Chapter X

THE FIRST PERIOD OF THE SWEDISH SETTLEMENTS
UNDER DUTCH RULE AND THE COMING OF
THE _Mercurius_, 1655–1656.

When the articles of surrender had been accepted, and Rising with his men was about to leave the country in October, 1655, Stuyvesant made provisions for a temporary form of government. The seat of power was transferred from Christina to Fort Casimir, and Captain Dirck Smith was appointed commander, until other arrangements could be made, an instruction doubtless being given him.

In the meantime the Swedes who remained in the country made the best of their situations, repaired the damage caused by the invasion as far as they could, and settled down to their former peaceful occupations.

Of Smith’s rule we know very little. He ordered lands to be sown and cultivated, and he made other provisions for the welfare of the settlement; but he was summoned to appear before the council at New Amsterdam for “grave reasons”, which indicates that complaints were made against him, and he seems to have done nothing for the improvement of the forts.

In November Jeal Paul Jacquet was made vice-director, with “supreme command and authority”, and he should govern the colony with a council under the guidance of Peter Stuyvesant. In his instruction (issued at New Amsterdam) he was charged to enforce the observance of the Sabbath, the regulations concerning the sale of liquor to the Indians, and to keep peace and order among the people. He should require the soldiers and officers to remain in the fort over night, debarring all freemen from the same, especially the Swedes; he was to allow no vessels to pass above the stronghold, which he was to keep “in a becoming state of defense”; he should take care in distributing lands that “at least 16 or 20 persons or families” were placed together, so as to form villages, and, in order to prevent an immoderate desire for land, he “should impose a tax of 12 stivers annually for each _morgen_ (acre)”; he was to lay out a town on the south side of Fort Casimir, where lots were to be assigned; and he was to provide for the expenses of the government by imposing excises on goods sold by the tavern-keepers as follows:

For a hogshead of French or Rhenish wine, fl. 20
For an anker of the same wine, fl. 4
For an anker of brandy, Spanish wine or distilled water, fl. 7
For a barrel of imported beer, fl. 6
For a barrel of New Netherland beer, fl. 4

Finally he should “look well after the Swedes,” and he was to try to remove such as were “not friendly disposed to the Honorable Company” by sending them to New Amsterdam, if possible.

On December 8 (18), Jacquet took the oath of office before Peter Stuyvesant, and ten days later he assumed the Vice-Directorship in Fort Casimir. Certain articles in Jacquet’s instruction, if forced, would have interfered with the rights of the old settlers; but caution was exercised, and “the letter of the law” was never followed.

Allerton, and probably other traders, visited the river in the autumn, winter and spring; and several Jews, “who had put goods on board a ship for the South River”, requested permission to trade there; a right which was _conditionally_ granted them. The Swedish barks and yachts surrendered by Rising were used on trading expeditions, but the _Eindracht_[42] stranded at Sandy Hook in January, 1656. The council at New Amsterdam authorized Jan Teunissen, the carpenter, to save the vessel, promising him 200 florins if successful.

A law court was established by Jacquet shortly after his arrival, at which several settlers presented their grievances, while others were summoned to appear in suits. In January, 1656, some Swedish freemen living near Fort Casimir appeared before Jacquet and his council, and requested permission to remain on their lands until the expiration of one year and a half, agreeable to the capitulation, as they had not then any inclination to change their place of abode nor to build in the new town. Their petition was granted, and they remained undisturbed on their homesteads.

About March 13 the ship _Mercurius_ arrived, as we have seen. Henrick Huygen and Johan Papegoja went ashore, presented themselves to the commander at Fort Casimir, and reported their instructions and intentions, requesting permission to land the people somewhere in the river, until further orders were received from Sweden. This was denied them, and Huygen was arrested as an enemy of the state. Johan Papegoja appealed o Stuyvesant in a letter, dated March 14 (24), informing the latter of the arrival of the ship and requesting permission to revictual and return unmolested to Europe, also remonstrating against the treatment accorded Huygen. Vice-Director Jacquet likewise made a report to his superior at New Amsterdam.

The letters, which were “brought to Manhattan by Allerton’s ketch,” arrived there in the night of March 18–19 (28–29), it seems, and a meeting of the council was immediately called. The council concluded to deny the Swedes the privilege of landing, but they should be free to return unmolested, and they were allowed to provide themselves with necessary provisions for their homeward journey. A pass was issued for the ship, granting her an unhampered passage to New Amsterdam, where necessary supplies could be obtained. It was decided to send several soldiers to the South River to prevent an uprising of the Swedes, and such who had not hitherto taken an oath of allegiance, should now be compelled to do so. Those “who refused or contravened against it” should be sent away “by every opportunity.” Jacob Svensson and Sven Skute were especially designated as “undesirable citizens”, and regarded with suspicion since it was said that they held “secret conferences” with the Indians, “who often came to the homes of the Swedes and were, as usual, well received.”

When these instructions arrived in Fort Casimir, Huygen determined to present his case at New Amsterdam in person. He went overland, arriving at the Dutch fort about April 1 (11), and delivered a written remonstrance to the Dutch council. The council replied that his requests could not be granted, repeating their former promises of an unmolested return voyage, and stated that, if the Swedes persisted in their designs and would not leave the river, force would be used to expel them. To show that they were in earnest the warship _Waag_ was ordered to proceed to the Delaware with the first favorable wind. Finding that he could accomplish nothing, Huygen accepted the proposals, making it unnecessary for _De Waag_ to sail. The outcome was reported to Papegoja, and the _Mercurius_ was soon expected to arrive at New Amsterdam. But over two weeks passed and no ship was heard of. Rumors were circulated that difficulties had arisen on the South River, and on April 18 (28) it was decided at a hurried meeting of the council to send Ensign Smith overland with twelve to sixteen soldiers to ascertain the state of affairs there. When Smith arrived there, however, the immigrants had disembarked and the ship had been unloaded.

Papegoja gives the following description of these events in his letter of July 30 (August 9), 1656. In accordance with Stuyvesant’s orders “we decided to set sail for Manhattan. But as soon as the savages or Indians observed this, they speedily collected in great numbers, came down to us and reminded us of the former friendship and love which they had had for us Swedes, above all other nations, and said that they would destroy and exterminate both Swedes and Hollanders, unless we remained with them and traded as in the past. Then all our Swedes, who feared the savages, came to us also and protested strongly against us in writing, saying that we would be the cause of their destruction if we departed....” Papegoja was therefore in a quandary, but, seeing the danger of refusing the request of the angry savages, he commanded the skipper to head up stream. (It has also been said that a large number of Indians and some old Swedish colonists went on board the vessel.) Papegoja then gave the Swedish salute (which was answered by one discharge from the fort), and sailed up to New Gothenborg,[43] where the people were put ashore.

Letters were thereupon written to Huygen, informing him of the occurrences. Jacquet wrote to the Dutch governor also, at the same time sending Hudde to make an oral report. Hudde arrived at Manhattan on April 21 (May 1). The same day the council read and re-read the letters and declarations, and resolved to dispatch the _Waag_ with troops for the place of disturbance in order to bring the _Mercurius_ from there and settle the difficulty with the natives. Huygen as well as Papegoja were exonerated, and the former was permitted to return on the _Waag_ to his ship, after he had given bond of good behavior and promised to settle the differences between the savages and the Christians. The councillors De Sille and Van Tienhoven were commissioned to investigate the matter.

The _Waag_ set sail as soon as the wind permitted, but in the South River she ran on a sand-bank. When the commander observed, says Papegoja, that the Swedes showed no hostile intentions, he requested them to aid in floating the _Waag_ as well as in pacifying the savages. The _Mercurius_ was therefore ordered down the river to the assistance of the _Waag_; but when she arrived in the bay the Dutch vessel was afloat. Some merchandise was then brought on board of the latter ship and presented to the savages in the name of the Dutch, and thus peace was restored.

In the late spring the _Mercurius_ was brought to New Amsterdam, where the cargo was sold in July, after a certain import duty had been paid. Papegoja desired to return with the ship, but differences arose between him and Huygen, and the former departed from Europe on a Dutch vessel on June 13 (23), arriving in Amsterdam about the beginning of August. Having been loaded with a return cargo the _Mercurius_ set sail for Europe some time during the summer; but Huygen remained in the colony, and we find him variously employed for a number of years in the service of the Dutch. It seems that the great majority of the new-comers also settled in the colony. They were given land, and gradually built homes and cleared new fields.