Document: Letter from John Willemsen to vice-director Beeckman

Honorable Lord, Greetings:

My Lord, the council has met and decided to inform you of the following events as soon as possible: Last Saturday my lord[1] and some people went downriver on an inspection trip, leaving me in charge at his departure. In the evening, while sitting before my door, a badly wounded Indian came running from below along the road from Jagerslant. Although he was unable to speak, he communicated with signs that it was the Sinnekens who had done it. Whereupon I called the militia to arms, and have had to continue this every evening. Also, I heard that the Indians were making great threats against us, and yesterday we saw their bloody results when Joris Floris, a very old man, was shot from his horse while riding through the woods with his two-horse wagon; and it can be seen that it was the Sinnekens who must have done it because they hacked off one side of his head with the hair and everything else. Since it is necessary to inform the lord general of this, it is our request that you find for us a capable person, either Swede or Dutchman, to report this as soon as possible (upon which we are depending) and to tell us when he is prepared [ to go ] in order to have our letters ready, remaining, in the meantime.