Document: Removal of Jan Paul Jacquet from office of commander on the South River

[Copy.[i]

Further order to Commander Jacquet, by which he is removed from office.

Honorable, dear, faithful sir.

In our last letter through Mr. Alrichs your honor’s remaining there was left to your honor’s option. Since that so many complaints are] referred to us and written [ remonstrations made of your ] delaying, if not refusing [ justice ] and lawful arrests, of bringing in [ ] executing, on your own authority without previous legal proceedings, your own pretended debts, of obstructing (and this by acts of violence) possession, cultivation and ownership of lands, granted by us to others and of much other improper treatment of various people, freemen as well as officials of the Company, that hearing of it, not to mention telling it, grieves and afflicts us unto shame, and although we had until now been in hopes that the general complaints of all too hasty and improper treatment, upon our serious admonition and warnings, might have been avoided, removed or remedied, we are now again placed beyond hope in this regard that the last written complaints of Jan Schaggen, Allerton and others are beyond correction, if not irresponsible. Therefore, we are, to our regret, compelled [ to inform ] your honor [ that you must purge and defend yourself against the same and meanwhile to suspend you provisionally from your office and (to command) that you transfer and deliver the property of the Company ] well inventoried to Andries Hudde, Jan Jurriaensz and the sergeant Poulus Jansen under good receipts, to be signed by them in duplicate, and to send to us, first the one and then the other, upon which we shall rely. We commend your honor with our usual salutations to the protection and shield of God and remain,

Honorable, dear, faithful your honor’s affectionate (was signed) P. Stuyvesant

Done at Fort Amsterdam in N. Netherland,

the 20th of April 1657