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To the honorable lord director general and councilors of New Netherland.

Esteemed lords,

Not only do your honors [ know ] but everyone else living in these parts that many years ago the land called Vreedlant was settled by various people with patents from your honors’ predecessor,^[1] and possessed in peace by this government until the general war of 1643. It now happens that a certain Mr. Pel, resident of Onckewaay in New England, has undertaken, against all Christian laws and customs, to repurchase recently these same lands from the same natives, which had been bought and paid for from the natives by your honors, according to the register of conveyances, and to take possession of them in his name and to live there without your honors’ knowledge or consent, and contrary to the settlement of the boundaries agreed upon with the United Colonies of New England at Hardfort in 1650. Against which usurpations the fiscal, in his capacity, and in the name and on behalf of his lords superiors, has protested.^[2] After these protests were made, Lieutenant Wheller (who is in command there as chief officer) has remained there with the remainder of his associates, continuing to build and plant, and receiving [ and sheltering several fugitives, vagabonds, and thieves, who on account of their bad behavior had to flee. Thereupon ] your honors, according to the instructions and orders of the lords directors and in order to uphold the agreement of Hardfort, have resolved to eject the aforesaid Wheller and his associates with a detachment of armed men. Which persons, according to their declaration dated 14 March, drew up in armed formation opposite the lord general, who was present there with the rest of the troops, and demonstrated their unwillingness to be ejected, saying that it was their land. Whereupon the aforesaid English were disarmed, and 23 of them were brought the same day aboard the ship de Waegh as prisoners. A few were left behind with their women and children to look after their possessions. Therefore, the fiscal requests that your honors will be pleased to send the court messenger with one or two of the oldest men to Vreedlant in order to summon the remaining English, who are still there, to depart with all that they had brought there, on pain of appropriate legal action if they do otherwise; also, that the aforesaid Lieutenant Wheller and his associates pay the expenses incurred by your honors in going up there with boats and armed men because of their actions and disobedience; and especially, to sign a document and promise therein by oath never again to come and live, build, plant, sow, or mow without your honors’ special order and consent upon our lords superiors’ lands located at Vreedlant, recently named by them Westchester, or upon any other other lands located within the limits agreed upon at Hardfort, on pain of suffering corporal punishment according to the circumstances of the case, if they do otherwise.

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References

Translation: Gehring, C., trans./ed., New York Historical Manuscripts: Dutch, Vol. 6, Council Minutes, 1655-1656 (Syracuse: 1995). A complete copy of this publication is available on the New Netherland Institute website.