50

JOURNAL OF THE SECOND ESOPUS WAR.

4.

“ Every one shall hold himself in readiness with his gun, duly provided with powder and ball, .to appear immediately, or on the first command of the superior or inferior officer, wherever hemay be required, then to await further orders, and whoever acts contrary or disobeys herein shallbe arbitrarily punished according to his deserts, pursuant to the sentence of the Court Martial.

5.

“ No one shall go from one guard or post to another without taking with him his proper handand side arms, so that he may be immediately prepared to defend himself in case of alarm, uudera penalty of twenty stivers for each offence, and as often as he shall be found disobeying herein.Thus done by the Cap 1 Lieutenant and valiant Council of War, in Wildwyck, this 15 Septem-ber, 1663.”

Nothing else occurred, inasmuch as it was again rainy weather.

16 th ditto. Sunday. Nothing occurred and no detachment was sent out.

17 th ditto. Maet Seeu left again with his boat ; took with him two sick, Peter Andriessen andJan Coppenou and two horses for Monsieur Yerlet and sundry empty barrels for the Hon bIaCompany ; had him escorted to the Redoubt by 32 men. Thomas the Irishman arrived to day, atthe Redoubt and a small straw cabin in which a soldier resided was burnt, but nothing can beascertained as to how the fire originated. Meanwhile the Soldier lost all his property. Nothingelse occurred this day.

18 th ditto. Presented the following request to the Magistrates of this village of Wildwyck:—

“ Whereas the Heer Director General and the Heeren Councillors have written to us here that it istheir intention to send hither, by the first opportunity, additional Soldiers and a party of MarsepingSavages, 1 to seek out and subdue as much as possible the Esopus Indians, our enemy, the CaptainLieutenant and Council of War, therefore, request the Sheriff and Commissaries of this village ofWildwyck to be pleased to allot two or three houses in this village to lodge, provisionally, theaforesaid force whenever it shall arrive. This doing, our friendship shall follow. Done, Wildwyck,18 th Sept r 1663.” Answer of the Court as follows :—“ The W. Court having looked around at therequest of the Capt. Lieutenant and Council of War for proper lodgings for the coming forces, haveinduced Pieter Jacobsen to give his mill for 40 to 50 Soldiers, and the W. Court will do its bestto find out quarters for the Savages Done, Wildwyck , this 18 tl1 September 1663. (was subscribed)Roelof Swartwout. (Lower stood) By order of the W. Court in Wildwyck aforesaid. MattheusCapito, Secretary. Two detachments were out, to day, with the reapers in the field and at the GreatPlot, and 20 men in ambush. Returned in the evening ; saw nothing.

- 19 th ditto. Thomas the Irishman sailed for the Manhatans ; had him escorted. Tw r o detachmentswere out in the field with the reapers, but saw nothing.

20 th ditto. Two detachments were out at the Great Plot by Tjerck’s to cut oats and to plough ;they returned in the evening having seen nothing.

21 st ditto. Turn detachments went out again; one with the ploughers, the other with thosedrawing home the oats, but they did not see any thing.

22 d ditto. Another detachment w r as out in the field with the ploughmen ; saw nothing. Sent aparty about midnight along the Kill where some maize lay ; distant South from Wildwyck about 2hours’ march; but on arriving there found only a small patch of maize, as it had all been pluckedby some straggling Indians or bears. Our people took away the remainder, but ’twas of little

1 These were Queens Co. Indians. Thompson calls them Marsepeagues, and says their principal settlement was at FortKeck. Ed.