 
 
3.44 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 De vijfe dag van Kersttijdt 
 
 Mijn lieve stuurde tot mijn 
 Vijf eendjes zwemming, vier leggen ganzen, drie 
 
 Fransch hoenen, twee tortelduif en een pat- 
 
 rijs in de peerboom. 
 
 De zesde dag van Kersttijdt 
 Mijn lieve stuurde tot mijn 
 
 Zes vioole speelen, vijf eendjes zwemming, vier 
 leggen ganzen, drie Fransch hoenen, twee 
 tortelduif en een patrijs in de peerboom. 
 
 De zevende dag van Kersttijdt 
 Mijn lieve stuurde tot mijn 
 
 Zeven gedansen meisjen, zes vioole speelen, vijf 
 eendjes zwemming, vier leggen ganzen, drie 
 Fransch hoenen, twee tortelduif en een pat- 
 trijs in de peerboom. 
 
 De achtste dag van Kersttijdt 
 Mijn lieve stuurde tot mijn 
 
 Acht beene hammetje, zeven gedansen meisjen, 
 zes vioole speelen, vijf eendjes zwemming, 
 vier leggen ganzen, drie Fransch hoenen, 
 twee tortelduif en een patrijs in de peer- 
 boom. 
 
 De negende dag van Kersttijdt 
 Mijn Heve stuurde tot mijn 
 
 Negen bulle bruUing, acht beene hammetje, zeven 
 gedansen meisjen, zes vioole speelen, vijf 
 eendjes zwemming, vier leggen ganzen, drie 
 Fransch hoenen, twee tortelduif en een pat- 
 rijs in de peerboom. 
 
 De tiende dag van Kersttijdt 
 Mijn lieve stuurde tot mijn 
 
DUTCH RHYMES AND SONGS. 345 
 
 Tien paardjes drafen, negen buUe bruUing, acht 
 beene hammetje, zeven gedansen meisjen, 
 zes vioole speelen, vijf eendjes zwemming, 
 vier leggen ganzen, drie Fransch hoenen, 
 twee tortelduif en een patrijs in de peer- 
 boom. 
 
 A rendering of the first verse and the tenth 
 will sufficiently translate it: 
 
 The first day of Christmas 
 
 My loved one sent to me 
 A partridge in the pear tree. 
 
 The last verse comprises all the rest : 
 
 The tenth day of Christmas 
 My loved one sent to me 
 
 Ten trotting horses, nine bulls bellowing, eight 
 bones of ham, seven dancing maidens, six 
 vioUns a-playing, five ducks a-swimming, 
 four geese a-laying, three French hens, two 
 turtle-doves and a partridge in the pear 
 tree. (A Dutch partridge is the American 
 quail. ) 
 
 In giving an English rendering of the above 
 ballads and rhymes no attempt has been made 
 to do it in the English idiom. The translation 
 has usually been a bald and literal one. They 
 are given as closely as possible as they were 
 sung by our ancestors in the Dutch of former 
 days. 
 
CHAPTER XLVI. 
 
 SAUGERTIES CHAPTER, DAUGHTERS OF THE 
 AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 
 
 The latter years of the Nineteenth Century- 
 witnessed a revival of a spirit of patriotism in 
 this country in the direction of a recognition 
 of our debt to those who gave us the liberties 
 we enjoy. The civil war had called forth all 
 the energies of the American people, and in 
 the appreciation of the valorous defense of the 
 Union by the soldiers of that terrible conflict 
 the deeds of their sires had almost passed out 
 of sight. But during the last two decades a 
 number of societies have arisen to teach this 
 generation the debt thus owed. Among these 
 there is none so large or so efficient as The 
 Daughters of the American Revolution. For 
 some time it had been felt that Saugerties 
 should have a chapter. This work has told 
 how true the fathers were. Their daughters 
 felt that an obligation was resting upon them 
 to cultivate this spirit in the rising genertion 
 of this town. 
 
 During the autumn of 1900 and the follow- 
 ing winter the matter took a definite shape. 
 
SAUGERTIES CHAPTER, D. A, R. 347 
 
 A preliminary meeting was held January 17, 
 1901, and on February 13. following, Sauger- 
 ties Chapter, Daughters of the American Rev- 
 olution, was organized with fourteen charter 
 members. These were Mrs. Katharine C. 
 Spaulding, Mrs. Lydia C. French, Mrs. Julia 
 M. Phelps, Mrs. Annie M. F. Smedberg, Mrs. 
 Marie K. W. James, Mrs. Eliza R. Seamon, 
 Miss Jessie F. Da^wes, Miss Katharine G. Sah- 
 ler, Mrs. Ella F.* Mould, Miss Ella DeWitt, 
 Miss Ethel Gray, Mrs. Isabel F. Overbagh, Mrs. 
 Kate S. F. Davis, Miss Annie Wilbur. 
 
 To effect this organization Mrs. Katharine C. 
 Spaulding was elected Regent; Mrs. Lydia C. 
 French, Vice-Regent ; Mrs. Annie M. F. 
 Smedberg, Recording Secretary; Mrs. Marie 
 K. W. James, Corresponding Secretary ; Mrs. 
 Julia M. Phelps, Treasurer; Miss Jessie F. 
 Dawes, Registrar, and Miss Ethel Gray, His- 
 torian. 
 
 To the chapter the following members were 
 added before June ist, 1902: Mrs. Fannie R. 
 Cantine, Miss Edith Corse, Miss Julia E. 
 Lamb, Miss Gertrude M. Lamb, Mrs. Maude 
 M'F. Washburn, Mrs. Helen S. Gale, Mrs. M. 
 E. P. Gillespy, Mrs. Peter Cantine, Mrs. Eliza- 
 beth S. W. Lewis, Mrs. Mary V. E. Burhans, 
 Mrs. Nora B. Hommel, Mrs. Mary K. Pidgeon, 
 Miss Abby P. Leland, Miss Anna M. Russell, 
 Miss Jennie A. VanHoesen, Miss Mary E. 
 
348 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 VanHoesen, Mrs. Anna E. S. Miller, Mrs. 
 Mary G. Lasher, Mrs. Julia Welch Searing — 
 thirty-three members in all. 
 
 The chapter determined to decorate the 
 graves of such soldiers of the Revolution as 
 are within the bounds of the town of Sauger- 
 ties whose names and resting places are 
 described in the appendix preceded by a list 
 of the soldiers of the Revolution from the 
 town. On Memorial Day, May 30, 1901, this 
 was done by committees appointed to take 
 charge of each locality. 
 
 Prizes have been offered by the chapter for 
 papers upon subjects of Revolutionary history 
 to pupils in our public schools, and this history 
 •of the town is now published at its request to 
 tell fully and connectedly who they were who 
 founded our town ; what our ancestors did to 
 secure the freedom we enjoy, and how they did 
 it. The heritage will be better appreciated 
 when we know what it cost, and know that it 
 was secured by those whose blood flows in our 
 veins. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 Saugerties Soldiers of the Revolution. 
 
 The following list of those who, as residents of 
 what is the present town of Saugerties, were soldiers 
 in the patriot army during the American Revolu- 
 tion is probably, as correct as it can be made at this 
 late day. Some names may be omitted ; a lew 
 repeated ; many served in more than one regiment 
 and some names may be the same under more than 
 one way of speUing. Great pains have been taken 
 to include all. 
 
 FIRST ULSTER MILITIA. 
 
 Col. Joh 
 
 annis Snyder. 
 
 Capt. Matthew Dederick 
 
 Lieut. Peter Osterhoudt 
 
 Capt. John L. DeWitt 
 
 Lieut. Johannes Persen 
 
 Capt. Jeremiah Snyder 
 
 Lieut. Peter Post 
 
 Lieut. Peter Backer 
 
 Lieut. Edward Whitaker 
 
 Lieut. Petrus Eygenaar 
 
 Ensign Peter Brink, Jr. 
 
 Lieut. Martin Hommel 
 
 Ensign Stephen Fiero 
 
 Lieut. Tobias Myer 
 
 Ensign Tobias Wynkoop 
 
 Adam Baer 
 
 John Brink, Jr. 
 
 Cuffee, Adam Baer's slave 
 
 John A. Brink 
 
 Henry Baer 
 
 John G. Brink 
 
 John Baer 
 
 John T. B ink 
 
 Jurrie Baer 
 
 Peter Brink 
 
 John Beaver 
 
 Frederick Pritt 
 
 Peter Beaver 
 
 William Britt 
 
 CorneHus Brinck 
 
 Barent Burhans 
 
 Cornelius C. Brinck 
 
 John Burhans 
 
 Hendrick Brink 
 
 John Burhans, Jr. 
 Tjerck Burhans 
 
 Jacob Brinck 
 
 Jacob Brink, Jr. 
 
 Hieronymus Carnright 
 
 John Brinck 
 
 Jurrie Carle 
 
 John C. Brink 
 
 George Carle 
 
 John J. Brink 
 
 Jacob Cunyes 
 
 Peter C. Brink 
 
 Henry B. Crura 
 
 Henry Brink 
 
 Henry W. Crum 
 
350 
 
 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 Jacob Crum 
 
 John Davenport 
 
 John B. Davis 
 
 Joseph Davis 
 
 Sampson Davis 
 
 Samuel Davis 
 
 William Davis 
 
 Jecobus DuBois 
 
 James DuBois 
 
 William DuBois 
 
 Gilbert Dederick 
 
 Calo, Gilbert Dederick's slave 
 
 John Dederick 
 
 Jonathan Dederick 
 
 Harmanus Dederick 
 
 Jacobus Dederick 
 
 Matthew DeRonde 
 
 John T. DeWitt 
 
 Abram DeWitt 
 
 Cornelius DeWitt 
 
 Stephen Eckert 
 
 Henry Eckert 
 
 Jacob Eckert 
 
 Jeremiah Eckert 
 
 Martinus Eckert 
 
 Solomon Eckert 
 
 Frederick Eygenaar 
 
 Jacob Eygenaar 
 
 John Eygenaar 
 
 Johannes Eygenaar 
 
 Peter Eygenaar, Jr. 
 
 Peter P. Eygenaar 
 
 William Eygenaar 
 
 Cornelius Ej^genaar 
 
 Jacobus Eygenaar 
 
 Peter D. Eygenaar 
 
 Jacob Eligh 
 
 Johannes Eligh 
 
 Johannes Emerick 
 
 Peter Emerick 
 
 Wilhelmus Emerick 
 
 Wilhemus Emerick, Jr. 
 
 John Emerick 
 
 Peter Eygenaar 
 
 Benjamin Felten 
 
 John C. Fiero 
 
 Peter Fiero 
 
 Coonradt Fiero 
 
 Stephen Fiero 
 
 William Fiero 
 
 Coonradt Ferris 
 
 Christian Fiero 
 
 Christian Fiero, Jr. 
 
 Han Christian Fiero 
 
 George Foland 
 
 Jacob Foland 
 
 Adam France 
 
 Cornelius France 
 
 Jacob France 
 
 Jacob France, Jr. 
 
 Johannes France 
 
 Wilhelmus France 
 Johannes Freese 
 Hendrick Freligh 
 Hendrick Freligh, Jr. 
 John Freligh 
 Samuel Freligh 
 Abraham Hommel 
 Hermanus Hommel 
 Jurrie Hommel 
 Jurrie Hommel, Jr. 
 Petrus Hommel 
 Harman Hommel, Jr. 
 John Kiersted 
 Wilhelmus Kiersted 
 Cornelius Langendyke 
 John Langendyke 
 Samuel Legg 
 John Legg, Jr. 
 Frederick Low 
 Tjerck Low 
 Jecobus Low 
 Abram Low 
 Peter Magee 
 Peter Magee, Jr. 
 Samuel Magee 
 Johannes Markle 
 Joseph Martin 
 Adam Mauterstock 
 Johannes Mauterstock 
 Peter Mauterstock 
 Jacob Mower 
 Cornelius Minklaer 
 Hermanus Minklaer 
 Christian Myer 
 Peter L. Mj'er 
 Stephen Myer 
 Johannes Mower, Jr. 
 Jacob Musier 
 Abram Myer 
 Penjamin Myer 
 Benjamin Myer, Jr. 
 Cornelius Myer 
 Coonradt Myer 
 Ephraim Myer 
 Henry Myer 
 Johannes Myer, Jr. 
 Peter Myer 
 Peter Myer, Jr. 
 Peter B. Myer 
 Peter L. Myer 
 Peter T. Myer 
 Stephen Myer, Jr 
 Teunis Myer 
 William Myer, Jr. 
 John Osterhoudt 
 Petrus Osterhoudt 
 Peter L. Osterhoudt 
 Abraham Osterhoudt 
 Cornelius Persen 
 John Persen 
 Teunis Ploegh 
 
SAUGERTIES SOLDIERS. 
 
 351 
 
 Daniel Polhamus 
 Abraham Post 
 Abraham A. Post 
 Cornelius Post 
 Henry Post, Jr. 
 Isaac Post 
 Isaac Post, Jr. 
 Jacobus Post 
 John Post 
 Martin Post 
 Martin Post, Jr. 
 Samuel Post 
 Herman us Rechtmyer 
 Coonradt Rechtmyer 
 George Rechtmyer 
 George Rechtmyer, Jr. 
 Johannes Rechtmyer 
 Jurry W. Rechtmyer 
 Peter Rechtmyer 
 Andrew Richley 
 Jacob Richley 
 Lodewick Russell 
 Peter Sax 
 
 Samnel Schoonmaker 
 Edward Schoonmaker 
 Egbert Schoonmaker, Jr. 
 Hiskia Schoonmaker 
 Tjerck Schoonmaker 
 Tjerck Schoonmaker, Jr. 
 Christian Schutt 
 Solomon Schutt 
 August Shoe 
 Henry Short 
 Petrus Short 
 Benjamin Snyder 
 Christian Snyder 
 Henry Snyder 
 Johannes Snyder, Jr. 
 Martinas Snj'der 
 
 Solomon Snyder 
 Valentine Trumpbour 
 John Trumpbour 
 Jacob Trumpbour 
 Hendrick Turck 
 Johannes Turck 
 Johannes Teetsell 
 Johannes Valk 
 Wilhelmus Valk 
 Abraham Valkenburgh 
 John Valkenburgh 
 Andries Van Leuven 
 John Van Leuven 
 John Van Leuven, Jr. 
 Zachariah Van Leuven 
 John Van Steenburgh 
 Paulus Van Steenburgh 
 Petrus Van Steenburgh 
 Thomas Van Steenburgh 
 John Viele 
 Henry Wells'^ 
 Jacobus Wells '^ 
 Peter A Winne 
 Petrus Whitaker 
 John Whitaker 
 John Winne 
 Benjamin Winne 
 John Wolven 
 Jeremiah Wolven 
 John Wolven, Jr. 
 Adam Wolven 
 Evert Wynkoop 
 Hezekiah Wynkoop 
 John Wynkoop, Jr. 
 William Wynkoop 
 Daniel York 
 Abraham Young 
 Jeremiah Young 
 Cornelius Wells. ^ — 
 
 FOURTH ULSTER MILITIA. 
 
 Major John Gillespy 
 Lieut. Jurry Hommel 
 Ensign Petrus Brinck 
 
 John Brink, Jr. 
 Peter Brink 
 
 Lieut. Christian Fiero 
 Lieut. Evert Wynkoop 
 John Brink 
 
 Solomon Brink 
 Johannes Mauterstock, 
 
 CAPTAIN SYLVESTER SALISBURY'S LIGHT HORSE TROOP. 
 
 Adam Wolven 
 Abraham Keator 
 John J. Crispell 
 Benjamin Winne 
 Roeloff Eltinge 
 John DeWitt, Jr. 
 Christian Doll 
 John Brink, Jr. 
 Moses Pattison 
 Baltus Kieffer 
 
 Tjerck Low 
 Peter Van Leuven 
 Petrus Winne, Jr. 
 Christian Fiero 
 Henry P. Freligh 
 Martin Hommel, Jr. 
 John DeWitt, Jr. 
 Hermanns Hommel 
 John A. DeWitt 
 Abraham Hommel 
 
352 HISTOR Y OF SA UGER TIES. 
 
 John E. Schoonmaker John Turck 
 
 Peter C. Brinck John Freligh 
 
 Edward Osterhoudt Benjamin Felton. 
 Hendrick Turck 
 
 COLONEL ALBERT PAWLING'S LEVIES. 
 
 Adam Brink Wilham Myer 
 
 Cornelius Brink Henry Post 
 
 Cornelius Brink, Jr. Isaac Post 
 
 John Brink Jacobus Post 
 
 John C. Brink Martin Post 
 
 Tjerck Burhans Samuel Post 
 
 John Eygenaar Christian Schutt 
 
 Coonradt Ferris Solomon Schutt 
 
 Abraham Fiero Abraham Snyder 
 
 Peter Fiero Elias Snyder 
 
 Adam France Christian Snyder 
 
 Abraham Myer Isaac Snyder 
 
 Teunis Myer John Turck 
 
 Peter Myer Nicholas Trumpbour 
 
 Benjamin Myer George Young 
 
 FIFTH REGIMENT OF THE LINE. 
 Adam Brink. 
 
 FOURTH WESTCHESTER MILITIA. 
 
 John Crawford. 
 
 Notes. — Colonel Johannis Snyder's name is in- 
 cluded in the list as he was a Saugerties man by 
 birth, although living in Kingston at the time of the 
 war. Major John Gillespy did not become a resi- 
 dent of Saugerties until after the war. The same is 
 true of John Crawford, who became a minister of 
 the Methodist Episcopal Church and was the father 
 of that church in the town. 
 
 Cufifee, the slave of Adam Baer, under the law 
 was entitled to his freedom after he had served 
 three years, the State recompensing his master. 
 So was Cato, the slave of Gilbert Dederick. 
 
 The hst includes the names of some who at the 
 beginning of the war were Tories. But they so 
 angered their patriotic neighbors that they were 
 
SAUGERTIES SOLDIERS. 353 
 
 compelled either to emigrate to Canada, or enter 
 the service of the army of the patriots. Many 
 chose the latter course. Here are 316 names. 
 Allowing for duplicates 250 men must have served. 
 
 The Graves of the Patriots. 
 
 During the year 1901 a thorough and extended 
 search was made all over the town of Saugerties to 
 locate and identify the graves of the soldiers of the 
 Revolution who sleep in the bosom of the town. 
 Most of the graves have lost the stones which mark- 
 ed them. Excepting the three cemeteries at Kats- 
 baan, Saugerties and Plattekill these patriots lie 
 scattered in almost forgotten graves upon the farms 
 on which they lived at the close of the war. 
 
 It is not attempted to give the inscriptions in full. 
 Only the name, and date of birth and death are 
 given. And where only the date of death and age 
 are told merely this is transcribed. A number of 
 the inscriptions are in Dutch, and one is in Palatine 
 German. Of these the English rendering is given. 
 The page given with the name is the one on which 
 such service is found in " New York in the Revolu- 
 tion." Where no regiment is mentioned the 
 military service was in the First Ulster Regiment. 
 
 In the cemetery at the Katsbaan church are 
 found the graves of 
 
 Cornelius Persen, who died 7 February 1S27, aged 82 years, 11 months 
 and 20 days. See page 189. 
 
 Ephraim Myer, born 21 October 1759; died 18 February, 1843. Page 
 189. 
 
 Jecobus Wells ; died 20 December 1798, aged 54 years Page 190. 
 
354 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 Christian Fiero, died 28 January 1826, aged 67 years, i month and 21 
 days. Page 188. 
 
 Johannes Mauterstock, died 31 January 1833; aged 81 years. Page 
 189. 
 
 Ensign Stephen Fiero, died 16 September 1831 ; aged 81 years and 5 
 months Page 187. 
 
 Hermanus Rechtmyer, died 13 May 1835; aged 81 years, 2 months and 
 13 days Page 189. 
 
 Abraham Fiero, died 4 November 1826 ; aged 63 years, 6 months and 
 5 days. He served in Colonel Albert Pawling's Regiment of the Levies. 
 Page 83. 
 
 Peter Fiero, died 1S02, aged 41 years. Page 188. 
 
 In the field southeast of the station at West Camp lie Captain Matthias 
 Dederick, died 19 December 1S08 ; aged 71 years, 9 months and 19 days. 
 Page 187. 
 
 Wilhelmus Emerick, died 27 November 1841 ; aged 86 years. Page 
 188. 
 
 On the farm of Luther Myer, in Hommelville, is buried 
 
 Hermanus Hommel, died i April 1S28 ; aged 82 years. Page 189. 
 
 On the farm of Russell VVynkoop, in a lonely cedar woods rests 
 
 Johannes Falck, born i January, 1740 Died 2 November 1822 Page 
 188 
 
 On Rio Alto Stock Farm is the grave of 
 
 Lieut. Evert Wynkoop, died 16 April 1830; aged 86 years, 7 months 
 and 8 days Also in Fourth Ulster. Pages 191 and 200. 
 
 In the Main Street Cemetery, Saugerties, lie buried 
 
 John Brink, Jr., died 9 Tune 1814 ; aged 69 years, 8 months and 8 days. 
 He also served in Fourth Ulster Regiment. Pages 187 and 200. 
 
 Major John Gillespy, died 5 January 1810 ; aged 69 years. He was of 
 Fourth Ulster Regiment. Page 199 
 \y \ Martinus Snyder, died 2 February 1831 ; aged 82 years, 11 months and 
 
 Y 10 days. Page 190. 
 
 Samuel Schoonmaker, born 5 April 1755 ; died 25 March 1815. Page 
 190 
 
 Petrus Myer, died 30 December 1813 ; aged 81 years, 5 months and 26 
 days. Page 189. 
 
 Abraham Myer, born 5 March 1762 ; died 1821. Page 189. 
 
 Johannes Myer, died 5 January 1829; aged 82 years, lo months and 16 
 days Page 189 
 
 Isaac Post, died 31 July 1812 ; aged 51 years, 8 months and 5 days. 
 Page 189 
 
 Lieutenant Peter Post, died 12 March 1787; aged 43 years, 7 months 
 / and 25 days. Page 187. 
 
 Isaac Snyder, died 26 January 1S29 ; aged 78 years, 5 months and 17 
 days Page 290. His name is not on any list, but he was granted a Land 
 Bounty Right for service in First Ulster Regmient. 
 
 On the Mynderse farm one stone remains. It is at the grave of 
 
 Henry Myer, died 30 September 1793 ; aged gi years Page 189. 
 
 On the Spaulding place are the two graves of 
 
 John VanLeuven, died 15 January 1S05 : aged 51 years, 10 months and 
 8 days. Page 190. 
 
SAUGERTIES SOLDIERS. 355 
 
 Andrew VanLeuven, died 23 May 1806 ; aged 51 years and 13 days. 
 Page 190. 
 
 On the Schoentag place, near Glasco is buried 
 
 Abraham Osterhoudt, died 3 November 1817 ; aged 69 years, 6 months 
 and II days Page 189. 
 
 On the farm of Allen GrifTin, on the Hudson, at Flatbush are three 
 graves : 
 
 Joseph Davis, born 5 July 176 1 ; died 23 September 1836, page 188. 
 
 John Osterhoudt, died 23 December 1813 ; aged 73 years, i month and 
 23 days. Page 189. 
 
 Peter L. Osterhoudt, died 10 November 1S09 ; aged 61 years, 5 months >^ 
 
 and 29 d^ys. Page 189 
 
 In the old cemetery in Plattekill, west of the church, is the largest 
 cluster of Revolutionary graves in the town. Here lie 
 
 Ensign Peter Brink, died 16 March 1818 ; aged 68 years, 10 months and 
 15 days. Also in Fourth Ulster. Pages 187 and 200. 
 
 Stephen Myer, born S November 1760 ; died 4 April 1841. Page 189. 
 
 Peter B. Myer, born 12 June 1762 ; died 30 March 1841, Page 1S9. 
 
 Tennis Myer, died 22 November 1S31 ; aged 76 years. Page 189. 
 
 Wilhelmus France, " A Revolutionary Soldier," who died 13 July iSiS ; 
 aged 93 years, 9 months and 26 days. Page 188. 
 
 John C. Brink, died 30 June 1S43 ; aged 80 years, 4 months and 25 
 days Page 1S7. 
 
 Benjamin Myer, died 12 December 1819; aged 89 years, i month and 
 21 days Page 189. 
 
 Peter C. Brink, died 22 January 1839; aged 81 years, 3 months and 12 
 days Page 1S7 
 
 Benjamin Winne, died 2S April 1808 ; aged 54 years. Page 191 
 
 Tjerck Burhans, died 25 November 1S32 ; aged 73 years, 4 months. 
 Page 187. 
 
 Jacob Conyes, died 27 February 1815 ; in his 83rd year. Page 1S7. 
 
 Johannes Snyder, born 28 August 1750; died 15 October 1815. Page 
 190. 
 
 Just north of the Gilsinger mill at Mt. Marion lies 
 
 Tjerck Low, died 8 May 18^4 ; aged 79 years, 4 months and 13 days. 
 Page 189. 
 
 On the Trumpbour farm at Mt. Marion is buried 
 
 Cornelius Langendyke, died 2 September 1S3S ; aged So years and 
 6 days Page 189. 
 
 On the Francis Myer farm are the gra%'es of 
 
 Lieutenant Tobias Myer, bora 9 February 1734 ; died 28 January 1S09. 
 Page 187. 
 
 Peter T. Myer, died 10 October 1S39 ; aged 77 years, i month and 28 
 days Page i8g 
 
 On the Cantine farm at Churchland rest 
 
 Benjamin Myer Jr., born i November 1755 ; died 19 May 1800. Page 
 189. 
 
 Stephanus Myer, born 25 July 1725 ; died 7 May 1790. Page 1S9 
 
 On the bank of the Hudson, on the grounds of John G. Myers, in a 
 plot carefully tended lie the remains of 
 
 v^ 
 
356 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 John Wolven, who died 26 September 1798 ; aged 55 years, 6 months 
 and 26 days Page 191. 
 
 On the John W. Davis farm northeast of the West Shore station is the 
 grave of 
 
 John Post, who died 20 November 180-, aged 71 years, 5 months and 
 15 days. Page 189. 
 
 In the cemetery at Uniohville rests 
 
 John Valkenburgh, who died 24 September 1827, aged S2 years, 2 
 months and 20 days. Page 190. 
 At the foot of Mt. Marion, on the farm of C. S. Lowther are buried 
 
 Captain John Lucas DeWitt who died 27 May 1803, aged 72 years, 
 I month and 9 days. Page 1S7. 
 
 Abraham DeWitt, died 9 December 184S ; aged 82 years, 9 months and 
 19 days Page 1S8 
 
 On the farm of Larry Van Wart, at Bkie Mountain is the grave of 
 
 Samuel Freligh, who died 29 September 1838, aged 83 years, 8 months 
 and 28 days. Page 188. 
 
 At the Greene county line, in the old cemetery on the borders of the 
 Abeel and Saile farms north of Saxion repose : 
 
 Hezekiah Wynkoop, " A soldier of the Revolution," who died 19 June 
 1839, aged 89 years, i month and 22 days. Page 191. 
 
 Christian Myer, died 31 May 1S17 ; aged 77 years, 9 months and 7 days. 
 Page 189. 
 
 Cornelius Myer, died 22 July 1828; aged 63 years, 9 months and iS 
 days. Page 1S9 
 
 At Saxton, west of the house of the late Colonel Christopher Fiero, is 
 the grave of 
 
 Henry Wells, who died i March 1824, aged 83 years and 2 months. 
 Page 190 
 
 South of Quarryville, on what was known as the Frank Stone farm, is 
 
 found the grave of 
 
 ' Peter Hommel, who died i February 1828, aged 77 years, 3 months and 
 I day. Page 1S9. 
 
 North of Asbury, on the Trumpbour farm, is the grave of 
 
 Valentine Trumpbour, who died 20 February 1830, in the 68th year of 
 his a^e Page 190. 
 
 In the old cemetery on the hill above West Camp landing are buried 
 
 Guysbert (Gilbert; Dederick, died 5 September 1837 ; aged 85 years. 
 Page 188. 
 
 Jacob Trumpbout-, died 11 April 1824; aged 75 years, 3 months and 
 3 days Page 190. 
 
 Along the Hudson north of Maiden, and just above the brickyard of 
 John J. Cooney, is the grave of 
 
 Solomon Schutt, who died 27 April 1802, aged 78 years Page 190. 
 
 On the adjoinining farm of E. P. Simmon, are two graves. 
 
 Joseph Martin, who died i November 1825, aged 98 years, ii months 
 and 6 days Page 189 
 
 Christian Schutt, who died 10 March 1825, aged 64 years, and 4 days. 
 Page 190. 
 
 A little farther north along the river on the farm of the Friendship ice 
 house are two graves, 
 
SAUGERTIES SOLDIERS. 357 
 
 Jacobus Dederick, who died 21 March 1829, aged 86 years and 7 
 months. Page 188. 
 
 Harmon Dederick, who died 6 May 1S51, in the 88th year of his age. 
 Page 188. 
 
 Christian Schutt and Solomon Schutt each had additional service in 
 Colonel Albert Pawling's Regiment of the Levies. Page 86. 
 
 On the farm of the late Jeremiah O'Bryon, in Saxton, is the grave of 
 
 William Myer, who died 21 July 1S40, aged 81 years, 11 months and 16 
 days. Page 189. 
 
 On the farm of Washington Myer, at Blue Mountain, is the grave of 
 
 George Young, born 1722 ; died 1799. He served in Colonel Albert 
 Pawling's Regiment of the Levies. Page 87. 
 
 Ob the Judson Herrick farm, Pine Grove, rests 
 
 John Wolven, who died 5 October 1826, aged 63 years, 9 months and 
 4 days. Page 191. 
 
 In the cemetery at the church in Asbury, are the remains of 
 
 Rev. John Crawford, who died 7 March 1851, aged 91 years and 14 
 days. He served in the Fourth Westchester Regiment. Page 214. 
 
 Thus the graves of seventy-two of the more than 
 two hundred and forty from the town of Saugerties 
 in the Revohition are here identified. Colonel 
 Johannis Snyder, of the First Ulster Regiment, 
 under whom nearly all served hes in a well-cared- 
 for grave in the churchyard of the First Reformed 
 Church, in Kingston. The graves of Captains 
 Dederick and DeWitt of this town are in the hst, 
 but that of Captain Jeremiah Snyder is not known. 
 
 Of these two hundred and forty soldiers and over 
 there remained sixteen who were hving on Septem- 
 ber 10, 1832. On that day the people of Kingston 
 celebrated the fiftieth year after the close of the war 
 of the Revolution by giving a dinner in their honor 
 in Kingston at which ninety-six veterans of the 
 Revolution assembled from all over Ulster county. 
 They met at the court house at 2 p. m. and formed 
 in hne, preceded by bands of music and followed by 
 judges, court officials and citizens. The veterans 
 
358 HISTORY OF SAUGERTIES. 
 
 uncovered their heads as they began their last 
 march, and cheered Old Glory as it was unfurled. 
 Their ages were from 68 to 92. Each veteran 
 carried a cane and attempted the old miHtary step. 
 Not a dry eye was in the mass of citizens on Wall 
 street. Amid the roar of cannon the march to the 
 dinner at the Kingston Hotel on Crown street was 
 taken. But the ranks moved very slow. Most of 
 the honored guests were over eighty years of age 
 and before the hotel was reached some had to be 
 assisted. 
 
 An ox had been roasted whole and every thing 
 was appropriate to such an occasion. Crown street, 
 Kingston Hotel, its spacious yard and all the build- 
 ings were packed. After the cloth was removed 
 Hon. John Sudani, then the representative Ulster 
 county orator, addressed the guests in his happiest 
 vein, and his speech was long remembered as a 
 masterpiece of the oratory of that day. Those 
 present from Saugerties were Samuel Post, 7 2 ; 
 Ephraim Myer, 73 ; Adam France, 75 ; Peter C. 
 Brink, 75 ; John C. Brink and Adam Brink (twins), 
 70; Cornelius Langendyke, 74; Hezekiah Wyn- 
 koop, 83 ; Wilhelmus Emerick, 73 ; John Brink, 
 72; Conrad Fiero, ^^\ Abraham DeWitt, 70; 
 Joseph Davis, 71; William Myer, 74; Abram Low, 
 68; Martin Post, 70. 
 
 Before we conclude the remarkable record of the 
 family of Christian Myer must be noticed. He was 
 one of the Palatines of 17 10, and his home was at 
 Churchland on the farm recently owned by the late 
 
SAUCER TIES SOLDIERS. 359 
 
 Peter Cantine. Of the above seventy-two soldiers 
 whose graves are identified eighteen are those 
 of sons, grandsons and one great-grandson of 
 Christian Myer. Nor is this all. There were a 
 number of soldiers who served in the Revolution 
 who were sons of his daughters. Still without the 
 latter a record of eighteen from one family is with- 
 out parallel. 
 
 The accompanying illustration of the home of 
 this patriotic family gives the house as it appears 
 to-day. To a great extent it is altered from its 
 appearance in Revolutionary days. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Abeel, Capt. Anthony, 178, 1S4, 
 
 186. 
 Adams, William, 288. 
 Algonquins, 10 
 Allison, Col. Thomas, 64. 
 Andros Indian treaty, 15 
 Armpachlo's bergh, 102. 
 Articles of Association, 122. 
 Asbury, barbecue at. 154. 
 Asbary, church, 297. 
 Aspel, Tunis, So. 
 Astor, John Jacob, 80, 236 
 
 Backer, Lieut. Petrus, 189. 
 
 Backus, Henry S., 31C-315. 
 
 Baptist church. 297. 
 
 Bailley, Gen., 187 
 
 Barbecue at Asbury, 154. 
 
 Barclay heights, 112, 
 
 Barclay, Henry. 112, 276, 291, 295. 
 
 Battelle & Renwick, 112. 
 
 Beaver creek, 3, 81, 86, 87, 257-261. 
 
 Beaver, Robert, 102. 
 
 Berckenmeyer, Rev. William C, 
 
 5S, 246. 
 Bigelow, Asa, 106, 107, 2S6 
 Big Vly, 19, 104, 108. 
 Blue stone quarries, 295, 296. 
 Bradford, Merritt, 2S4. 
 Brainard, Nelson, 296. 
 Brainard, Silas, 295. 
 Brant, Joseph, 157, 158, 161, 180. 
 Brick making, 260, 261, 289 
 Brink, Capt Andrew, 68, 262, 266- 
 
 274, 277. 
 Brink, Charles, 24, 95 
 Brink, Cornelius P., 80. 
 Brink, Cornelius Lainbertsen, 5, 24, 
 
 94 
 
 Brink, Huybert Lambertsen, 94. 
 
 Brink, John, Jr., 22, 68, 69, 106, 275 
 
 Brink, Ensign Petrus, 127. 
 
 Brink, Peter H., 95 
 
 Brinnier, William D.. 85. 
 
 Burgoyne, Gen, John, no, 150, 
 152, 154 
 
 Burhans, Bareot, 68 
 
 Burhans, Peter; Burhans, Samuel; 
 Hurhans, Isaac ; Burhans, Abra- 
 ham ; Osterhoudt, James ; 115. 
 
 Burhans, Wilhelmus, 22, 68. 
 Burr, Aaron, 87. 
 
 Canoe hill, 88, 102. 
 
 Cartrit's Kill, 91. 
 
 Catskills, the Dutch Domine of the, 
 
 149, 166, 167. 
 Cedar Clipje, 81, 96. 
 Churchland, 86, 91. 
 Clark, Col. Edward, 112. 
 Clement, William, 8t, 20S 
 Clermont, the, 6S, 266-274. 
 Coetus and Conferentie strife, 120. 
 Continentals, the, i/)3 
 Continental currency. 17O1 192. 
 Country physicians, 203-209. 
 Crapser, Milton, 97 
 Crawford, Rev. John, 2S9 
 Cregier, Capt. Martin, 6, 7, 71. 
 Cunyes, William H., 160 
 
 Davenport, Richard, 79. 
 Daughters, American Revolution, 
 
 baugerties Chapter, 66, 346-348. 
 Dawes residence, 72, 219, 275. 
 Debating societies, 237. 
 Declaration of Independence, 128. 
 Dederick, Capt. Matthew, 127, 140, 
 
 189 
 Dederick, Christian, 9S. 
 Dederick. James E., 98. 
 Dederick, Myndert, 98. 
 Demarest, Rev. James D , 119, 
 
 25O, 320. 
 DeKonde, Rev. Lambertus, 67,73, 
 
 78, 120, 148, 192, 219, 249, 251, 320. 
 DeWitt, Capt John Lucas, 127, 
 
 140, 189 
 DeWitt, Evert, 97 
 DeWolfen, Gottfried. 104. 
 Doll, Rev. George J L., 163, 2-19, 
 
 319- 
 Dowling, Alexander, 93. 
 Dry goods, 23O. 
 DuBois, Hiskia, 22. 72. 275. 
 Dutch Domine of the Catskills, 
 
 149, 166. 167. 
 Dutch lanfjuage, 119, 284, 285. 
 Dutch preaching, 53, 119, 284, 285. 
 Dutch songs, 232, 324-345. 
 
362 
 
 INDEX, 
 
 Educational conditions, 197-202. 
 
 Eelken's treaty, 9. 
 
 Ehle, Rev. John Jacob, 52, 246. 
 
 Eligh, Andries, 98. 
 
 Eligh, Hans Ury 98. 
 
 Ellinger, Mrs. 102. 
 
 Esopus Indians, lo. 
 
 Exemptions from military service, 
 
 145. 
 Eygenaar, Frederick, 85. 
 Eygenaar, Petrus. 88. 
 Eygenaar, Lieut. Petrus, 127. 
 
 Falckner, Rev. Daniel, 52, 246. 
 Farm life, 192-196, 210-217, 218- 
 
 225. 
 Fees, Hendrick, 75. 
 Fennal, John, 88. 
 Fiero, Dr. Abram, 208. 
 Fiero, Christian, 116, 122, 277. 
 Fiero, Col. Christopher, 97. 
 Fiero, Cornelius, 261. 
 Fiero, J. Newton, 97. 
 Fiero, Luther, 102. 
 Fiero, Mrs. Mary, 80. 
 Fiero, Valentine, 99. 
 Fiero, William, 81, 208. 
 Finger, Chauncey P., 81, 261. 
 First postmaster, 106. 
 Flax, 221. 
 Flowers, 223, 224. 
 Fort Niagara, 177, 178-180. 
 Eraser, Alfred W., 76, 102. 
 Freligh, Hendrick, 78. 
 Freligh, Rev. Moses, 78. 
 Freligh, Rev. Peter, 78, 
 Freligh, Rev. Solomon, 78. 
 Freligh. Peter, 78. 
 Fruits, 223. 
 
 Fullerton tract, 31, 108, 109. 
 Fulton, Robert, 68, 266 274. 
 
 Gay, George A., 2S7. 
 Gerlach, John Christopher, 43. 
 Germantown church, 62, 247. 
 Germond, Mrs. 86, 259. 
 Genthner, John Michael, 74, 275. 
 Gillespy, Major John, 307. 
 Glenerie, 112. 
 
 Grauberger. Philip Peter, 43. 
 Groz, Rev. Philip, 52. 
 
 Hardenbergh. Col. Johannes, 126. 
 Hager, Rev. John F , 37, 51, z/i6. 
 Hayes, John, 20. 
 Hiawatha, 9 
 Hoff, Cornelius, 88, lOi. 
 Hommel, Abram E., 78, 261. 
 Hommel, Hermanus, 23, 85. 
 Hommel, Isaac, 84. 
 Hommel, Johannes, 87. 
 
 Hommel, Ury, 85. 
 
 Hommel, William H., 78, 261. 
 
 Hooghteling, Major Philip, 134, 
 
 ^ 139- 
 
 Hoornbeek, 169, 172. 
 Hunter, Gov. Robert, 34, 36, 38, 
 39, 45- 
 
 Indian battlefield, 11. 
 Indian maize plantation, 71. 
 Indian raids, 156 160, 161, 168-189. 
 Industries, 60, 194-196, 218-238, 
 
 257-261. 
 Iroquois, 10, 11. 
 Isham, Samuel, 106, 107, 286. 
 
 Jan, Nachtc, 84, 161. 
 Jordan, John J., 87. 
 Johnson, Col. Guy, 178. 
 
 Katsbaan, i, 3, 17, 323. 
 
 Katsbaan church, 7L1, 75-7S, 119, 
 
 161, 164. 245-256, 318^1. 
 Katskill Indians, 8, 10. 
 Katskill (Leeds), 27, 163, 164. 
 Kaufman, Jacob, 80, 277. 
 Kiersted, Dr. Christopher, 208, 
 
 Kiersted, Dr. Christopher C, 209. 
 
 Kiersted, John, 277. 
 
 Kings Road, Old, 19, 23, 26, 85, 89, 
 
 107, 191. 
 Kingston Commons, 4, 21, 23, 53, 
 
 75. 99. 109, I'll 276. 
 Kocherihal, Rev. Joshua, 30, 37, 
 
 48. 51, 55-59. 246. 
 Krows, Frederick, 72, 284. 
 Laflin, Matthew, 295. 
 Lamb, Daniel, 260. 
 Langendyke, Cornelius, 92. 
 Legg, John, 113, 115. 
 Legg, Samuel, 114. 
 Levies, the, 143. 
 Livingston, Robert 31. 
 Livingston, Robert R., 263, 266- 
 
 272, 276, 304. 
 Lowther, C. S., 92. 
 Luke, John, 99. 
 Luyck, Petrus, 81. 
 
 Maize plantation, 71. 
 
 Making the impeding chain, 137, 
 
 138. 
 Maiden church, 297. 
 Maiden turnpike, 107. 
 Manck, Jacob, 43. 
 Mancius, Rev. George W,, 52, 62, 
 
 78, 119, 148, 247 319. 
 Markle, Fredeiick 92. 
 Markle, Matthias 97. 
 Mauger Zaagertjes, 252. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 363 
 
 Mauterstock, Dcderick, loi, 102, 
 
 104. 
 Mauterstock, John H., 102. 
 McGaw, Isaac, 294. 
 McGee, Peter, 98. 
 Meals and Hayes patents, 18-21. 
 
 68, 69, 85, 86, 103, 105, 108, 113, 
 
 218. 
 Militia, the, 144, 147. 
 Military service, exemptions from, 
 
 145- 
 Minklaer, Herman, 114. 
 Minqiia, Johannes, 23. 
 Mohegans, 10. 
 Monk, John, 88. 
 Montreal, 182-186. 
 Montross. Adam, 260. 
 Mower, Jeremiah, ic2. 
 Mower, Johannes, 85. 
 Mower, Nicholas, 98. 
 Mowerse, Peter, 102. 
 Mt. Airy, 2. 
 Mt. Marion, 2. 
 Muddah Kill, the, 91, 92. 
 Muddy Kill, the, 102. 
 Myer, Benjamin, 92. 
 Myer, Christian, 84. 
 Myer, Christian, 92, 258, 358. 
 Myer, Ephraim, 151. 
 Myer, Ephraim I, 79, 215. 
 Myer. Francis. 93. 
 Myer, Ensign Hendrick, 127. 
 Myer, Dr. Jesse, 92, 
 Myer, Johannes, 22. 74, 275. 
 Myer, Johannes (Oom Hans), 87, 
 
 89, 91, no, 152. 
 Myer, John Snyder, 79. 
 Myer, Jonathan, 79. 
 Myer, Luther, 23, 85, 215, 
 Myer, Peter B., 295. 
 Myer, Peter W., 85. 
 Myer, Petrus, 22.. 74, 275. 
 Myer, Sherwood D., 74, 216, 275. 
 Myer, Lieut. Tobias, 127. 
 Myer, Wells, 87, 89. 
 Myer, William, S6. 152. 
 ]\Iyer, William, 107. 
 Myers, John G., 73, 92, 108, 155, 
 Mynderse, Garret, 279. 
 Mynderse, Myndert, 20, 22, 23, 69, 
 
 219, 275. 
 
 Naval stores. 35, 36, 4c, 41. 
 Negro Dutch church, 250. 
 Newkirk, Ane, 23. 
 Newkirk, Dr. Coonradt, 208. 
 Niagara, fort, 177, 178 180. 
 Niessen, Sergeant, 7, 14. 
 
 Old Kings Eoad, 19, 23, 26, 85, 89, 
 
 107, IQI. 
 
 Old sawyer, 5, 6, 17, 25, 68, 257. 
 
 Orphan children apprenticed, 35. 
 
 Osterhoudt, Cornelius, 79. 
 
 Osterhoudr, Hendrick, 88 
 
 Osterhoudt, James; Burhans, 
 Peter; Burhans, Samuel; Bur- 
 hans, Isaac ; Burhans, Abraham , 
 
 US 
 Osterhoudt, I leut. Petrus, 127 
 Osterhoudt, Tunis, 93. 
 Ostrander, Gideon P., 98. 
 Ostrander, Rev. Dr. Henry, 79, 119, 
 
 165, 250, 282-285, 320. 
 Overbaugh, John S., 97. 
 
 Palatines, 28-59. 
 Palatine dissatisfaction, 39. 
 Palatines, names of, 46, 47. 
 Palatines, number of, 44, 46. 
 Palatine statement ol grievances, 
 
 41. 
 Parks, Elisha, 296. 
 Paulison grant, 24, 93. 
 Peoples road, 88. 
 Persen, Cornelius, 73, 80, 81, 83, 
 
 88, 107, 121, 161, 191, 229, 230, 
 
 236, 278. 
 Persen, John, 20, i6g, 71, 75, 1^2, 
 
 218 
 Persen's store, 2, 80, S3. 88, 121, 
 
 148, 161, .191, 220, 230, 236. 
 Petitions to Gov. Clinton, 241, 242. 
 Pidgeon, Francis, ic8. 
 Pidgeon, Mrs Frank, 15S, 216. 
 Pietersen, Jacob, 25. 
 Pier, Arent Tunis, 112. 
 Plattekill church, 297. 
 Polhemus, David. 92. 
 Post, Abraham, 22, 72, 73, 87, 121, 
 
 148, 191 275, 2/8 
 
 Post, Sergeant Abraham, 65, 108. 
 
 Post, Isaac, 22, 70, 73, 275, 279. 
 
 Post. Jan. 22, 72, 275, 278. 
 
 Post, Jecobus, 22, 72, 275. 
 
 Post, Peter B , 91. 
 
 Post, Lieut Peter, 160. 
 
 Post, Peter P., 277, 27S. 
 
 Post, Samuel, 277. 
 
 Post's hotel, 72, 73, 87, 121, 148, 
 
 191, 284 
 Postmael, Jan Jansen, 21, 22. 
 Postmaster, the first, 106. 
 
 Quick, Feuben, So. 
 
 Reghtmyer, Coenradt, 23, S4. 
 Reghtmyer, Hcrmanus, 23, 7S. 
 Regiment, First Ulster, 126, 139, 
 
 142, 149, 154, 158 160, 240. 
 Regiment, Foiirth Ulster, 139, 141, 
 
 307-309. 
 
 no 
 
364 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Rio Alto Stock Farm, 23, 86. 
 
 Ripley, Charles, 294. 
 
 Road, Old Kings, 19, 23, 26, 85, Sg, 
 
 107, 191 
 Robert Chism's plantation, 93. 
 Rondebergh, 115. 
 Rowe, Frederick, Jr., 97, 174. 
 Rovve, Wilhelmus, 98, 
 Runnip, John, 169-180 
 Russell, Frederick T., 20, 279. 
 Russell, James, 72. 275. 
 Russell, Jeremiah, 287. 
 Russell, William F., 287 
 
 Salisbury, Capt. Sylvester, 240 
 Sap boiling, 234. 
 
 Saratoga, Saugerties troops at, 153. 
 Saugerties academy, 254. 
 Saugerties Chapter, D. A. R., 66, 
 
 346-348. 
 Saugerties library, 282, 284 
 Saugerties, Methodist church, 289. 
 Saugerties Reformed church. 254- 
 
 256 
 Saugerties Telegraph, 254, 295. 
 Saw creek, 3, 17. 19, 25, 75, 99, loi. 
 Sawyer, the old, 5, 6, 17, 25, 68, 
 
 257- 
 Sax, Addison, 8r, 260. 
 Sax, Evert, 23, 80. 
 Sax, John P., 80. 
 Schoonmaker, Egbert, 22, 70, 72, 
 
 122 
 Schoonmaker, Hendrick, 113. 
 Schoonmaker, John T., 277. 
 Schoonmaker, Mynderse, 113. 
 Schoonmaker, Peter P., 70, 216. 
 Schoonmaker, Samuel, 22, 70. 
 Schoonmaker, Tjerck, 113. 
 Schoharie, claimed by Palatines, 36. 
 Schuneman, Rev. Johannes, 148, 
 
 163, 249, 319 
 Schutt, Myndert, 104, 106, loS. 
 Scow ferry, 112 
 Scram, Frederick, 93. 
 Shank's Ben, 169. 
 Shearing, 220, 226 
 Sheffield, Joseph B , 113, 293. 
 Short, Adam, 88 
 Shoub, Johannes. 98. 
 Singing schools, 237 
 Snyder, Capt Benjamin, 133, 181, 
 
 219, 262, 277. 
 Snyder, Christian, 85. 
 Snyder, Ebas, 79, 84, 16S-190. 
 Snyder, Elisha, 277 
 Snyder, Hans Martin, 251. 
 Snyder, Isaac, 91. 
 Snyder, Captain Jeremiah, 84, 97, 
 
 127, 140, 160, 168-190, 1S9, 240, 
 
 244 357- 
 
 Snyder. Colonel Johannis, 126, 141, 
 142, 149, 154, 158, 160, 189, 239, 
 240, 29Q-307, 357. 
 
 Snyder, Maria, 87. 
 
 Snyder, I^ioah, 87. 
 
 Snyder, Peter, 92. 
 
 Snyder, Peter 1 , 87. 
 
 Snyder, Peter V,, 88. 
 
 Snyder, Zachariah, 99. 
 
 Soap making, 235 
 
 Social life, 232 
 
 Soldier's dinner, 357. 
 
 Spaulding, Charles A., 114. 
 
 Spellman, Thomas, 87 
 
 Spinning and weaving, 221, 227, 
 228. 
 
 St. Mary's church. 297. 
 
 Steene Herte fonteyne, 99, 100. 
 
 Stock Farm, Rio Alto, 23, 86. 
 
 Sudam, John, 35S. 
 
 Swart, Lawrence, 115. 
 
 Tappen, Christopher, assaulted, 
 
 Tappen journal, 129-139. 
 
 Tawasentha. 9. 
 
 TenBroeck, Gen. Peter, 105, 15I, 
 
 ^i53i 155- 
 
 Terwilliger, Martm, 257. 
 
 Threshing, 235. 
 
 'J'ivoli ferry, 68. 
 
 Tobacco, 220. 
 
 Top, Jan, 83, 191. 
 
 Trappmg. 236. 
 
 Traphagen grant, 24, 93. 
 
 Treaty of peace, 18S. 
 
 Trinity Episcopal church, 297. 
 
 Trumpbour, Nicholas, 23. 
 
 Trumpbour, Johannes, 80. 
 
 Turkey point, 114. 
 
 Ulster Iron Works. 293. 
 Ulster Palladium, 254, 295. 
 Ulster Star, 254, 295. 
 Ulster Telegraph, 254, 295. 
 Unionville, 87, lOi. 
 Ury, ii2. 
 
 Valk, Johannes, 86. 
 Valk, Jonah, 277. 
 Valk, Wiihelmus, 88. 
 Valk William, T02. 
 Valkenburgh, Hieronymous, 87. 
 Valkenburgh, John, 87. 
 Valkenburgh, Peter M., 81. 
 Valkenburgh, Stephen V ., 81. 
 Valkenburgh. William, 81, 
 Vaughan's expedition, 73, 105, 155. 
 Van Driessen, Rev. Johannes, 62. 
 
 247. 
 Van Hoesen's mill, 260. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 365 
 
 Van Keuren, Ephraim, 87. 
 
 Van Leuven, Andries, 114. 
 
 Van Leuven, Peter, 114. 
 
 Van Schaick, Anthony, 160, 244. 
 
 Van Steenberg-, Nathan, 84. 
 
 Van Steenberg, John, 107. 
 
 Van Steenberg, Thomas, 108. 
 
 Van Vlierden, Rev. Petrus, 250, 
 
 285, 2S6, 320 
 Van Wart, Larry, 259. 
 Vegetables, 223. 
 Veteran's dinner, 357. 
 
 Wanton island, 1 1, 104, log. 
 Washburn, George W., 19. 
 Washburn, Richard C, 19, 113. 
 Weaving, 221, 227, 228. 
 Weiser, Capt. John Conrad, 61. 
 Wells, Sergeant Cornelius, 152. 
 Wells, Samuel, 97. 
 West Camp, i. 33. 34-S9» 257* 
 West Camp churchk 50-54, 59, 148. 
 Westerlo, Rev. Eilardus, 163, 249, 
 
 319* 
 Whitaker, Egbert, 115. 
 
 Whitaker James, 115. 
 White oak forest, 75, loi. 
 Winedecker, Capt. Hartman, 6[. 
 Winne, Aaron, 97. 
 Winne, Lawrence, 97 
 Winne, Petrus, 24, 92, 94. 
 Wolven, Abraham, 277, 
 Wolven. Major Dan, 73, 104, 105. 
 Wood. Edward, 113. 
 Wood, John. 20. 
 Woodstock Glass Company, 288. 
 Wynkoop, Major Adrian, 134, 142. 
 Wynkoop, Cornelius, 277. 
 Wynkoop, Evert, 23, 86. 
 Wynkoop, Lieut. Evert, 127. 
 Wynkoop, Judge Henry, 260. 
 Wynkoop, Hezekiah, 277, 
 Wynkoop, Mynderse, 92. 
 Wynkoop. Russell. S6, 260. 
 Wynkoop Capt. Tobias, 64, 65, 86. 
 Wynkoop, Tobias, 151. 
 
 Young, Johannes, 84. 
 
 Zenger, John Peter, 48 
 
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