the quaker colonies-第23章

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Vine　Point。　Stuyvesant　named　it　Fort　Casimir。

The　tables　were　now　turned：　the　Dutch　could　retaliate　upon　Swedish　shipping。　But　the　Swedes　were　not　so　easily　to　be　dispossessed。　Three　years　later　a　new　Swedish　governor　named　Rising　arrived　in　the　river　with　a　number　of　immigrants　and　soldiers。　He　sailed　straight　up　to　Fort　Casimir；　took　it　by　surprise；　and　ejected　the　Dutch　garrison　of　about　a　dozen　men。　As　the　successful　coup　occurred　on　Trinity　Sunday；　the　Swedes　renamed　the　place　Fort　Trinity。

The　whole　populationDutch　and　Swede；　but　in　1654　mostly　Swedenumbered　only　368　persons。　Before　the　arrival　of　Rising　there　had　been　only　seventy。　It　seems　a　very　small　number　about　which　to　be　writing　history；　but　small　as　it　was　their　〃High　Mightinesses；〃　as　the　government　of　the　United　Netherlands　was　called；　were　determined　to　avenge　on　even　so　small　a　number　the　insult　of　the　capture　of　Fort　Casimir。

Drums；　it　is　said；　were　beaten　every　day　in　Holland　to　call　for　recruits　to　go　to　America。　Gunners；　carpenters；　and　powder　were　collected。　A　ship　of　war　was　sent　from　Holland；　accompanied　by　two　other　vessels　whose　names　alone；　Great　Christopher　and　King　Solomon；　should　have　been　sufficient　to　scare　all　the　Swedes。　At　New　Amsterdam；　Stuyvesant　labored　night　and　day　to　fit　out　the　expedition。　A　French　privateer　which　happened　to　be　in　the　harbor　was　hired。　Several　other　vessels；　in　all　seven　ships；　and　six　or　seven　hundred　men；　with　a　chaplain　called　Megapolensis；　composed　this　mighty　armament　gathered　together　to　drive　out　the　handful　of　poor　hardworking　Swedes。　A　day　of　fasting　and　prayer　was　held　and　the　Almighty　was　implored　to　bless　this　mighty　expedition　which；　He　was　assured；　was　undertaken　for　〃the　glory　of　His　name。〃　It　was　the　absurdity　of　such　contrasts　as　this　running　all　through　the　annals　of　the　Dutch　in　America　that　inspired　Washington　Irving　to　write　his　infinitely　humorous　〃History　of　New　York　from　the　Beginning　of　the　World　to　the　End　of　the　Dutch　Dynasty；〃　by　〃Diedrich　Knickerbocker。〃　It　is　difficult　for　an　Anglo…Saxon　to　take　the　Dutch　in　America　seriously。　What　can　you　do　with　a　people　whose　imagination　allowed　them　to　give　such　names　to　their　ships　as　Weigh　Scales；　Spotted　Cow；　and　The　Pear　Tree？　So　Irving　described　the　taking　of　Fort　Casimir　in　mock　heroic　manner。　He　describes　the　marshaling　of　the　Dutch　hosts　of　New　York　by　families；　the　Van　Grolls　of　Anthony's　Nose；　the　Brinkerhoffs；　the　Van　Kortlandts；　the　Van　Bunschotens　of　Nyack　and　Kakiat；　the　fighting　men　of　Wallabout；　the　Van　Pelts；　the　Say　Dams；　the　Van　Dams；　and　all　the　warriors　of　Hellgate　〃clad　in　their　thunder…and…lightning　gaberdines；〃　and　lastly　the　standard　bearers　and　bodyguards　of　Peter　Stuyvesant；　bearing　the　great　beaver　of　the　Manhattan。

〃And　now　commenced　the　horrid　din；　the　desperate　struggle；　the　maddening　ferocity；　the　frantic　desperation；　the　confusion　and　self…abandonment　of　war。　Dutchman　and　Swede　commingled；　tugged；　panted；　and　blowed。　The　heavens　were　darkened　with　a　tempest　of　missives。　Bang！　went　the　guns；　whack！　went　the　broadswords；　thump！　went　the　cudgels；　crash！　went　the　musket…stocks；　blows；　kicks；　cuffs；　scratches；　black　eyes　and　bloody　noses　swelling　the　horrors　of　the　scene！　Thick；　thwack；　cut　and　hack；　helter…skelter；　higgledy…piggledy；　hurly…burly；　heads…over…heels；　rough…and…tumble！　Dunder　and　blixum！　swore　the　Dutchmen；　splitter　and　splutter！　cried　the　Swedes。　Storm　the　works！　shouted　Hardkoppig　Peter。　Fire　the　mine！　roared　stout　RisingTantarar…ra…ra！　twanged　the　trumpet　of　Antony　Van　Corlear；until　all　voice　and　sound　became　unintelligible；grunts　of　pain；　yells　of　fury；　and　shouts　of　triumph　mingling　in　one　hideous　clamor。　The　earth　shook　as　if　struck　with　a　paralytic　stroke；　trees　shrunk　aghast；　and　withered　at　the　sight；　rocks　burrowed　in　the　ground　like　rabbits；　and　even　Christina　creek　turned　from　its　course；　and　ran　up　a　hill　in　breathless　terror！〃

As　a　matter　of　fact；　the　fort　surrendered　without　a　fight　on　September　1；　1655。　It　was　thereupon　christened　New　Amstel；　afterwards　New　Castle；　and　was　for　a　long　time　the　most　important　town　on　the　Delaware。　This　achievement　put　the　Dutch　in　complete　authority　over　the　Swedes　on　both　sides　of　the　river。　The　Swedes；　however；　were　content；　abandoned　politics；　secluded　themselves　on　their　farms；　and　left　politics　to　the　Dutch。　Trade；　too；　they　left　to　the　Dutch；　who；　in　their　effort　to　monopolize　it；　almost　killed　it。　This　conquest　by　their　High　Mightinesses　also　ended　the　attempts　of　the　New　Englanders；　particularly　the　people　of　New　Haven；　to　get　a　foothold　in　the　neighborhood　of　Salem；　New　Jersey；　for　which　they　had　been　struggling　for　years。　They　had　dreams　of　a　great　lake　far　to　northward　full　of　beaver　to　which　the　Delaware　would　lead　them。　Their　efforts　to　establish　themselves　survived　in　one　or　two　names　of　places　near　Salem；　as；　for　example；　New　England　Creek；　and　New　England　Channel；　which　down　almost　into　our　own　time　was　found　on　charts　marking　one　of　the　minor　channels　of　the　bay　along　the　Jersey　shore。　They　continued　coming　to　the　river　in　ships　to　trade　in　spite　of　restrictions　by　the　Dutch；　and　some　of　them　in　later　years；　as　has　been　pointed　out；　secured　a　foothold　on　the　Cohansey　and　in　the　Cape　May　region；　where　their　descendants　are　still　to　be　found。



Chapter　XIII。　The　English　Conquest

It　is　a　curious　fact　that　the　ancestor　of　the　numerous　Beekman　family　in　New　York；　after　whom　Beekman　Street　is　named；　was　for　a　time　one　of　the　Dutch　governors　on　the　Delaware　who　afterwards　became　the　sheriff　of　Esopus；　New　York。　His　successor　on　the　Delaware　had　some　thoughts　of　removing　the　capital　down　to　Odessa　on　the　Appoquinimink；　when　an　event　long　dreaded　happened。　In　1664；　war　broke　out　between　England　and　Holland；　long　rivals　in　trade　and　commerce；　and　all　the　Dutch　possessions　in　the　New　World　fell　an　easy　prey　to　English　conquerors。　A　British　fleet　took　possession　of　New　Amsterdam；　which　surrendered　without　a　struggle。　But　when　two　British　men　of　war　under　Sir　Robert　Carr　appeared　before　New　Amstel　on　the　Delaware；　Governor　D'Hinoyossa　unwisely　resisted；　and　his　untenable　fort　was　quickly　subdued　by　a　few　broadsides　and　a　storming　party。　This　opposition　gave　the　conquering　party；　according　to　the　custom　of　the　times；　the　right　to　plunder；　and　it　must　be　confessed　that　the　English　soldiers　made　full　use　of　their　opportunity。　They　plundered　the　town　and　confiscated　the　land　of　prominent　citizens　for　the　benefit　of　the　officers　of　the　expedition。

After　the　English　conquest　on　the　Delaware；　not　a　few　of　the　Dutch　migrated　to　Maryland；　where　their　descendants；　it　is　said；　are　still　to　be　found。　Some　in　later　years　returned　to　the　Delaware；　where　on　the　whole；　notwithstanding　the　early　confiscations；　English　rule　seemed　to　promise　well。　The　very　first　documents；　the　terms　of　surrender　both　on　the　Delaware　and　on　the　Hudson；　breathed　an　air　of　Anglo…Saxon　freedom。　Everybody　was　at　liberty　to　come　and　go　at　will。　Hollanders　could　migrate　to　the　Delaware　or　to　New　York　as　much　as　before。　The　Dutch　soldiers　in　the　country；　if　they　wished　to　remain；　were　to　have　fifty　acres　of　land　apiece。　This　generous　settlement　seemed　in　striking　contrast　to　the　pinching；　narrow　interference　with　trade　and　individual　rights；　the　seizures　and　confiscations　for　private　gain；　all　under　pretense　of　punishment；　bad　enough　on　the　Delaware　but　worse　at　New　Amsterdam；　which　had　characterized　the　rule　of　the　Dutch。

The　Duke　of　York；　to　whom　Delaware　was　given；　introduced　trial　by　jury；　settled　private　titles；　and　left　undisturbed　the　religion　and　local　customs　of　the　people。　But　the　political　rule　of　the　Duke　was　absolute　as　became　a　Stuart。　He　arbitrarily　taxed　exports　and　imports。　Executive；　judicial；　and　legislative　powers　were　all　vested　in　his　deputy　governor　at　New　York　or　in　creatures　appointed　and　controlled　by　him。　It　was　the　sort　of　government　the　Duke　hoped　to　impose　upon　all　Great　Britain　when　he　should　come　to　the　throne；　and　he　was　trying　his　'prentice　hand　in　the　colonies。　A　political　rebellion　against　this　despotism　was　started　on　the　Delaware　by　a　man　named　Konigsmarke；　or　the　Long　Finn；　aided　by　an　Englishman；　Henry　Coleman。　They　were　captured　and　tried　for　treason；　their　property　was　confiscated；　and　the　Long　Finn　branded　with　the　letter　R；　and　sold　as　a　slave　in　the　Barbados。　They　might　be　called　the　first　martyrs　to　foreshadow　the　English　Revolution　of　1688　which　ended　forever　the　despotic　reign　of　the　Stuarts。

The　Swedes　continued　to　form　the　main　body　of　people　on　the　Delaware　under　the　regime　of　the　Duke　of　York；　and　at　the　time　when　William　Penn　took　possession　of　the　country　in　1682　their　settlements　extended　from　New　Castle　up　through　Christina；　Marcus　Hook；　Upland　（now　Chester）；　Tinicum；　Kingsessing　in　the　modern　West　Philadelphia；　Passyunk；　Wicaco；　both　in　modern　Philadelphia；　and　as　far　up　the　river　as　Frankford　and　Pennypack。　They　had　their　churches　at　Christina；　Tinicum；　Kingsessing；　and　Wicaco。　The　last；　when　absorbed　by　Philadelphia；　was　a　pretty　little　hamlet　on　the　river　shore；　its　farms　belonging　to　a　Swedish　family　called　Swanson　whose　name　is　now　borne　by　one　of　the　city's　streets。　Across　the　river　in　New　Jersey；　opposite　Chester；　the　Swedes　had　settlements　on　Raccoon　Creek　and　round　Swedesboro。　These　river　settlements　constituted　an　interesting　and　from　all　accounts　a　very　attractive　Scandinavian　community。　Their　strongest　bond　of　union　seems　to　have　been　their　interest　in　their　Lutheran　churches　on　the　river。　They　spread　very　little　into　the　interior；　made　few　roads；　and　lived　almost　exclusively　on　the　river　or　on　its　navigable　tributaries。　One　reason　they　gave　for　this　preference　was　that　it　was　easier　to　reach　the　different　churches　by　boat。

There　were　only　about　a　thousand　Swedes　along　the　Delaware　and　possibly　five　hundred　of　Dutch　and　mixed　blood；　together　with　a　few　English；　all　living　a　life　of　abundance　on　a　fine　river　amid　pleasing　scenery；　with　good　supplies　of　fish　and　game；　a　fertile　soil；　and　a　wilderness　of　opportunity　to　the　west　of　them。　All　were　well　pleased　to　be　relieved　from　the　stagnant　despotism　of　the　Duke　of　York　and　to　take　part　in　the　free　popular　government　of　William　Penn　in　Pennsylvania。　They　became　magistrates　and　officials；　members　of　the　council　and　of　the　legislature。　They　soon　found　that　all　their　avenues　of　trade　and　life　were　quickened。　They　passed　from　mere　farmers　supplying　their　own　needs　to　exporters　of　the　products　of　their　farms。

Descendants　of　the　Swedes　and　Dutch　still　form　the　basis　of　the　population　of　Delaware。*　There　were　some　Finns　at　Marcus　Hook；　which　was　called　Finland；　and　it　may　be　noted　in　passing　that　there　were　not　a　few　French　among　the　Dutch；　as　among　the　Germans　in　Pennsylvania；　Huguenots　who　had　fled　from　religious　persecution　in　France。　The　name　Jaquette；　well　known　in　Delaware；　marks　one　of　these　families；　whose　immigrant　ancestor　was　one　of　the　Dutch　governors。　In　the　ten　or　dozen　generations　since　the　English　conquest　intermarriage　has　in　many　instances　inextricably　mixed　up　Swede；　Dutch；　and　French；　as　well　as　the　English　stock；　so　that　many　persons　with　Dutch　names　are　of　Swedish　or　French　descent　and　vice　versa；　and　some　with　English　names　like　Oldham　are　of　Dutch　de