JOURNAL OF THE SECOND ESOPUS WAR.
37
23d ditto. A Party went to the river side to bring up supplies, and three, to cut and draw grain.They experienced no interruption.
24 th ditto. Sent for all the wagons to make a journey to the river side to bring up the provisionswhich had been sent hither by the Executive government; but only 4 wagons came. As I requiredten, I excused these ; Some refused to work for the Company ; some gave for answer, if anotherwill cart I also shall cart; some said, my horses are poor, I cannot cart ; others said, my horses havesore backs, and other such frivolous answers that I was thus unable, this time, to bring up the Com-pany’s stores. Whereupon it was resolved by the Council of War, that the farmers should not befurnished with any men for their protection in the fields, unless they would assist in bringing up theCompany’s Supplies from the water side. Nay, further—one Tjerck Claesen de Wit, himself amagistrate, would turn Lieut . Stilwil’s Soldiers out of a small house they occupied—he said, hehad hired it, though he had, notwithstanding, neither possession of nor procuration for it, I gave him.for answer, that I should remove them on condition that lie, as a magistrate, would have thembilletted in other houses as the men could not lie under the blue sky, and as they had been sent hereby the Chief government for the defence of the Settlers. But lie made no answer to this ; and sothere are other ringleaders and refractory people in this place. Meanwhile the convoy which wasready to conduct the provisions, was dismist each to its own post until further orders. At noon I wentwith a troop of Dutch and Indians to the New Village where the Heer de Decker himself was; met withno interruption. A party was also out with the reapers. In the evening Jan Davets and the 5Mohawks returned from theEsopus Indians—they brought with them a female prisoner ; they wouldnot at present release any more prisoners, evinced great fierceness and repeatedly threatened to killthem, both the Mohawks and Jan Davets—told them they should not release any more prisonersunless they should secure peace thereby, and that Corlaer and Rentslaer should come to their fort,and bring goods with them to conclude peace and to redeem the prisoners ; said that they must bewithin ten days in their fort to conclude peace • said, that they demanded a truce during that time.Jan Davets also informed us, that he had seen but 4 prisoners in the fort, and that the others werescattered far and wide ; says, there are about'30 warriors in the fort, and that the others dweltwithout here and there ; they also said they were determined to make a stand in the fort, whereuponwe have resolved to go in search of them on the first opportunity.
25 th ditto. The Heerde Decker left to-day for the Manhatans in the company’s yacht, taking withhim two of the wounded, and Jan du Parck, Surgeon , and two soldiers to take care of the sick ; twosick Indians left also; sent along with them a convoy and 9 wagons to bring up the remainder of thegoods. They returned and saw nothing. Also sent out two detachments with the reapers ; they didttot remark any thing. Convened the Council of War and it was unanimously resolved to send outan expedition against the Esopus Indians, which should start the next day, if the weather werefavorable.
26‘h ditto. The following troops set out against the Esopus Indians, having as a Guide a womanwho had been prisoner among them, to wit—of Captain Lieutenant Cregier’s Company, 91 men;°f Lieutenant Stilwil’s, 30 men ; lieutenant Couweuhoven with 41 Indians ; 1 volunteers from theManhatans, 6 ; volunteers from the Esopus, 35 men, of whom 11 were horsemen, and 7 of theHon We Company’s negroes, with tv T o pieces of cannon and two wagons, the whole party providedeach with one pound of powder and a pound of ball, 2 lbs of hard bread and \ a soft loaf, with 2' 1)3°f pork and J a Dutch cheese ; left in garrison at Wildwyck 36 soldiers and 25 freemen. Marched°ut about 4 o’clock in the afternoon, and came in the evening about two great miles from Wildwyck ,