STATION 1: FOCUS ON DEFENSE -- SITE OF THE KING'S FORT,
ca. 1695-1700
A Walking Tour Through 17th and 18th Century
Schenectady ~ The Stockade
Explanation: (1) Block houses; (2) Rivers running beside ye Fort (3); Indians Wigwams; (4) Flag staff; (5) Centry box; (6) Spy loft (7) Sties for hogs; (8) The block house designed for a church; (9) Those and others like them houses; (10) A great barn; (11) The treble stockadoes; (12) The Fort Gates
Schenectady was so important a post for the protection of the province against the incursions of the Canadians, that for the first hundred years of its existence it was deemed necessary to strengthen it by a fort and garrison. The writer is led to believe from references in the records, that the first blockhouse was in the north angle of the stockade at or near the junction of Front and Washington streets. This was destroyed in 1690 by the French, at which time it was garrisoned by a small detachment under Lt. Enos Talmage, from Capt. Jonathan Bull's company, then stationed at Albany. These troops were Connecticut men.
The magazine stood on or near the lot of Mrs. Willard, then belonging to Capt. Sander Glen.
A second was built in 1690 between Washington street and the river opposite the west end of State street, covering the lot of Kleine Isaack, (that is Isaac Swits,) who with his son Cornelis was carried away by the French to Canada. On his return from captivity next year, he found his homestead occupied by soldiers, — his orchard cut down and his home utterly ruined. He repeatedly petitioned for remuneration for his losses, but it was not until 1708 that his son received a patent for 1000 acres of land in Niskayuna as a recognition of his father's claim.
The following order was issued by Leisler's commissioners at Albany for the rebuilding of the fort at Schenectady.
"Whereas it is judged necessary for to defend Schanechtede and to that purposed it is found requisite that a fort shall be erected to defend ye Inhabitants and oppugn the Enemy if should attack the same."
"These are in his Maties name to require your Capn Sander Glen and all Officers & Inhabitants belonging to ye said Schanechtede and adjacent Parts, with the Souldiers there in Garrison, to build a substantiall Fort of due magnitude and strength upon that part or parcell of ground (called by the name of Cleyn Isaacs), and that all are aiding and assisting therein according to their abilitye to dispatch and compleat the same, as they will answer the contrary at their utmost perills. Given under our hand this 13th day of May in the Second year of his Maties Reigne Annog: Do. 1690." [Col. MSS., XXXVI, 70; Doc. Hist. N. Y., II, 125].
The damage to Swits though considerable and most evident, was redressed only after many petitions and a delay of eighteen years. The following papers show the progress of the negotiation for redress.
"Petition of Isaac Swits.
To his Excellency Edward Viscount Cornbury, Captain Generall and Governor-in-chief," etc.
"The humble petition of Isaac Swits an ancient Inhabitant of the ffrontier Garrison of Schenectady.
"Sheweth
"That your Excellencies petitioner while your Lordshipp was at Albany in July 1702, preferred his humble petition to your Excellency, setting forth that about the beginning of the late happy revolution, the town of Schenectady being surprised & Destroyed by the ffrench of Canada, your Excellencies petitioner and his son were taken and carried away prisoners; — That during your petitioners imprisonment the then governor of this province ordered the ground whereon your Excellencies' petitioner's house, Barne, orchard, Garden &c. stood to be for his majesties service Inclosed and stockadoed as a fort, and garisoned the same during the Warr [The peace of Ryswick was declared in 1697] to your petitioner's very detriment; and your petitioner has not any manner of way been relieved therein, and therefore prayed to be redressed for the damages he has suffered," etc.
"May it please your Excellency To grant unto your petitioner your Lordship's warrant for the said sume of thirty pounds, or otherwise to favour your petitioner with her majesties Grant for a parcell of Land on the Norman's Creek in Lieu thereof.
"And your Excellencies petitioner shall ever pray." [Land Papers, IV, 28] [Read in council, 2d Nov., 1704].
The second fort was a large and spacious enclosure surrounded by "a triple stockade, a new blockhouse at every angle and in each blockhouse two great guns."
It contained twenty-eight huts for inhabitants of the village, two wigwams for Indians, a large barn & styes for bogs. [See above, Miller's Map]
At a court martial held at Schenectady, Aug. 7, 1691, upon a soldier named George Castleton, it was proved that he quarreled with a fellow soldier named Desvallons, about some beer; the latter struck the former with a stick, whereupon Castleton, drawing his sword, thrust it into his side, causing almost instant death. The facts of the case were mainly proved by persons living within the fort, among whom were the following [All these people were of prominent families in Schenectady, and they all lived inside the town, even though owning and working farms elsewhere. Their houses constituted the town and were surrounded by palisades, which constituted the whole fort; "the fort," or strong place of Schenectady. When the English made a strong place they named it a Royal fort in contradistinction to the town or fortress]:
Daniel Janse Van Antwerp, aged 57 years, deposed that "he was walking by to go to Douwe Aukes' house" in the fort, and witnessed the fight.
Josias Swart, aged about 33 years, testified to the facts in the case.
Douwe Aukes, aged about 47 years, "being in his house in ye fort at Schenectady with Cobus Peek looked out and saw George Castleton and James Desvallons pass at one another," &c.
Tryntie Claas, [Tryntie Claes Van Gysling being … at her house near ye "Cort of Garde," that is to say, the court of the guard or parade ground in front of the main guard house. Miller shows such a space, which corresponds to State street from Ferry to near Church. This would be the place where the guard mount took place, and where the garrison assembled for drills or parades, as is customary] wife of Elias Van Gyseling, aged about 43 years, "being in Schenectady fort at her house neer ye cort of garde * * * went into her house and heard ye sword and stick Ratle together, came out of her house forthwith & she see ye Prisoner, George Castleton make a thrust at James Desvallons," &c.
Maritye Pieterse wife of Wm. Noble, aged about 40 years "being in her house in ye fort at Schenectady heard a noise in ye street and comes out of doors and sees George Castleton attack Desvallons."
The culprit was adjudged guilty of manslaughter, burnt in the hand and banished the Province.
Explanation: 1. Block houses, 2. Rivers running beside ye Fort, 3. Indians Wigwams, 4. Flag staff, 5. Centry box, 6. Spy loft, 7. Sties for hogs, 8. The block house designed for a church, 9. Those and others like them houses, 10. A great barn, 11. The treble stockadoes, 12. The Fort Gates]
If Miller's drawing of this fort be correct ) it must have extended quite across the west end of the village from State to Front street, and included much of the land between Washington street and the Binnè kil. The blockhouse in the south angle covered Swit's lot.
The renewal of the stockadoes, which being made of pine logs lasted but five or six years, became very burthensome to the inhabitants of the village after its destruction in 1690. Having built a new fort in 1690 they were ordered to renew the palisades in 1695. On this occasion Reyer Schermerhorn refused to cut and draw his proportion of the logs, it may be because living at the mills he thought himself exempt from this burthensome service, or that his quota was too large. Thereupon Justice Johannes Sanderse Glen fined him twelve shillings, and continuing contumacious Gov. Fletcher on the 9th of April, 1698, directed the sheriff of Albany county to bring him before the Council in New York to answer for his conduct. On the 30th he appeared before the council and "stood upon his vindication," whereupon he was "committed to answer at the next Supreme Court & Col. Courtlandt was desired to take bond with sureties for his appearance and that he be of good behaviour in the mean time."
In the winter of 1695-6 the garrison at Schenectady consisted of a detachment under command of Lt. Bickford, from the companies of Captains James Weems and William Hyde, stationed at Albany. "On the 10th Jan., about 12 of the Clock at night deserted the whole guard except one & others, to the number of sixteen broak through the north west Block house next the water side." [Binnè kil].
"They drew the guns of both powder & Shott. The Lieutenant about two o'clock discovering their desertion, notified by express Col. Richard Ingoldsby at Albany, and with ten volunteers of the inhabitants and eleven soldiers started in pursuit. The serjeant and seven red coats soon gave out and were left behind. At four in the afternoon the lieutenant and his 14 men came up with the 16 diserters; ordering them to lay down their arms, they answered with a volley and both sides continued to fire until five of the deserters were killed and two wounded when the remainder surrendered."
These facts were stated by Lieut. Bickford in his account of the affair to Governor Fletcher, of March 9th. In closing his dispatch he says, "Here is a strong and regular Fort built by the inhabitants with foot works and a stone magazine fitt for this garrison." The following were the volunteers from Schenectady who accompanied Lt. Bickford in his hazardous enterprise; "Harmen Van Slyck, ensigne of the trained bands of Schenechtide and Gerryt Simons Veeder, Peter Simons Veeder, Albert Veeder, Gerryt Gysbert [Gysbertse Van Brakel], Jan Danielse Van Antwerpen, Dirck Groot, Jonas De Roy, John Wemp, Daniel Mutchcraft [Mascraft] & Thomas Smith."
At a court martial held in Schenectady April 21, the survivors of the deserting party were accounted guilty and condemned to be shot. [In the petition of Lieut. Abraham Bickford for reimbursement for his extraordinary expenses in pursuing and re-capturing deserters from time to time "more Particularly in January, 1695-6, when the whole Guard spikt the great Gunns and Deserted from his Majestys fort at Schenectady all with their Arms and in the Dead of night;" he says "yey were Tryed at a Court Marshall condemned and one of the Chiefe Leaders Executed the Rest being Pardoned having obtained his Majtys Mercy."]
The commander of the garrison who succeeded Lieut. Bickford in the spring of 1696 was Lt. Daniel Hunt from the garrison at Albany.
He reports in relation to the military stores and effectiveness of the military force at Schenectady as follows:
"In July, 1696, and in ye beginning of April '96 I was commander on ye frontieers at Schonactady, when ye French Indians destroyed Onondage & Oneide, when all ye news that arrived to mee concerning the enemy, I did from time to time by express Signifie to Col. Ingoldesby then Comander in Chiefe of ye frontieers, who as his letter makes appeare did truly acquaint his Excel: Coll: Fletcher, who did after ye enemy was gone come up to Albany without any forces: — when I came up to ye garrison at Schonectady and where ye enemy was marching towards us, I had but part of a barrel of powder and but little shott, but I writt to Col. Ingoldsby who sent me a one barrel of powder with 6 cannon balls.
Daniel Hunt."
"An account of what stores of Warr was in the frontieer garrison at Schenectady when commanded by Lieut. Daniel Hunt, in June, July, Aug. 1696, being the time when Count Frontenack the French governor of Canada destroyed the habitaçons and castles of ye Onondgoes and Oneides Viz:t
- 8 Pieces of Ordinance,
- 4 Pattararoes, whereof one unserviceable,
- 28 Shott 1 lb weight each.
- 6 Shott 4 lb weight each,
- 1 Barrel of Cannon powder.
- Part of a barrel of small powder not good,
- 1 Runlet 3/4 of musquet ball,
- Part of a Schaine of match,
- 10 Linstocks, 2 Priming horns,
- 9 Sheets of Cartharidge paper, 8 flints,
- 32 Cartharidges for ye ordinance,
- 11 baggs of musquett ball, vizt, partedges,
- 1 Ax, 1 Flagg, — 1 pr. of Shackles,
- 2 Buckets, 4 Iron potts, 4 Canns.
The forces in ye Garrison was one Lieut, one Serjt, one drum and thirty of his Matys Soldiers and no more.
Witness Daniel Hunt."
After the second fort had been occupied about 15 years, 1690 to 1705 the blockhouses were abandoned (315-2)and "Queens new Fort" was built at the east angle of the stockade. This was the "Old Fort" about which all the traditions of the people cluster.
SOURCE: A History of the Schenectady Patent in the Dutch and English Times, 12: Fortifications and Garrisons, by Prof. Jonathan Pearson and the Editor [http://www.schenectadyhistory.org/resources/patent/12.html]
VIDEO 1: A walk through the present day's Stockade district
PHOTOGRAPHS AND ILLUSTRATIONS
DOCUMENTS AND MAPS