History of Delaware County - Ashmead, Ch. II, (Page 7)

Chapter II

suggestion that the Dutch were the earliest settlers on the Delaware, "that the devil was the oldest possessor of hell, but he sometimes admitted a younger one." That on another occasion, Printz treated contemptuously a letter he had sent him by a sergeant, in that he threw it towards one of his attendants who stood near him, saying, "There, take care of it," and that when the sergeant insisted on seeing the Governor, who left him to meet some Englishmen, he, the sergeant, was thrown out of doors, "the Governor taking a gun in his hand from the wall to shoot him, as he imagined, but was prevented from leaving his room," and that when the servants of the Dutch Company went to Tinicum, Printz unreasonably abused them, "so that they are often, on returning home, bloody and bruised," while John Thickpenny,¹ of the New England colony on the Delaware, deposed that, at Tinicum, Printz cursed and swore at the Englishmen, calling them renegades, and threw John Woolen, the Indian interpreter for the English settlers, into irons, which Printz himself fastened on his legs, and that he stamped with his feet in his rage. Despite all these statements, Printz was true to his sovereign's interest in the colony, even if he had failed in that respect in the Old World.²
¹ Deposition of John Thickpenny, "New Haven Colonial Records," vol. i. pp. 97-99
² John Printz was well educated, and after he entered military life he rose rapidly during the Prussian and Germany war. In 1638 he was promoted lieutenant-colonel of West Gotha Cavalry. In 1640 he shamefully and disgracefully surrendered the fortress of Chemnitz, and returned to Stockholm without the consent of the field-marshall. He was put under arrest, tried, and broken of his rank in the army. He was subsequently (Aug. 16, 1642) appointed Governor of New Sweden. On his return to the Old World he was made a general, and in 1658, Governor of the district of Jonkoping. He died in 1663, leaving no male issue to succeed to the title conferred on him in 1642.

On Feb. 20, 1647, when the ship "Golden Shark," which had arrived in New Sweden on the 1st of October of the preceeding year, left the colony on the return voyage to Europe, Printz dispatched Lieut. John Pappegoya, as a special messenger to orally make a report of the growth and need of the settlement. Pappegoya had been one of the early Swedish settlers on the Delaware and had returned home, but desiring to revisit New Sweden, he came back in 1644, particularly recommended to the favorable consideration of Printz by the home government. It is believed at the time Pappegoya was sent to Sweden as bearer of dispatches he was then married to Armigart, Governor Printz's daughter, who figured prominently in our early annals. He returned to New Sweden in a short time (in those days of long voyages), for about in the middle of June, 1648, Hudde³ mentions that the committee of the Dutch Council, after completing the purchase of land on the Schuylkill from the Indians, "with a becoming suite, sailed to Tinne Konck, and was received there by the commissay, Huygen and Lieut. Passegay (Pappegoya), who left them about half an hour in the open air and constaint rain," before they could obtain an interview with Governor Printz. When the latter, after administering the affairs of the colony on the Delaware for twelve years, sailed for Sweden in the latter part of the year 1653, he left the government in charge of his son-in-law, John Pappegoya.
³ Hudde's Report, Penna. Archives, 2d series, vol. v. p. 115.

May 21, 1654, the ship "Eagle" arrived at New Castle, having on board John Claudius Rising, who had been appointed commissary and Governor's assistant counselor, - an office equivalent to Lieutenant- Governor; but Printz having sailed before Rising came, the full charge of the colony devolved upon him. His first official act was not only a violation of his instructions, but an error which was disastrous in its results to the colony. As the vessel came to at Fort Cassimir two guns were fired as a salute to the fortress, after which Rising demanded the surrender of the stronghold. The Dutch commander desired time to consider, but Rising ordered a force of thirty men to land and take the place by assault, refusing, as the Dutch alleged, "to give one hour's delay." Acrelius tells us, "A correct inventory was made of everything in the fort, and every one was allowed to carry off his property, whether belonging to the company or to private individuals;"⁴ while Gerrit Becker, the Dutch commander, deposed, "I could scarcely induce him (Rising) by prayer not to be turned out naked, with his (my) wife and children, and all the property in this fort was confiscated by them."⁵ The capture of this fortress having taken place about noon on Trinity Sunday, the Swedes called it the "Fort of the Holy Trinity;" and subsequently, under the supervision of Peter Lindstrom, the engineer, it was repaired, enlarged, and "as good as built anew." ⁴ Acrelius, "New Sweden," p. 63.
⁵ Penna. Archives, 2d series, vol. v. p. 253.

On the 17th of June, 1654, Vice-Governor Rising held a council with the Indian sachems at Printz Hall, at Tinicum, and although the savages stated that the Swedes vessel had introduced among them diseases, of which many of their people died, the gifts which Rising laid before them were too tempting to be resisted, and a treaty of friendship was then "made between the Swedes and the Indians, which has ever since been faithfully observed on both sides."⁶ ⁶ Campanius, p. 78.

When the news of the capture of Fort Cassimir was received in Holland it excited much indignation among the directors, and although previous to that event the home government had not approved fully of Stuyvesant's action in erecting the fort at New Castle, all differences of opinion were swallowed up in the indignation and anger the seizure of the fortress aroused. Hence, Stuyvesant was ordered "to exert every nerve to revenge that injury, not only by restoring affairs o their former situation, but by driving the Swedes from every side of the river, as they did with us, provided that such among them as may be

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Chapter II

	suggestion that the Dutch were the earliest settlers on the Delaware, "that the devil was the oldest possessor of hell, but he sometimes admitted a younger one." That on another occasion, Printz treated contemptuously a letter he had sent him by a sergeant, in that he threw it towards one of his attendants who stood near him, saying, "There, take care of it," and that when the sergeant insisted on seeing the Governor, who left him to meet some Englishmen, he, the sergeant, was thrown out of doors, "the Governor taking a gun in his hand from the wall to shoot him, as he imagined, but was prevented from leaving his room," and that when the servants of the Dutch Company went to Tinicum, Printz unreasonably abused them, "so that they are often, on returning home, bloody and bruised," while John Thickpenny,¹ of the New England colony on the Delaware, deposed that, at Tinicum, Printz cursed and swore at the Englishmen, calling them renegades, and threw John Woolen, the Indian interpreter for the English settlers, into irons, which Printz himself fastened on his legs, and that he stamped with his feet in his rage. Despite all these statements, Printz was true to his sovereign's interest in the colony, even if he had failed in that respect in the Old World.²	¹ Deposition of John Thickpenny, "New Haven Colonial Records," vol. i. pp. 97-99 ² John Printz was well educated, and after he entered military life he rose rapidly during the Prussian and Germany war. In 1638 he was promoted lieutenant-colonel of West Gotha Cavalry. In 1640 he shamefully and disgracefully surrendered the fortress of Chemnitz, and returned to Stockholm without the consent of the field-marshall. He was put under arrest, tried, and broken of his rank in the army. He was subsequently (Aug. 16, 1642) appointed Governor of New Sweden. On his return to the Old World he was made a general, and in 1658, Governor of the district of Jonkoping. He died in 1663, leaving no male issue to succeed to the title conferred on him in 1642.
	On Feb. 20, 1647, when the ship "Golden Shark," which had arrived in New Sweden on the 1st of October of the preceeding year, left the colony on the return voyage to Europe, Printz dispatched Lieut. John Pappegoya, as a special messenger to orally make a report of the growth and need of the settlement. Pappegoya had been one of the early Swedish settlers on the Delaware and had returned home, but desiring to revisit New Sweden, he came back in 1644, particularly recommended to the favorable consideration of Printz by the home government. It is believed at the time Pappegoya was sent to Sweden as bearer of dispatches he was then married to Armigart, Governor Printz's daughter, who figured prominently in our early annals. He returned to New Sweden in a short time (in those days of long voyages), for about in the middle of June, 1648, Hudde³ mentions that the committee of the Dutch Council, after completing the purchase of land on the Schuylkill from the Indians, "with a becoming suite, sailed to Tinne Konck, and was received there by the commissay, Huygen and Lieut. Passegay (Pappegoya), who left them about half an hour in the open air and constaint rain," before they could obtain an interview with Governor Printz. When the latter, after administering the affairs of the colony on the Delaware for twelve years, sailed for Sweden in the latter part of the year 1653, he left the government in charge of his son-in-law, John Pappegoya.	³ Hudde's Report, Penna. Archives, 2d series, vol. v. p. 115.
	May 21, 1654, the ship "Eagle" arrived at New Castle, having on board John Claudius Rising, who had been appointed commissary and Governor's assistant counselor, - an office equivalent to Lieutenant- Governor; but Printz having sailed before Rising came, the full charge of the colony devolved upon him. His first official act was not only a violation of his instructions, but an error which was disastrous in its results to the colony. As the vessel came to at Fort Cassimir two guns were fired as a salute to the fortress, after which Rising demanded the surrender of the stronghold. The Dutch commander desired time to consider, but Rising ordered a force of thirty men to land and take the place by assault, refusing, as the Dutch alleged, "to give one hour's delay." Acrelius tells us, "A correct inventory was made of everything in the fort, and every one was allowed to carry off his property, whether belonging to the company or to private individuals;"⁴ while Gerrit Becker, the Dutch commander, deposed, "I could scarcely induce him (Rising) by prayer not to be turned out naked, with his (my) wife and children, and all the property in this fort was confiscated by them."⁵ The capture of this fortress having taken place about noon on Trinity Sunday, the Swedes called it the "Fort of the Holy Trinity;" and subsequently, under the supervision of Peter Lindstrom, the engineer, it was repaired, enlarged, and "as good as built anew."	⁴ Acrelius, "New Sweden," p. 63. ⁵ Penna. Archives, 2d series, vol. v. p. 253.
	On the 17th of June, 1654, Vice-Governor Rising held a council with the Indian sachems at Printz Hall, at Tinicum, and although the savages stated that the Swedes vessel had introduced among them diseases, of which many of their people died, the gifts which Rising laid before them were too tempting to be resisted, and a treaty of friendship was then "made between the Swedes and the Indians, which has ever since been faithfully observed on both sides."⁶	⁶ Campanius, p. 78.
	When the news of the capture of Fort Cassimir was received in Holland it excited much indignation among the directors, and although previous to that event the home government had not approved fully of Stuyvesant's action in erecting the fort at New Castle, all differences of opinion were swallowed up in the indignation and anger the seizure of the fortress aroused. Hence, Stuyvesant was ordered "to exert every nerve to revenge that injury, not only by restoring affairs o their former situation, but by driving the Swedes from every side of the river, as they did with us, provided that such among them as may be
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