Document: Letter from William Beeckman to director Stuyvesant

Holding Institution
Document ID
NYSA_A1878-78_V19_0058
Description

Letter. William Beeckman to director Stuyvesant, informing him of a panic which prevails at the South river.

Document Date
1662-09-05
Document Date (Date Type)
1662-09-05
Document Type
Full Resolution Image

Translation
Translation

My Lords[1]: As soon as I arrived in New Amstel I found a great turmoil and commotion among the inhabitants who were fleeing bag and baggage into the fort because of the burning of the hut mentioned in my last letter.[2] Mr. d'Hinojosse sent a messenger to me requesting, in the name of the director and council of the colony, that I go upriver and hire a Swede to go to Manhattan. I again had to refuse because I was not able to leave home at this time and because they could spare sending one or two men upriver better than I. Finally I suggested that since there was a Swede here from Kinsses, we should both send our letters to Mr. La Grange with the request that his Cleyn Hanssien[3] or his brother-in-law Caerl (both are people who have often been to Manhattan) be hired at our common expense to carry our letters over to you as quickly as possible. The messenger returned at once reporting Mr. d'Hinojosse's approval of the suggestion and desire to set things in motion immediately, which was done.

If this affair should follow its course (may God prevent it) some additional soldiers will be necessary for the defense of our places. I believe that I should be able to enlist ten or twelve men, but mostly from here in the colony. We are also short of gunpowder and lead; food is readily available here. We have heard nothing yet (thank God) of injury to man or animal in our quarter or district and no reports in New Amstel of injury to any livestock. Therefore I hope that everything turns out for the best. With this I commend you to God's protection, remaining after wishes for a long and prosperous administration.

Translation Superscripts
[1]: Chronologically 19:60, with 19:59 as an enclosure, should precede this letter.
[2]: See postscript to 19:60 for a reference to this.
[3]: This name "Little Johnny" would indicate that the person is probably an indentured servant or a slave.
References

From the collections of the New York State Archives, Albany, New York.  https://www.archives.nysed.gov/  

Translation link see: http://iarchives.nysed.gov/xtf/view?docId=tei/A1878/NYSA_A1878-78_V19_0058.xml

Published bound volume is also available: Translation: Gehring, C. trans./ed., New York Historical Manuscripts: Dutch, Vols. 18-19, Delaware Papers: Dutch Period, 1648-1664 (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc.: 1981).

Copyright to the published bound volume is held by the Holland Society of New York.
A complete copy of this publication is available on the
New Netherland Institute website.

Location
Locations (Unlinked)
South river|New Amstel|Manhattan|Kinsses
To Party 1
To Party 1 Text Unlinked
Petrus Stuyvesant
From Party 1
From Party 1 Text Unlinked
William Beekman
Related Ancestors (Unlinked)
Alexander d'Hinoyossa|Mr. La Grange|Cleyn Hanssien
Document Location