From the History of
This map is from http://www.rootsweb.com/~nycoloni/shenctmp.html.
The numbers represent the land assigned to the
various patrons. I am related to the Van Slyck family
that owned Van Slyck’s
Some of the
Proprietors of
Pieter Janse Boorsboom, brick maker
Arent
Andriese Bratt
Philip Hendrickse
Brouwer, brewer
Reyer
Schermerhorn – One of 1684 Patentees
Teunise
Cornelise Swart
Willem Teller
Robert Livingston wrote:
This sad story should not pass from our
memory but remain engraved on it and we should grieve over our sins rather than
bewail our loss, for it is clearly shown that when the measure of our
iniquities is full, we are cut down and almost exterminated, of which the
present smoking ruins of houses and barns bear ample witness before the eyes of
our few remaining people. As to the causes of this bloody war, which they
pretend originated with us, jealousy arising from the trading of our
people...seems to be the principal one, for the Indians, that is to say, the
Five Nations, were very friendly disposed toward us. The French begrudged us
this and therefore made every effort to make them hostile to us.... The
French...invited several Indians to come into the[ir]...fort to be entertained...but they met with a
different reception, for as soon as they entered the fort they were bound
securely and carried off to Cubeck [
The bloodthirsty people [the French and
their Indian allies], then, to accomplish their evil purpose, according to
their own statement made the journey from
The women and children fled mostly into
the woods, almost naked and there many froze to death.... Oh, we poor,
miserable people, how we were scattered during that dreadful night, the husband
being separated from his wife and the children from both, one hiding for 2 or 3
days in the woods and in swampy and marshy land, where God in His mercy
nevertheless did not forget them....
The rest, then, who escaped the bloody
sword, were condemned to be prisoners, but here again God's guiding hand
clearly appears, for many sorrowful women and children and some old men, seeing
this dreadful journey ahead of them, which meant practically death, doubtless
offered up their prayers to God, who from the depths of their woe granted them
delivery.... Considering that the old men and children and also the women would
be a hindrance to them in their flight, they [the French and their allies]
discharged them from their place of confinement to the great joy of all....
In all as many as 60 people have been
murdered by these fiends and 40 houses and 22 barns, all filled with cattle,
have been almost completely destroyed.
There is more information about the
Massacre at:
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/documents/documents_p2.cfm?doc=238
Many of my ancestors suffered during
this massacre. Many died, others were taken to
A BALLAD
"In which is set
forth the horrid cruellties practised
by the French and Indians on the night
of the 8th of last February. The which I did compose last night, in the space
of one hour,
and am now writing the morning of Fryday, June 12,
1690. W.W."
God prosper long our
King and Queen,
Our lives safeties all,
A sad misfortune once
there did
From forth the woods of
The Frenchmen tooke their way
The people of
To
captivate and slay.
They march'd for
All thro' the deepest
snow
And on dismal Winter
Night
They strucke the Cruel Blow.
The lightsome sun that
rules the Day
Had gone down in the
West;
And eke the drowsy
Villagers
Had sought and found
their reste.
They thought They were in Safetie all,
And dreampt
not of the Foe;
But att
In
Wonderment Woe.
For They
were in their pleasant Beddies,
And soundelie
sleeping, when
Each door was sudden
open broke
By six or
seven Men.
The Men and Women, Younge Olde,
And weke
the Girls and Boys,
All started up in great
Affright,
Att the alarming Noise.
They then were murther'd in their Beddes,
Without shame or
remorse;
And soon the Floores and Streets were strew'd
With many a
bleeding corse.
The Village soon began
to Blaze
Which shew'd the horrid sight--
But, O, I scarce can Beare to Tell
The Mis'ries of that Night.
They threw the Infants
in the Fire,
The Men they did not
spare;
but killed All which they
could find
Tho' Aged or tho' Fair.
O Christe!
In the still
It sounded dismally,
The Women's Prayers and
the loud screams
Of their
great Agony.
Methinks as if I hear
them now
All ringing in my ear;
The Shrieks and Groanes and Woefull sighs,
They utter'd in their Fear
But some ran off to
And told the dolefull Tale;
Yett tho'
We gave our cheerful aid,
It did not much avail.
And we were horribly
afraid,
And shook with Terror,
when
They told us that the
Frenchmen were
More than a
Thousand Men.
The news came on the
Sabbath morn
Just att the Break of Day,
And with a companie of Horse
I galloped away
But soone
We found the French were gone
With all their great
Booty;
And then their Trail We did pursue
As was our
true Dutye.
Our soldiers fell upon
their Reare,
And killed twenty-five,
Our Young Men were so
much enrag'd
They took scarce One
alive.
D'Aillebout Then
did commande,
Which were but Theevish Rogues,
Else why did they
consent and goe
With Bloodye Indian Dogges?
And Here I end the long
BALLAD
The Which
you just have redde;
I wish that it may stay
on earth,
Long after I am dead
Walter Wilie -
(So it shall Mr. Wilie, and may you rest in peace.)
THE FOLLOWING ARE THE
NAMES OF THOSE KILLED AND TAKEN CAPTIVE ON THAT NIGHT.
In addition to the
soldiers in the fort those recorded as being killed in the massacre were: Myndert Wemp, Jan Dirkse Van Eps and three children,
Barent Janse Van Ditmars and his son, Cornelis, Andries Arentse Bradt and one child,
Maria Viele (wife of Douw Aukes), two children, Mary Aloff
(wife of Cornelis Viele,
Jr.) Sweer Teunises
Van Velsen, his wife, Antje
Janse Spoor, Hendrick Meese Vrooman, Bartholomew Vrooman (father and brother of Adam), Gerrit
Marcellis, wife and child, Robert Hesselingh,
Sander Van Brakel, Jan Roeloffse,
The following are
recorded as having been taken prisoners:
Isaac Swits and son Cornelis, Johannes
Teller, John Wemp (son of Myndert
Wemp, above), Symon,
Abraham, Philip, Dyrck and Claas
Groot, all five sons of Symon
Groot Sr. Jan Baptist Van Eps son of Jan Dirkse Van Eps, Albert and Johannes Vedder,
sons of Harmon Vedder, Arnout
Janse, Barent Vrooman, so of Adam. Claas son of Harmens Van de Bogart.
Most of the captives were returned to the valley from one to seven years
captivity.
Buerkendaal Massacre
An account, written by Giles F Yates, Esq.,
and published in the Schenectady Democrat and Reflector, April 22,
1836, was gathered from tradition then floating about among the aged people of
that day, with whom Mr. Yates had an extended acquaintance.
"in the
beginning of the month of July, 1748, Mr. Daniel (Toll) and his favorite
servant Ryckert, went in search of some stray horses
at Beukendahl, a locality about three miles from this
city. They soon heard, as they supposed, the tramping of horses; but on nearer
approach the sound they mistook for that made by horses hoofs on the clayey
ground, proceeded from the quoits with which some Indians were playing.
Mr. Toll
discovered his danger too late, and fell pierced by the bullets of the French
savages, for such they were. Ryckert, more fortunate,
took to his heels and fled. He reached
In less than an
hour about sixty volunteers were on the march ot Beukendahl. The greater part of these were young men and such was their zeal that
they would not wait until the proper authorities had called out the militia.
Without discipline or experience and even without a leader, they hastened to
the Indian camp.
Those in advance
of the main body, before they reached the enemy, were attracted by a singular
sight. They saw a man resembling Mr. Toll sitting near a fence in an adjoining
field, and a crow flying up and down before him.
On coming nearer
they discovered it to be the corpse of Mr. Toll with a crow attached to it by a
string.
This proved to
be a stratagem of the Indians to decoy their adversaries. the
Schenectadians fell, alas, too easily into the snare
laid for them, and were in a few moments surrounded by the Indians who had been
lying in ambush. Thus taken by surprise, they lost many of their number, and
some were taken prisoners before they could make good their retreat.
They however,
succeeded in reaching the house of Mr. DeGraff in the
neighborhood, which had been for some time deserted. But while retreating they
continued to fire upon their enemy. On reaching Mr. DeGraff's
house they entered, bolted the doors, and ascended to the second floor. Here
they tore off all the boards near the eaves, and through the opening thus made,
fired with success at the savages and succeeded in keeping them at bay. In the
meantime Dirck van Vorst,
who had been left in the charge of two young Indians, effected
his escape.
The 2 youngsters
were anxious to see the fight and secured their prisoner by tieing
him to a tree and left him alone. He succeeded in getting his knife from his
pocket and cutting the cord with which he was bound. On the approach of the
On this occasion
there were 32 citizens killed. Of these we are able to give the names of Jacob
Glen, (cousin of Col. Glen), Peter Vrooman, John
Darling, Adam Conde, Van Antwerpen,
Cornelius Viele, Nicholas DeGraff
and Adrian Van Slyck; wounded, Ryer
Wemp, Robinson and Wilson; prisoners, Abraham DeGraff and his son William, John Phelps, Harmen Veeder and Lewis Groot.
The bodies of DeGraff and Glen were found lying in a close contact with
their savage antagonists, with whom they had wrestled in deadly strife.
The corpses were
brought to
The De Graaf House, Beukendaal
The following persons were
a part of the 20 persons killed by the Indians
Daniel Toll b.
Frans van der Bogart, Jr. bp.
Jacob Glen, Jr. (cousin of
Col. Glen) b.1679, 2nd Cousin
Peter Vrooman,
b.
Adam Conde,
b. ca 1710, No relation
Daniel van Antwerpen, bp. 16 Oct 1707, 3rd
cousin
J. P. van Antwerpen,, bp. 11 Nov 1721, 3rd
Cousin
Cornelius Viele, b.
Nicholas DeGraff, b.
Adrian Van Slyck, bp.
John A Bradt , bp
John Marinus,
bp 13 Feb 1712, No relation
Lt. John Darling, no
relation, 6 of his men were killed
13 or 14 men were taken
prisoner
5 of Lt. Darling’s men
were taken prisoner
Missing persons
Dirk Van Vorst probably died, bp. 25 Aug
1705, 1st & 2nd Cousin
Isaac Truax
possibly related bp.
Ryer Wemp, bp bp
Johannes Seyer Vrooman Unknown
Albert John Vedder after
Frank Conner, No relation
John Phelps, Unknown
Harmon Veeder,
Unknown
Lewis Groot
b. 29 Nov 1712, 2nd cousin
5 of Lt. Darling’s men
were taken prisoner
Robertson & Wilson
Wounded
Additional information
about the persons I have referenced above may be found in My Ancestors section
of this website.
SCHENECTADY
The Baptism Record of Schenectady Reformed
Church, Schenectady , NY Schenectady , NY Schenectady
Baptisms at
the Dutch Reformed Church in Schenectady
http://www.bettyfink.com/scdybap1.htm
History of
Schenectady County Church Records http://www.schenectadyhistory.org/churches/churchvs.html
OTHER WEBSITES THAT MIGHT BE OF INTEREST
Schenectady County
Schenectady County
First Reformed Church of Scotia http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~vanepsgenealogy/scotiachurch.html
Baptisms at the Schenectady
This page was last revised on 21 November 2008