Document: Two declarations respecting the wounding of capt.-lieut. Brian Nuton by a sentinel

[several lines lost] aforesaid [ ] Stuyvesant [ ] councilor, La Montagne [ ] sergeant under the said [ ] it follows that he [ ] at the end of May 1656 in the evening between 9 and 10 had [ ] the sentry at the [Lant]poort [ landside gate ] of fort N. Amsterdam in N. Netherland and a certain Hendrick Sweers van Coeverden [ who ] had sentry duty at the Waterpoort [ waterside gate ] of the said fort and that he heard a gun fire and saw the fire of the discharge of a gun at the place where the said Hendrick Sweers stood as sentry, and that he heard a short time thereafter the groaning of Capt. Nuton who, after having made the rounds, had just taken leave from the fort and was going home through the Waterpoort. All of which he declares to be true. Done at Fort Amsterdam in New Netherland, the second of June 1656 (was signed) Marten Warnaersen (Merten Werensen).

Catrijne Ernstingh van Winden, about 30 years of age, housewife of Hendrick Sluyter, tamboer, attests, declares and testifies, at the request of the lord director general Petrus Stuyvesant, in the presence of the lord councilor La Montagne and the sergeant Paulus Jansz, how the following is true and truthful that she on the [several lines lost] he stood [ ] whereupon she thrust open the door and said to the sentry Hendrick Sweers van Coeverden, Who is shooting there? Did you shoot?; the sentry did not utter a word but set his gun down and ran from the sentry position behind the church. Shortly thereafter she heard a crying voice just outside the fort say: amij, amij, not knowing who it was. But shortly thereafter [ she ] saw that it was the captain lieutenant Nuton. Done at Fort Amsterdam in New Netherland, the 2nd of June 1656 by Caterina Ernstingh. Thus declared in the presence as above and hereby acknowledged by these signatures:

La Montagne Paulus Jansz

In my presence, Corn. Van Ruyven

Rights: This translation is provided for education and research purposes, courtesy of the  New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections, Mutual Cultural Heritage Project. Rights may be reserved. Responsibility for securing permissions to distribute, publish, reproduce or other use rest with the user. For additional information see our Copyright and Use Statement Source: New York State Archives. New Netherland. Council. Dutch colonial council minutes, 1638-1665. Series A1809. Volume 8.