Part 15 (2/2)

There had been no more than time to issue commands, when the fleet we had been expecting sailed up the harbor, and anch.o.r.ed within full view of the city. The s.h.i.+ps were seemingly crowded with soldiers, and even those who were eager to prevent the English from working their will, must have begun to understand that there was no hope of making a successful defense.

The streets of the city were filled with men, women, and children, who wandered about aimlessly, too much excited to be able to remain within doors, and as messengers came and went from the fleet, enough of what was being done leaked out to give us a good idea of the matter in hand.

First we knew that the commander of the fleet had demanded the surrender of the city, and this we would have understood even though no one told us, because of the officers who came ash.o.r.e under flag of truce.

Then it was whispered about that Master Stuyvesant wanted to talk over the situation with the English commander; but was told that the fleet had been sent to take the city, not that its officers might argue.

A THREE DAYS' TRUCE

Upon this Master Stuyvesant asked for three days in which to consult with his advisors, forgetting, perhaps, that the Swedes had asked for only twelve hours, and he had refused.

To this request Colonel Nicolls agreed, but at the same time made all his preparations for opening fire upon the city, in case Master Stuyvesant was so pig-headed as to refuse to surrender.

Two of the s.h.i.+ps were sent up the river and anch.o.r.ed where they could throw shot into the fort at short range, while the others were moored off Nutten Island, sending five companies of soldiers ash.o.r.e near the ferry landing on Long Island, where they went into camp.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Next morning a company of hors.e.m.e.n and a band of soldiers came down from Hartford, and were ferried across in the boats of the fleet, thus showing that the Ma.s.sachusetts Bay Company would do what they might to carry out the wishes of King Charles.

That night the commander of the English fleet sent ash.o.r.e, secretly, twenty or more written messages to the people, and both Martin Kip, on whose farm the messengers landed, and I, knew beyond a peradventure that there were found men in New Amsterdam willing to spend their time carrying them where the most good might be done to the enemy.

In these messages Colonel Nicolls promised all who would lay down their arms, full liberty to remain on the land, without being molested in any way, and agreed that his king would protect them in the holding of all their property.

Now even those who had been hesitating whether to side with the Dutch or the English, were eager to see the surrender of the city, and when the Director called upon citizens to work on the fort or the palisade, he could find none save servants or slaves to answer his summons, and even these it was necessary to drive with such of the soldiers as were yet willing to obey orders.

VISITORS FROM THE ENGLISH

At noon of the second day of the truce, a boat put off from the fleet, coming directly toward the city, and before she was near to the dock some of the Englishmen among us cried out that he who stood in the bow was Governor Winthrop, of the Ma.s.sachusetts Bay Colony.

Then it was that Master Stuyvesant ordered a salute to be given, as if the gentleman were coming to us as a friend, and when the latter stepped on sh.o.r.e, followed by five officers from the English army, the schout conducted them to the city hall, where it was said the Director and the burgomasters were waiting.

It can well be fancied that every person in the city, save, perhaps, Master Stuyvesant's family and servants, gathered around the city hall to hear what might be going on, and there we speedily learned that the Director had fallen into a rage, even going so far as to quarrel with those other officials who had been his best friends.

The visitors from the fleet did not stay overly long, and when they went away it was whispered among the excited citizens that Governor Winthrop had left a letter, which some of the burgomasters believed should be read to the people.

MASTER STUYVESANT'S RAGE

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