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Deerpark and Mount Hope

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Notwithstanding the Major’s precautions to defend his possessions, it appears that, at a certain time about the year 1730, his family were expelled and his goods removed out of the house, and possession taken by the intruders. This was in his absence, and while his wife was confined to her bed by the birth of a child, and it caused her death.

In order to reinstate the Major, assistance was procured from Goshen, which, with the inhabitants of this neighborhood, concluded to go secretly and lay in ambush on a hill, in a piece of woods near the Major’s house—that Peter Gumaer should go to the house, and discover the situation of the enemy, and when the opportunity became favorable for them to enter the house, then go into the orchard and throw up an apple as a signal for the party to come on. After the party had ambushed themselves and the opportunity became favorable, Gumaer left the house, went into the orchard, and threw up an apple, whereupon the party rushed into the house, expelled the inmates and reinstated the Major.

The occupants, now fearing that they might be taken by surprise by a force they could not resist, managed to have a spy among the Jersey claimants, at some twenty miles distance, through whom from time to time they received information of all the projects of the claimants. Through that course they were informed that the Jerseymen had collected a strong party, with which on a certain day they intended to dispossess the occupants generally on the disputed lands.— When the day came the occupants, fathers and sons, all assembled at the house of Harmanus Van Inwegen, armed with guns and fully equipped. When the Jersey company came in view, the occupants went out into the road, and formed themselves in line for battle. Jacob Codebeck observed to Van Inwegen, that as they were old men, and their lives not so valuable as those of the young, they would take position in front of the line—which Van Inwegen instantly agreed to, and they took their stations accordingly. After being formed in double file, the two old men in front, Major Swartwout placed himself at the head of the column to lead and give the word of command. When the Jersey company came within gun shot and halted, Gerardus Swartwout, a son of the Major, who did not know whether the affair was all fun or sober earnest, or whether he was to fire so as to kill them or maim their legs only, asked his father how he should shoot, who replied “Kill them!” Van Inwegen immediately requested the Major to give the word to commence the battle, which he did. The Jerseymen unexpectedly finding these men collected and armed for mortal combat, and hearing the inquiry of the young man, the answer and the word of command, became suddenly daunted in their military courage, and hastily retreated to the nearest woods. The others, taking a circuitous route, headed them off, and while they were passing from a ravine back of a hill, about two miles off, the occupants fired at them but with little effect. One man shot at the constable’s leg, missed him and killed his horse. This occurred when Gerardus Swartwout was a young man, and about in 1740.

The history of many of those border frays and contentions, to hold and gain possession of the disputed lands, is now buried in oblivion, not having come down to us on the stream of tradition.

The last struggle between the parties was to capture and imprison the Major and Johannes Westbrook, both of whom lived on the battle ground. Any open effort to capture the Major was known to be environed with great difficulty: and the Jerseymen undertook to effect it on the Sabbath, at the door of the church. This was between the years 1764—67, and when the Rev. Thomas Romeyn was pastor—he being settled at Flatbush, Long Island till 1764. To accomplish it, they had collected a strong party, who came armed with clubs on the day appointed, and when the minister preached in the church of Mahaghkemeck congregation and surrounded it. After the services were ended, and the Major and Capt. Westbrook had gone out, they were captured and made prisoners, after a harsh rough-and-tumble struggle. The Major was taken and confined in the Jersey colony prison, from which he was soon released. Not long after this, by the establishment of a new line between the colonies, as previously remarked, all the border disputes and personal frays ended.

The meaning of the Indian word Mahaghkemeck we do not know, but have been informed it was the original Indian name of the Neversink River. The two names may express “the same thing.”

FRENCH WAR AND INDIAN INCIDENTS.

About sixty years from the time of settlement, and when the people had acquired some property and were enabled to live comfortably, the settlers were doomed to undergo greater troubles and dangers than they had experienced at any time from their New Jersey neighbors. What is called the old French and Indian war commenced in 1755, and was in fact a war between England and France, in which the Indians along the frontier took sides with the French, and generally left this part of the country. Some, on removing, went to one place—some to another; while a number of them proceeded to Cochecton, some forty miles distant, united themselves with the Indians who resided there, where they remained during the war. The Indians being hostile, rendered the situation of the settlement, and indeed all the frontier line, unpleasant and perilous. To ensure greater safety, a majority of the women and children were removed to Rochester, Naponach, Warwarsink and Old Paltz, where by previous marriages nearly all of the old settlers had relatives living. Although all these places, except Old Paltz, were on the frontiers, still they were deemed more secure than Peenpack.

At the commencement of this war, there were about thirty families within the limits of the present town of Deerpark, extending along the Neversink River the distance of eight or ten miles. At this time there was an upper and lower neighborhood, the latter extending down to the Delaware River. In the upper neighborhood, and within the distance of three or four miles, three small forts were built, and three in the lower neighborhood, within about the same distance. These were erected as places of refuge for the inhabitants, and for defence. One in the upper neighborhood was on the Neversink at the Northwest end of the settlement; one at the house of Peter Gumaer in the central part of the neighborhood; and the third at the Southwest end of the settlement, near the present dwelling house of Peter Swartwout, Esq. These three forts were occupied by about twelve families, and a few soldiers who were there from time to time.

The locations of the three forts in the lower neighborhood are not known at the present day; but at the time we speak of, were occupied by, and gave protection to, about eighteen families.

The following incidents show the troublesome and dangerous situation of these people. Three men went out armed to cut down a field of grain, and on arriving sat down their guns and went to work. A party of Indians, who had previously ambushed themselves near the side of the field, when the opportunity served and the men at a distance from their arms, rushed in, intercepted them from their guns, and killed the three.

At another time during the war, a party of Indians lay in ambush to get an opportunity to take the lower fort at Mr. Westfall’s, sent two of their party to espy it, who discovered that there were only two women in the fort. While the two spies returned to inform their party, a small company of soldiers marching from New Jersey to Esopus, accidentally came along and stopped at the fort. They were scarcely seated before the Indians rushed in, and when they unexpectedly found a number of men in the house, they immediately fired their guns, and fell on the men with their tomahawks. The soldiers fled to the chamber and other parts of the building, from which they shot at the Indians, and after a desperate fight compelled them to retire without taking the fort, though several of the soldiers were killed.

A little boy, a son of Mr. Westfall's, was taken prisoner during the war, near this fort, and remained among the Indians till after the war of the Revolution. When informed that, by the death of his father, he had become heir to a part of his estate, he came to the town with an interpreter to get

it. He was taken to the premises where his father had lived, and where he had been taken prisoner, and he said that he had no recollection of any object there, except a little pond of water near the house where he was captured. His mother was then living, and being satisfied that he was her son, endeavored by personal appeals and every maternal and filial consideration, to persuade him to stay and abide with her—but he would not. His residence with the Indians had steeled his heart and feelings against all those considerations which actuate the conduct of civilized men: he sold his estate, and joyfully returned to Indian life among his friends in the wilderness.

While the war lasted the Indians continued their aggressions during the open winters, in one of which they attacked the upper fort on the Neversink, the inmates of which at the time were principally soldiers. During the assault the house took fire, from the burning of the barn as was supposed, and the heat soon became so intense that the occupants were obliged to flee or perish. In their flight they were all killed but one. A woman, the wife of the captain of the garrison, and a black woman went into the cellar and remained there till the fire began to fall through the floor, when the white woman ran out and round the house, and the Indians followed and killed her. The black woman got out unperceived by them and secreted herself on the bank of the river till dark, when by a circuitous rout through the fields and woods she gained the fort at Gumaer’s, the only survivor to tell the tale of Indian horror. The captain was not at home at the time, but when became and learned the history of the sad catastrophe grieved much for the loss of his wife.