40

JOURNAL OF THE SECOND ESOPUS WAR,

also 5 of the Ilon ble Company’s Negroes. Through great intercession and promise of better behaviorin future, the Council of war pardoned Jan Hendricksen the faults committed by him and he isreleased from confinement. Meanwhile I had two parties in the field with the reapers and one inAmbush. They saw nothing and returned in the evening. I this day sold, by public beat of drum,the three horses which we had brought with us from the Indians’ fort.

4 th ditto. A Mohegan Indian came from fort Orange ; he had a pass from Monsieur Montagnie ;brought two letters, one to M r Gysbert and one to Hendrick Jochems ; there was hardly any newsin them except that they were longing to receive some intelligence relative to the condition of theEsopus. Convened the Council of war and invited thereto the Commissaries of the village Wildwyck,and made this Ordinance and read it to the people, both freemen and military, and had a copyaffixed to each Beat or Post. It is, word for word, as follows :—

•

“ Ordinance made and enacted by the Captain Lieutenant and the valiant Council of war atpresent commanding the troops and Military in the Esopus or Wildwyck.

u Whereas we learn by daily experience that many, as well military as freemen, are removingfrom the Village Wildwyck , without the consent of the Capt Lieutenant and Commissaries of thisVillage, Therefore it is necessary that timely provision be made therefor, so that none may at anytime fall into the hands of the barbarous Indians, our enemies ; And that families every day unne-cessarily waste and fire off powder and ball. Therefore the Captain Lieutenant and valiant Councilof war, wishing to provide for and prevent all inconveniences and mischiefs which may arise there-from, have ordered and directed, as they do hereby order and direct.

1 .

« Firstly , That no one, whether military or freeman shall, without the consent of the CaptainLieutenant, Council of war and Commissaries of this'place, depart from this Village of Wildwyck ,either in large or small bodies, whether to cut grain or for any other business whatsoever it may be,lest any of them may chance to fall into the hands of the barbarous Indians, our enemies ; and if anyone remove beyond this village of Wildwyck without consent or proper convoy, whatever thebusiness or occasion may be, he shall pay a fine of five and twenty guilders for the first offence ; forthe second fifty guilders and for the third offence an arbitrary punishment; A.nd should any one,in violating and disobeying this order, happen to be captured by the Indians, our enemies, noexpence or trouble shall be incurred for him, inasmuch as he, by his perverse and stiffnecked course,contrary to this Ordinance, will have brought down this misfortune on himself.

2 .

“ If any one unnecessarily & perversely waste or fire oif his powder and ball, be it on the departureor arrival of convoys or otherwise, he shall, for the first offence, pay a fine of three guilders for eachshot; for the second offence six guilders and for the third offence suffer arbitrary punishment, unlesswhen desirous to discharge his gun, being out of order or wet, he shall ask permission therefor fromhis superior or inferior officer. And for the better observance and obedience of this ordinance,the Captain Lieutenant and Council of War hereby particularly and imperatively command allSuperior officers, Serjeants, and Corporals to pay strict' attention that this Ordinance be observedand respected. Thus done in the village of Wildwyck by the Captain Lieutenant, Council of Warand the proper Commissaries of said village, on the 4th of August 1663.”

Same date a letter is also sent by the Mohegan Indians to Christoffel Davids at fort Orange