The Esopus Mutiny
continued
The wife of Cornelius Sleight, and her daughter, complaining to the Court that Capt. Broadhead had grievously cut, beat and wounded her husband, upon which the Court dispatched a messenger to request Captain Broadhead to come to the Court and received the following answer, “That if the Commissary would speak with him they might come to him,” the burghers then being in arms.
Capt. Broadhead had grievously cut, beat and wounded her husband, upon which the Court dispatched a messenger to request Captain Broadhead to come to the Court and received the following answer, “That if the Commissary would speak with him they might come to him,” the burghers then being in arms. The Court thereupon ordered Captain Chambers and Evert Pelce to desire Captain Broadhead to release the said burgher, and that if Sleight had offended him, he should, according to the Governor's order, complain to the magistrates, who would see that he was punished according to his deserts. To which Broadhead made answer, “that he would keep the said Cornelius as long as he pleased, and if they would fetch him he would be ready to wait upon them.”
Captain Chambers and Evert Pelce to desire Captain Broadhead to release the said burgher, and that if Sleight had offended him, he should, according to the Governor's order, complain to the magistrates, who would see that he was punished according to his deserts. To which Broadhead made answer, “that he would keep the said Cornelius as long as he pleased, and if they would fetch him he would be ready to wait upon them.”Antonio Dalve was heard by George Hall to say, when Captain Broadhead was getting some of the young burghers to go against the Dutch at Albany, “Shall we go and fight with our friends, and leave our enemies at home?” For this seditious utterance Antonio was called to account. He said in his defence that he meant to be understood as saying “Shall we go and fight our friends [the Dutch at Albany] who sold the savages powder and ball in the last Esopus war, and leave our enemies at home meaning the Esopus Indians.” The Court made an effort to prevail on the burghers to disperse to their homes and lay down their arms. The latter replied that the English had twice threatened to burn the town, and requested that they be empowered by their magistrates to continue under arms; but the magistrates denied the same.
The English Governor Nicolls sent up two of his privy counsellors to try the case, who, upon hearing the evidence, took four of the offending Dutch burgomasters to New York, there to receive from the Governor their final sentence.
Governor Nicolls sent up two of his privy counsellors to try the case, who, upon hearing the evidence, took four of the offending Dutch burgomasters to New York, there to receive from the Governor their final sentence.Table of Contents