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Letter from William Beeckman to director Stuyvesant

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Noble, Honorable, highly Esteemed, Wise and very Prudent Lords:

My Lords, on the 7th of this month, when the ship, St. Jacop, had already been pushed off, the schout, van Schweringen, asked the skipper to wait for the arrival of the English and to send his boat to Apoquenamingh to fetch the governor, since there was no other vessal available. On the 9th, Lord Baltemoor[1] arrived in New Amstel with a retinue of about 26 to 27. I entertained his Honor here at Altena on the 11th and 12th of this month. The governor intends this coming spring to go to Boston by way of Manhattan. He thanks you for the offer to send him some guards and horses.

On the 12th of this month (at the invitation of Mr. van Sweringen) several chiefs of this river appeared, and van Sweringen (without communicating with us) held council with them and the English governor, to renew the treaty of peace and friendship which was made with them two years ago. Mr. van Sweringen also, as he told me, attempted at this meeting to establish boundaries according to instructions from his superiors. He received as a reply that they would write to the old Lord Baltemoor about it.

My Lords, I received on the 9th of this month your orders and instructions for a general day of prayer and fasting which we shall observe and execute according to its tenor.

I refer to my last letter concerning our needs; we are destitute of almost everything.

In conclusion, I commend you to God's protection and remain, after wishes for a long life and prosperous administration,

Notes

This is probably Governor Philip Calvert who was the half-brother of Cecil Lord Baltimore.

References

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).A complete copy of this publication is available on the New Netherland Institute website.