STATE OF NEW-YORK. No. 111. IN SENATE, May 5, 1845. REPORT Of the select committee on the Colonial Agency. Mr. Folsom, from the select committee to which was referred the message of the Governor, communicating the final report of John R. Brodhead, agent under the act of the Legislature " to procure and transcribe documents in Europe, relative to the Colonial History of the State," asks leave to submit the following REPORT : A respect for the memorials of the past may be justly considered as one of the marks of advanced civilization. Among savage nations the only care is for the supply of present wants, which being exclu- sively of a physical nature, like those of irrational animals, are easily satisfied, with equal indifference to the past and the future. But as mankind rise in the scale of intelligence, a growing solicitude is felt in regard to circumstances and events beyond the present mo- ment ; the necessity of making provision for future exigencies be- comes more and more apparent, and leads to untiring exertion to ac- complish so important an end. It is reserved, however, for a still higher degree of progress to develope any considerable interest re- specting the past. It is an old utilitarian maxim that makes a dead lion of less claim to consideration than a living ass ; and the mind [Senate, No. 111.] 1 (5t.) .tJUl '2 [Senate requires to be raised above the ordinary calculations of mere thrift to appreciate the value of what no longer possesses actual power or influence in the esteem of the busy world. The monuments of his- tory, standing aside in the seclusion of by-places and deserted spots, or buried beneath what is generally regarded as the useless rubbish of the remains of antiquity, are passed by with indifference until an en- lightened desire is awakened to know something of the early foun- dations of society, or to explore the sources of national greatness. It has been made a subject of reproach to this country, by the enemies of republican institutions, that no care is taken among us to preserve our ancient records, — a charge implying a semi-barbarous condition of society, and far from complimentary to our national character. But admitting its truth, to a considerable extent, there is good reason to believe it will not be long deserved ; for public at- tention is beginning to be more and more directed to the importance of rescuing from destruction whatever may tend to illustrate the rise and progress of our institutions, and exhibit, in bolder relief, the character and labors of the pioneers of civilization upon the shores, of the new w T orld. It is the misfortune of this State, that its early founders have been held up to the ridicule of the world by one of its most gifted sons, who has exhausted the resources of his wit and satire in exposing imaginary traits in their characters, while the most polished efforts of his graver style have been reserved to adorn the Corinthian columns of the more aristocratic institutions of foreign countries. A late excellent writer, the author of a valuable history of the United States, although a stranger to our country, has spoken in proper terms on this subject ; he remarks as follows : " Founders of ancient a colonies have sometimes been deified by their successors. New- " York is perhaps the only commonwealth whose founders have been " covered with ridicule from the same quarter. It is impossible to u read the ingenious and diverting romance entitled Knickerbocker's " History of New-York, without wishing that the author had put a K little more or a little less truth in it ; and that his talent for humor " and sarcasm had found another subject than the dangers, hardships, u and virtues, of the ancestors of his national family. It must be " unfavorable to patriotism, to connect historical recollections with " ludicrous associations," &c* * Grahame's History of the United States. No. 12!.] 3 To remove the reproach thus thoughtlessly attachecfto the annals of our State, it is only necessary to bring to light the true character of its early colonists, whose father-land ranked at that period among the foremost nations of Europe in point of commercial wealth and enter- prise, and before all others in the freedom of its government ; a free- dom purchased by forty years' struggle against the blood-thirsty myr- midons of Spanish despotism. The traits ascribed by the mock his- torian to the first settlers of New-York, can scarcely be supposed to have characterized such a people ; on the other hand, the manly vir- tues they displayed amidst the toils and hardships of colonial life, removed at so great a distance from the scenes of their early associa- tions, deserve a very different commemoration at the hands of their descendants and successors. The New- York Historical Society — an institution that has done much to preserve the historical records of our State — first suggested to the Legislature the propriety of searching the archives of the Ne- therlands, and other European Governments, for documents illustra- tive of the early history of the State. In compliance with a memo- rial from that institution, the Legislature passed the act of May 2d> 1839, authorizing the Governor and Senate u to appoint an agent to visit England, Holland and Fiance, for the purpose of procuring cop- ies of all such documents and papers, in the archives and offices o^ those governments, relating to, or in any way affecting the colonial history of this State." The sum of four thousand dollars was at the same time appropriated to carry out the objects of the agency, which, by two subsequent appropriations, was increased to twelve thousand dollars. On the 15th of January, 1S41, nearly two years after the passage of the law, John Romeyn Brodhead, of the county of Ulster, was appointed to this agency, and embarked for England on the first of May following, for the purpose of entering upon the duties of his mission. A copy of his instructions, from the Executive of the State, is annexed to this report. In pursuance of these instructions, Mr. Brodhead, on his arrival in London, applied to the British Government for permission to make transcripts of such documents in its archives as related to our colonial history. The application appears to have been coldly received by Lord Palmerston, then principal Secretary of State for Foreign Af- airs, notwithstanding the kind offices rendered to the agent by Mr. 4 (Senate Stevenson, minister from the United States near that Government ; and, without losing time, Mr. Brodhead proceeded at once to Holland, where a very different reception awaited him. Repairing to the Hague, he was presented to the King by the Hon. Harmanus Bleecker, the Ame- rican ministerto the Netherlands ; and it was soon found that His Majesty took a lively interest in the objects of the mission, and was disposed to grant every possible facility to aid the researches of the agent. It seems to have been regarded in that country as a gratify- ing circumstance, that the descendants of Dutch ancestors who had left the father-land two centuries ago, should so far cherish the re- membrance of their ancient lineage, as to despatch one of their num- ber across the wide ocean to seek memorials of the olden time ; and a warm feeling of kindness was extended by all classes towards the agent, and liberal arrangements were made to lighten and facilitate his labors. The results of Mr. Brodhead's researches in Holland are sixteen- volumes of transcripts in the Dutch language, an analysis of which is contained in his printed calendar. It will be observed that these docu- ments comprise a great variety of details relative to the original dis- covery and settlement of our State ; commencing with notices of the first navigators who explored the North and East rivers, and embra- cing copies of the decrees of the States-General, granting the privi- leges of trade and further discovery to companies of merchants ? which led to the subsequent colonization by patroons or patentees of lands.* One of these grants, bearing date October 11th, 1614, is ac- companied by a descriptive map of the North river and the adjacent country, executed within five years after the discovery by Hudson. It only remains that the seal of a foreign language should be taken off from these valuable and curious records, to render them accessible to all ; and to this end the committee would recommend that a suitable person be employed to translate them at the public expense. Among these documents the committee would particularly notice one, that possesses peculiar interest in its relation to the Dutch colony on the island of Manhattan. The precise year in which that colony was planted is not known ; the oldest records in possession of the State, before the receipt of these documents, commence with the ad- ministration of Governor Kieft, in the year 1638, with the single ex- *See appendix (B.) for a copy of one of these early grants. No. 111. J 5 ception of some grants of land which go back to 1630. But there was found a few years ago among the papers of Governor Bradford, of the Plymouth colony, a correspondence between that functionary and the Dutch authorities of New-Netherlands, on the island of Man- hattan, bearing date in the year 1627; and Bradford, in a letter writ- ten at that time, says of the Dutch, u that for strength of men and fortifications they far exceed them and all others in the country." Until the reception of these fruits of the agency, we were thus indebt- ed to another colony for the first notice of the colonization of our own State. It is true, a few trading-houses had been established, and forts erected, both on Manhattan island and at Albany, several years before ; but no accounts of a regular settlement of the country by fa- milies from Holland at that early date have reached us.* The document alluded to, although brief, enables us to show the existence of the colony still earlier than the correspondence with Go- vernor Bradford. The attention of the Legislature has already been called to it, in a report made to this body during the last session, but for a very different purpose, and in an incomplete and inaccurate translation; it is therefore reproduced here. It is a letter written from Amsterdam by Mr. Schagen, the Deputy of the States-General at the meeting of the West India Company, to the Dutch Government at the Hague, announcing the arrival at Amsterdam of a ship from New-Netherland, with advices from the Dutch colonists on the island of Manhattan; bearing date November 5th, 1626. The following is a translation of this document: To the High and Mighty Lords of the States- General at the Hague : My Lords, — There arrived here yesterday the ship called the 4 Arms of Amsterdam,' which sailed from the river Mauritius, [the Hudson,] in New-Netherland, on the 23d of September. Re- port is brought that our people there are diligent, and live peace- ably; their wives have also borne them children. They have pur- chased the island of Manhattes from the Indians for the sum of sixty * Argal found a few huts on Manhattan island in 16J3. But it appears from a document, a copy of which will be found in the Appendix to this Report, that the English Non- conformists who had fled to Holland, and were residing at Leyden, desired permission to remove to " New-Netherland," and colonize the country, in the early part of 1620. Their request was denied. It may fairly be inferred from the contents of this petition that no Dutch colony had been formed at that time ; but there is no doubt of its having- been formed within two or three years after that date. 6 [Senate guilders;* it contains 11,000 morgensf of land. They have sown all kinds of grain in the middle of May, and reaped in the middle of August. I send you small samples of the summer grains, as wheat, rye, barley, oats, buckwheat, canary seed, beans and flax. " The cargo of the ship consists of 7,246 beaver skins, 178 £ otter " 675 " " 48 mink " 36 cat-lynx " 33 mink " 34 small rat " together with a considerable quantity of oak timber and nut-wood. " Commending your High and Mighty Lordships to the favor of the Almighty, I am your High Mightinesses' humble servant, P. SCHAGEN." u At Amsterdam^ Nov. bth^ anno 1626." The historical value and interesting character of this document, cannot fail to strike any one who is capable of appreciating the first efforts to introduce the arts of civilized life into a new and widely extended domain, which has since grown from these small beginnings into a large and flourishing commonwealth, excelling in population and resources some of the monarchies of the old world. Some doubt has hitherto existed in regard to the name of the direc- tor general or governor of the colony prior to the year 1633 ; and although it was generally supposed that the office was then held by Peter M inuit, yet no official act of that person as chief magistrate was among our records. The fact is now established by the discovery of an original grant of lands, signed by Peter Minuit and his council, dated at Fort Amsterdam, July 15th, 1630. The original parchment containing this grant was procured by Mr. Brodhead, and is now de- posited in the Secretary of State's office. It is the only official act now extant of the first governor of the colony. It is not, however, the intention of the committee, in this report, to pursue the analysis of the documents procured by Mr. Brodhead from * About twent)r-four dollars. t A morgen is nearly two acres. No. 111.] 7 the different archives to which he had access. The calendars printed with his report are sufficient for this purpose, and exhibit with great clearness the variety and richness of materiel comprised in the collection. The committee will only add, that Mr Brodhead, having finished his labors in Holland, returned to London in December, 1841, where in the meantime a change of ministry had taken place, — Lord Palmerston having been succeeded by Lord Aberdeen, in the office of Foreign Secretary. A more friendly policy towards the objects of the agency was now manifested, and with the valuable aid of the new American minister, Mr. Everett, the preliminary difficulties were re- moved, and Mr. Brodhead entered upon the labors of his mission ; not, however, without encountering many precautions of the govern- ment that contributed to embarrass these labors, and add to the trouble and expense attending them. It will be observed in the report of Mr. Brodhead, that he did not confine his researches in England to the archives of state, but extended them to the magnificent collections of manuscripts contained in the British Museum, as well as other re- positories in London and its vicinity. In the summer of 1S42, Mr. Brodhead proceeded to Paris, where the active kindness of General Cass, the American minister, procured him all desirable facilities. The seventeen volumes of transcripts obtained in the Freneh capital, commence with the year 1631, and extend to 1763. They are beautifully engrossed, and will be con- sulted with great interest by every student of American history, especially in relation to the border wars that led to the final reduction of Canada, and the extinction of French power on this Continent. Having completed his researches in Paris, Mr. Brodhead returned to England, and on the 7th of July, 1844, embarked for New-York, where he arrived early in the following month. Immediately after his arrival, he reported himself to Governor Bouck, and made known to him the general results of hi? mission. From that time until the date of his final report, the 12th of February last, he was em- ployed at the city of New-York, in arranging the documents in chro- nological order, framing indexes, and preparing his report. The documents were ftt the same time bound up in eighty distinct volumes, viz : Sixteen volumes of Holland documents, seventeen volumes of Paris documents, and forty-seven volumes of London documents, — the latter coming down to the year 1782. 8 [Senate Should it be supposed that no practical utility will be derived to %e State from the possession of these documents, it may be stated that important references have already been made to them in the course of legislation, during the present session of the Legislature. The following extract from the report of a committee of the Assem- bly, in relation to lands granted by the State for military services, shows their value in this respect : u The committee also, in the spirit of the rule of rendering justice to whom justice is due, feel constrained to acknowledge the im- portant aid they have received in this investigation and search for the musty records of olden time, to the report and documents of J. Romeyn Brodhead, agent to procure and transcribe documents in Europe, relative to the colonial history of this State. Important papers and references relating even to this claim, have been brought to light by his researches, and exhibit the importance of the objects and execution of his trust." — Report of Mr. Boughton^ #c, April 21, 1845. The committee cannot better close this account of the fruits of this interesting mission, than by quoting a few passages from a private letter addressed to the agent, by the Hon. George Bancroft, the American historian. After having consulted the collection, with re- ference to the period embraced in the forthcoming volumes of his History of the United States, Mr. Bancroft remarks as follows : " Your papers I examined very carefully, from 1748 to the close of the series, and was deeply impressed with a sense of their im- portance. There is nothing in print like the minute and exact re- ports made by the French officers in Canada, of their operations on our frontier, during their long struggle for the preservation of Cana- da. Your papers surround Montcalm with all the interest of a hero of romance ; and trace his overthrow, clearly, to distinct and inexor- able causes. " For the following period, your collections were, also, most in- teresting, and were absolutely necessary to the complete understand- ing of the politics of New-York, during the years before the Revo- lution. The less numerous papers in the years of the Revolution, contain some of the most curious and surprising character." No. lll.J 9 In regard to the expenses of the mission, it appears from the ac- count rendered by the Comptroller, that there has been paid to the agent, from the State treasury, the sum of $12,000, being the amount appropriated by the Legislature to defray the expenses of the agency, at three several periods ; to wit : On the 2d of May, 1839, $4,000; on the 11th of April, 1842, $3,000 ; and on the 13th of • April, 1843, $5,000. By the Comptroller's books, it appears that Mr. Brodhead has furnished accounts and vouchers for $12,014.23, including his compensation to July 7th, 1844, leaving a balance in his favor, to that date, of $14.23. It appears from an abstract of the agent's accounts, that the Hol- land documents, exclusive of binding, cost $703 13 The Paris documents, 904 80 The London do., 4,078 01 $5,685 94 Salary of the agent two years, eleven months, and ten days, at $2,000 per annum, $5,888 87 Travelling expenses, 439 42 $12,014 23 It also appears from the account, that there remains due to the agent the sum of $1,390.98, including salary, expenses of binding the documents, &c, from the 14th of August, 1844, to the 12th of February last. The committee have examined this account, with the vouchers, and recommend that it be paid ; and ask leave to in- troduce the accompanying bill. Senate,] No. 111.] 2 I Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2013 i http://archive.org/details/reportofselectco00newy_2 APPENDIX, (A.) Instructions to the Agent. STATE OF NEW- YORK, Executive Department. Albany, March 21th, 1841. To John Romeyn Brodhead, Esquire : The Legislature of this State having on the 2d day of May, 1839, passed an act for the appointment of an agent to visit England, Hol- land and France, for the purpose of procuring the originals or copies of such documents and papers in the archives of those governments relating to the colonial and other history of this State, as are import- ant to illustrate that history ; and you having been duly appointed such agent, and being about to proceed in the execution of your du- ties, it seems to be proper that I should communicate to you the views entertained by the Executive in relation thereto. This communication is to be regarded as advisory only. The lan- guage of the act is quite indefinite, and was undoubtedly designedly made so, in order to leave the agent at liberty to exercise a sound and wise discretion according to the circumstances affecting the object of his mission. In recommending those objects to the Legislature, I ob- served that their successful accomplishment would advance the cause of free government throughout the world, and that it was due to our- selves and to the memory of our predecessors, and to a just regard for the respect of posterity, that every important circumstance connected with 1he rise and progress of our free institutions should be recorded and illustrated. The general policy of the European governments towards their transatlantic possessions has been heretofore studied by us chiefly in the acts of their agents here, while its comparative unimportance in the domestic history of those States has caused it to be often over- 12 [Senate looked or superficially treated by European historians. It is repre- sented to us that there are now in the archives and public offices of Holland and England, many papers relating to the events and per- sons prominent in our local history anterior to and through the revo- lution. Among such papers may be expected to be found reports, advices, and other communications from the colonial governors, mili- tary commanders, the early colonists, and other individuals resident here. The policy of France, in establishing her military positions upon this continent, is regarded among the most important and interesting particulars of our history ; and her long struggle to retain those posi- tions exercised a great influence for a long period upon the condition, disposition and purposes of the people of New-York. It is, I pre- sume, chiefly with a view to obtaining authentic evidence concerning this part of our history, that you are expected to visit that country. It would be highly interesting to obtain the originals or copies of the instructions forwarded to the French and English Governors of Canada ; to learn the views which possessed them, of a commercial, military, or colonizing character ; their expectations of the future growth of their settlements bordering upon the colony of New-York ; their expenditures and receipts ; the nature and extent of their alli- ances with the Indian tribes ; and the history of their expeditions across the St. Lawrence, and of their posts upon Lake Ontario and tiie River Niagara, so far as developed by official reports, or memori- als from the foreign departments under whose administration these various operations took place. It will be equally important to obtain in England the copies of those papers relating to the occupation of the colony, which are said to have been removed to the mother country, together with such offi- cial documents, memoirs, and statistical details as were doubtless com- municated from time to time to the British Government by its agents here. Among these transactions, the conduct of Sir William John- son, his agency with the Indians, his communications to his Govern- ment, and his views as to the extension of the British power, would be particularly valuable. The expedition of Colonel Nichols has never yet been known to us in all its details. The capture of the city of Albany under his orders, has found as yet but a few lines on the pages of the historian. The Dutch records have furnished us with a vast amount of infor- mation relating to the colony while in subordination to the West In- dia Company, but the official reports of Governors Van Twiller, Stuyvesant, Kieft, (fee. to the father-land, and the documents which must necessarily have been communicated from time to time by those zealous agents, are yet to become a part of the materials of our his- t0I T* Many details in relation to the patents, manorial rights, &c, and much information relating to the Indian trade, will no doubt be glean- ed from the archives which may become accessible. All these, as far as the appropriation will permit, after defraying your necessary expenses, and the private charges which will attend No. 111.] 13 you in your various journeys, will become matter of interest to you in your general investigations. You are advised to proceed first to Holland, to ascertain what docu- ments and papers require your attention there ; then to proceed to England, and institute a similar examination there. Having thus ascertained what will be most important in those countries, you will proceed to solicit the originals, or cause transcripts to be made, as circumstances shall indicate. While this is going forward in those countries, you will have leisure to proceed to Paris, in performance of your duties at that capital. You will from time to time report to the Executive of this State, and will be at liberty at all times to seek advice from him in regard to the discharge of the duties of your mission. You will ship to the address of the Secretary of State any books or parcels you deem it important to be sent to this country. You will be allowed at the rate of two thousand dollars per annum, payable quarterly, for your compensation, besides your travelling ex- penses and disbursements for the purposes of your mission. You have already received an advance of fifteen hundred dollars. On rendering accounts for one thousand dollars of that sum, you may draw upon the Comptroller for another sum of one thousand dollars in advance in like manner, and so on, accounting and drawing the extent of the amount appropriated in the bill. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name, and caused the great seal of the State to be affixed, this twenty-seventh day of March, [l. s. ] in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hun- dred and forty-one, and of the independence of the United States of America, the sixty-fifth. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. 14 [Senate ( B. ) Grant from the States General, Oct. 11th, 1614. The States General of the United Netherlands, to whom these presents shall come, make known ; Whereas, Gerrit Jacobsen Witsen, formerly Burgomaster of the city of Amsterdam, Jonas Wit- sen, and Simon Monissen, owners of the ship named the Fox, whose Captain is John De With ; Hans Hongers, Paulus Pelgrom, and Lam- brecht Van Tweenhuysen, owners of the two ships named the Tiger and the Fortune, whose Captains are Adriaen Block and Hendrick Corstiansen ; Arnold Van Leybergen, Wessel Schenck, Hans Claes- sen, and Barent Sweertsen, owners of the ship named the Nighten- gale, whose Captain is Thys Volkertsen, merchants of the aforesaid City of Amsterdam ; and Peter Clementsen Brower, Jan Clement- sen Kies, and Cornells Volkertsen, merchants of the city of Hoorn, owners of the ship named the Fortune, whose captain is Cornells Jacob- sen May, — all now united together in one Company, — have reverently represnted to us, that they, the memorialists, at heavy expense and great damage to themselves, from the loss of ships and other great risks, have, this present current year, with the aforesaid five ships, discovered and found certain new lands lying in America, between New France and Virginia, being the sea-coasts thereof, situated in the latitude of from 40 to 45 degrees, now named JVew-JYetherland, and praying, [that whereas we, in the month of March last, for the encouragement and increasing of commerce, had published a certain general ordinance and grant to the effect that all those who from that time forward should discover any new passages, havens, lands, or places, should have the exclusive ri^ht of making four voyages thi- ther, and that no other persons, directly or indirectly, should sail from the United Netherlands, to the said newly discovered passages, havens, lands or places, or frequent the same, until the first discoverer had himself made the four voyages within the time limited therefor, under penalty of the forfeitures in the aforesaid ordinance expressed, &c. &c.,] that we should grant them a proper act to be passed in form, and in pursuance of the said ordinance ; Which being con- sidered, and having heard, in our meeting, the pertinent report of the memorialists, concerning the discovery of the aforesaid new lands, within the aforesaid limits and latitudes, and of their adventures \ we have authorized and allowed the said memorialists, (at present united together in one Company,) and do hereby authorize and allow the same, exclusively, to navigate to the said newly discovered lands lying in America, between New France and Virginia, the coast of which is situated in the latitude of from 40 to 45 degrees, now called New Netherland, [as is to be seen by the " figurative map hereto annexed,*] •A fac-simile of this map is in the office of the Secretary of State, at Albany. No. 111.] 15 for four voyages within the period of three years, commencing the first day of January, 1615, next ensuing, or sooner ; without that any other persons, directly or indirectly, shall be at liberty, out of these United Netherlands, to sail to, navigate to, or frequent the said newly discovered lands, havens, or places, within the said period of three years, under pain of confiscation of the ships and cargoes wherewith the same shall be attempted, contrary to this decree, and of a fine of 50,000 Netherland ducats, to the benefit of the aforesaid discoverers, &c. : Provided, nevertheless, that we are not to be understood, by these presents, as doing any prejudice to, or in any way curtailing our former grants and concessions ; and that our meaning further is, that in case any disagreements or differences should happen to arise or grow out of this our grant, that the same shall be decided by our- selves. Ordering and commanding, for this purpose, most expressly, all Governors, Justices, Officers, Magistrates and Inhabitants of the aforesaid United Lands, to let the aforesaid company, quietly and peaceably, use and enjoy the full effect of this our grant and conces- sion, refraining from all opposition and hindrance to the contrary ; inasmuch as we consider the same to be for the service and benefit of the country. Given under our seal, and the attestation of our clerk, at the Hague, the 11th day of October, 1614. [Translated from the original, in the "Holland Documents," in the Secretary 't office, Albany, volume 1, page 47.]