Map I sent your Lordships whereby he will see the situation of the wood Creek ; I humbly
hope your Lordships will be pleased to take the matter into your consideration and to give me
directions how to act herein the only information the Commissioners for Indian affairs have
at present is from an Indian and such intelligence is not always to be depended on, however
as their is some probability that the French will now or soon make such an attempt, I thought
it my duty to lay this before your Lordships
I recommend myself to your Lordships protection and am with the highest honor and regard
My Lords
Your Lordships
most humble and
most obedient Servant
Geo: Clarke
The R' Hon'"'^ the Lords Com" for Trade and Plantations.
Commissioners of Indian Affairs to Lieutenant-Governor Clarice.
Copy
Albany 7 June 1739
May it please your Honor
We cant omitt acquainting your honor that we are informed by an Indian who came hither
from Canada that the intend' accompanied with 30 batoes with four Frenchmen in each were
going to Crown point and from thence designed to go to setle sundry familys french on land
along the Wood Creek being the same where your honor intended to place the Scotch
Highlanders, we thought it our duty to send an express to go up as far as the fork were Fort
Anne was where we are told that Leber and some other French are now. if this report be
true which we are of opinion will prove so, we should be glad to know your honors pleasure
what must be done, in case the french attempt to settle those lands and incroach so far on his
Majesties Empire in taking possession of his frontiers in those parts. As soon as our Messenger
return's shall acquaint your Honor with his report, mean while we are with esteem
Your Honors most humble Servants
Ph: Livingston
Edw'' Clarke
Edw** Holland
From the Com" of Indian affairs at Albany. Djrck Ten Broeck
LONDON DOCUMENTS : XXVI. 147
Lieutenant-Governor Clarice to the Duke of Newcastle.
[New-Tork Papers. (8. P. O. ) No. 9, p. 60.]
New York Aug : SO"- 1739.
My Lord.
On the IG"" inst: I bad the honor to receive your Graces letter of the 19"" of June last
inclosing His INIaj'^' warrant authorizing me to grant commissions of reprizal on the Spaniards;
the publication whereof in a proclamation which I issued the next day and the London
news-papers of the month of June, which came to Town two days after, alarmed the people
of this place, with apprehensions of an open rupture witii spain, but more especially with fears of
seeing the French take part with them against us, however that may be, I think it my duty to
lay before Your Grace our present wants, which I beg leave to do by sending Your Grace a
copy of my letter to the Lords of Trade and of the account of our stores, presuming their
LordP' will make such a representation to Your Grace, as they think may be necessary to
supply the Garrisons and to keep the six Indian nations steady in our interest. I will not
trespass further on Your Grace's time, since I have nothing more to lay before Your Grace,
than what I have said in my letter to The Lords of Trade — I humbly recommend the
province, and myself to Your Graces protection — I am with the most profound submission
and honor
My Lord
Your Graces
most humble, most dutiful and
most obedient servant
His Grace the Duke of Newcastle. (signed). G Clarke.
Lieutenant-Governor Clarice to iJie Lords of Trade.
[ New-Tork Papers, Gg., No. ^6. ]
New York Aug: 30. 1739
My Lords
The orders I have received to Grant letters of marqz and reprizal aganst the Spaniards, and
the English new papers of the month of June have possessed the people of this Province with
apprehensions of a sudden war with Spain, with whom they fear France will take part against
us, in which event as we are a frontier Province bordering upon Canada they expect the first
attack will be made upon us and are the more uneasy, knowing in how ill a posture of defence
we are at present for want of ammunition and all other warlike stores; whether their
apprehensions of a war are well or ill grounded I know not but I think it my duty to lay
before your Lordships the enclosed account of the stores Sc'^ in the fort of New York, whereby
your Lordships will see our wants hoping you will be pleased to make such representation
thereof as may procure a quantity of all sorts of stores answerable to our present necessities.
I beg your Lordships to consider that the forts of Albany, Schenectady, the Mohawks country,
148 NEW-YORK COLONIAL MANUSCRIPTS.
and Oswego are to be supplied out of the Stores to be sent hither for tho they have small
Artillery yet they have no ammunition.
Soon after my Lord Delaware was named for the Government to this Province he wrote to
me for an account of our stores and in Feb : 1735 I sent him a Copy of that signed by Capt"
Bond in Nov 1737 the carriage wheels which in that account are called good are only
comparatively so as they are better than the rest, but in truth are fit for little service the
musquets mentioned to be good are in the store and over and above what are actually in use.
In case of a rupture with France, it will very highly concern us to make sure of the Six
Nations, which can be best and only done, by making them large presents as has been
customary. The several sorts of goods necessary for that purpose are contained in the inclosed
list, and if your Lordships in the present posture of affairs think it necessary I should be
supplyed with them. I beg your Lordships will be pleased to direct Mess" Sam' and \V111"
Baker Merchants in London to buy them, and send them to me, they being perfectly well
acquainted with goods of that kind, as they ship large quantities of them yearly to Albany.
If .£500 which I am informed has been usually given to a Governor for Indian presents,
in time of peace was no more than sufficient a larger sum will be absolutely necessary in case
of a war with France. Your Lordships well know how useful! the Six Nations have been to
us It was by their influence on the French Indians that our planters, and those of all the
other Provinces lived in Security all the last french war, untill the Canada expedition veas set
on foot ; and I am in hopes by presents if I am full handed to procure by their means the like
repose for the future for if they are neuter the French will not venture to molest us, and
certainly it be of great advantage to all the Provinces our Settlement being abundantly more
numerous than those of the french and altogether unguarded.
About a Month ago, I reced intelligence that a party french and Indians were marched
from Canada, with a design to attack the Cherickees and other Indians lying on the back of
Carolina and Geogia under his Majesty's protection that it was given out, that they were to
be joined by other french and Indians from Missasippi of wiiich I sent imediate notice to the
the Governors of Virginia, and Carolina, and to General Oglethorpe, hoping they may as I
beleive they will, have time enough to give those Indians intelligence that they may either be
prepared for their enemies or retreat, as they find it necessary ; some of our young Mohawks,
joined the party from Canada, contrary to their promises not being to be retained by the
advice or perswasion of their Sachaims As there is no peace yet concluded between the six
Nations and the Southern Indians, but if M' Gooch, to whom I have wrote on that subject,
disposes the Southern Indians to terms of amity, I hope, and doubt not of bringing the six
Nations to it, and I have proposed to M'' Gooch, that the Deputies from the Southern Indians
meet the Six Nations at Albany next summer, which is as soon as those Deputies can well be
there I am with the highest respect and honor
My Lords &'
George. Clakke
LONDON DOCUMENTS : XXVI. 149
Lords of Trade to Lieutenant-Governor Clarice.
[ New-Tork Entries, M., p. 83. ]
To Geo. Clarke Esq'
Sir,
Since our letter to you of Feb'^ 6"" 173| we have Received yours of the IS"" and Si* of
April, the 24"> May and IS'' of June 1739.
We doubt not but you will by Your prudent conduct preserve tiie Peace and Tranquility of
the Province notwithstanding the printed Libel which you sent us or any other writing of that
kind which the discontented may publish in order to inflame the people, and we hope you will
at your next meeting with the Assembly find them in such a temper as to be able to obtain
from them a settled Revenue, so absolutely necessary for the support of Your Government,
taking particular care to get it done in such a manner as not to admit of any the least
encroachment upon the prerogative of the Crown.
We hope you have writ to the Commiss" for Indian Affairs about the Murders committed in
Virginia and that you will bring the six Indian Nations to settle a lasting peace with that
Colony and with all the Indians under the protection of His Majesty and in Friendship with
his People.
We have under our consideration what you mention in Your last of May 24"' 1739
concerning the Boundaries of Your province, and as it is our Opinion that the people of the
Massachusetts Bay have been too hasty in this aflair, We have wrote to the Governor to have
it adjusted in an amicable way by Commiss" agreable to his own proposals and in the
mean time to take care to prevent any inconveniencies that might arise to either of the Colonies
by any Disputes about it.
We have laid Your letter of June 15"" before His Grace Tbe Duke of Newcastle with the
papers transmitted with it and hope you will soon have directions from him how to act upon
that occasion. So we bid you heartily farewell and are,
Your very loving friends
and humble Serv"
M. Blatjen
Whitehall Ja: Brudenell
Sep*" y' 7"' 1739. > R- Plumer.
Lieutenant-Governor Clarice to the Duke of Newcastle.
[ New-Tork Papers. (S. P. 0. ) No. 9, p. 64. ]
New York Nov' 30'" 1739.
My Lord.
I do myself the honor to send to Your Grace a copy of my letter to the Lords of Trade,
and of the papers therein referred to: I beg leave to assure Your Grace I did all that was
150 NEW- YORK COLONIAL MANUSCRIPTS.
possible to bring the Assembly to give a revenue upon a general appropriation, but the
precedent that Gov' Morris gave in Jersey was too strong for me, and I was obliged to give
way to necessity, for the people were upon the point of growing clamorous both for that
and for the continuance of the paper money; however I have got the Assembly to put the
province into a posture of defence, and have laid I think a sure foundation for a general
harmony, which in case of a rupture with France is absolutely necessary as this is a frontier
province that covers from Canada the Western Colonies; I humbly hope for Your Graces
approbation of my conduct, and having in my letter to the Lords of Trade, laid all things
more fully before them, I will trespass no further on your Graces time, than to beg you will -do
me the honor to permit me to subscribe myself with the most profound submission
My Lord.
Your Graces.
most humble most obedient and
most dutiful servant
His Grace the Duke of Newcastle. (signed) G Clarke
Lieutenant-Governor Clarhe to the Lords of Trade.
[ New-Tork Papers, Gg., No. 40. ]
New York Nov: 30. 1739
My Lords
A. On the 17 of this month I adjourned the Assembly to the second Tuesday in April next
I flatter myself that upon the strength of your Lordships letter of the 6 of February last I should
be able to bring them to give a revenue for a Competent number of years upon a general
approbation, and without a particular application of it. to that end I bent all my endeavours
and used all my possible means to bring them to it, but all in vain they remained inflexible and
seemed resolved to run all risques rather than give into it they knew the Country were
unanimous in the same sentiments and from thence they were assured of their elections on a
new choice in this confidence they went on, and I prorogued them for a few days hoping they
mio-ht some how or other change their minds, but this had no effect, they perswaded themselves
from the strong appearances of an open rupture with Spain and France, that instead of disolving
them I would lay hold of their present sitting to put the province in a posture of Defence this
consideration wrought upon me, and made me cast off" all thoughts of a dissolution fearing
likewise that new elections might revive old animosities, and beget new ones at a time when
the greatest unanimity would be absolutely necessary; besides they were fortified in their
resolutions of applying the Revenue from a recent example in the adjoining Province,
M' Morris the Governor of New Jersey having last winter (after I had dissolved the Assembly
of this Province for attempting it) given his assent to the Revenue Bill whereby the money
was particularly applyed, however I would do nothing rashly and therefore advised with the
Council upon it who were unanimously of opinion that considering the present circumstances
of aff"airs it was by no means proper for me at this time to dissolve the Assembly, but rather
LONDON DOCUMENTS : XXVI, 151
to comply with tliem in letting 'em apply the money they give for support of Government
nnd to give the paper money a further continuance as your Lordships may perceive by the
inclosed copy of their opinion which they gave me in writing, being thus reduced to the necessity
of giving way to the Assembly, I got them to make provisions for fortifying the Province, to
wit, to finish the battery in tiiis town to build a new fort in tlie !\Ljhavvks country, and
another at Sarachtoga, our most advanced settlements towards the fort which the French have
built at Crown point and an liuudred pound to be applyed in the purchase of a piece of Ground
at Tierondequat in the Senekas Country, that we may thereby get footing there, and keep the
French from possessing themselves of it, a thing which I have long aimed at, but could never
til now get the Assembly to give any money for it, All these tilings are highly necessary at all
times, as this is a frontier Province but more especially at this time when a rupture with
France is mentioned in the New Papers as a thing we are to expect, I humbly hope for your
Lordships favourable construction of what I have done if I have departed from my former
resolutions I beg your Loidships to consider that the necessity of the times, the defenceless
condition of the Province and the bad example ment"* have compell'd me to it.
B. I did myself the honor by two Vessells to send your Lordships an Ace' of the stores as
they were in the year 1737 whereby it will appear that we were then destitute of almost
every thing, but great Guns and I fear that upon trial they will be found to be unfit for service
being very old and much honeycombed, at present there is not one carriage or set of wheels
that can be called good, nor has there been an ounce of Powder in the fort, since I have had
the Gov' but what I have bought with my own money to fire on publick days this Province
has never bought any powder, but has always been furnished with it from home, we have a
great many Muskets, but almost all unserviceable which lye ready to be sent home upon the
first order hoping they may be exchanged for new ones, but I will not give your Lordships any
further trouble about particulars since our wants will fully appear by the Ace' mentioned and
I humbly hope your LordsP' will be pleased to make such a representation thereof, as from
thence we may be fully supplyed Capt" Farmer who carries this and Capt: Bryfint who is
soon to follaw him, have received our guns carriages and stores and can give your Lordships
an ace' of the wretched condition they are in from whence your Lordships will I hope represent
likewise the necessity of our being supplyed very speedily.
C. When I sent Your Lordships an ace' of the stores I likewise represented the necessity
of presents for the six Nations of Indians, to which I beg leave to refer hoping by the first ship
to receive them.
D. I have likewise got this Session an Act for the better regulating the Militia who are all
to arm and furnish themselves with ammunition and I am giving directions to have them more
duly exercised than they have been.
E. I have lately received from the Commissioners of Indian affairs the Governor of Canadas
answer to the Mohawks whom I sent to the Crown point to forbid the French settling any
Lands on this side of the Lake which your Lordships will see in the inclosed paper N° 2. if
the French Kings claim be allowed, he will take in great part of the Six Nations and of other
Nations of Indians, depending on the Crown of England and lying on the back of all our
Colonies, for his claim is not confined to the Spring head of the Wood Creek, but extends
itself to the Spring heads of all the Rivers that lead into any of the Lakes that disembogue
themselves into the Iliver S'Lawrence
152 NEW-YORK COLONIAL MANUSCRIPTS.
I humbly recommend myself to Your Lordships protection and am with the greatest respect
and honor
My Lords
Your Lordships most obedient Serv'
Geo: Clarke.
Commissioners of Indian Affairs to Lieutenant-Governor Clarice.
[ New-Tork Tapers, Gg., No. 43. ]
3 Nov: 1739.
May it please Your Honor
Sir
"We have at last received an answer to the message we sent by four Mohawks Indians
to the command? Office at the Crown Point the ll"" July last about the French settling
on the South side of the Lake between the Crown Point and the carrying Place, which is as
follows and was given them by the Governor of Canada
That the King of France claims all the land South, North and East lying on all the Rivers
& Creeks that empty themselves towards Canada even to the carrying place, and the Lake
of S' Sacrament and that he will not suffer the English to make any settlements upon any of
those lands but that if they should attempt to do it He (the Governor of Canada) would
hinder it, upon which he gave a belt of Wampum as a token in presence of his Indians and
ours, but notwithstanding he would give all his Right to the forementioned land from the
Crown Point to the carrying Place, to our Mohawks and his own Indians as a deed of Gift to
make use of it for a hunting place for them and their Posterity and at the same time assured
them that no French should settle there.
Lieutenant-Governor Clarice to the Lords of Trade.
[New-Tork Papers, Qg. No. 44.]
New York 7 Dec : 1739
My Lords
I now do myself the honor to answer that paragraph of your Lordships letter of the 9
of August 173S which commands me to send you a list of the members of the Council and of
those that are dead or absent, and in regard to the last, my remarks from whom and for how
long time they have obtained a licence of leave The Councellors are these, M' Golden
M'' Van Home, M' Kennedy, M' Livingston, M' De Lancey, M' Cortlandt, M' Lane, M'
LONDON DOCUMENTS: XXVI. 153
Horsmanden, and M"' Geo: Clarke Jun : I do not mention M' Van Dam,' and M' Alexander
your Lordships iiaveing about four 5'earR ago represented them as unfit to be continued, nor for
that reason do [ summon them to Council, M' Coiden lives about GO Miles from this town,
and M' Livingston at Albany 150 miles from hence so that they cannot regularly attend unless
at the sitting of the Assembly and then they attend pretty punctually Nr Kennedy M''
De Lancey M'' Cortlandt M"^ Lane, and >r Horsmanden live in Town, and attend duly M'
Clarke is in England, and allho M'' Van Home lives in Town, I caimot get him to attend
either when the Assembly sitts or at other times, so tlrat if either of the five members whom
1 have mentioned to attend duly should be ill, or called out of town on business there is not a
sufTicient number to make a Council to do the ordinary business, tho upon extraordinary
occasions I may act with three, M'' Van Homes pretence for not attending when he is summoned
(which is constantly done) is, that he is ill tho its well known that he goes frequently abroad
upon other occasions, and even at some times when he is summoned to Council I have hitherto
in tenderness to him forbore to mention this to your Lordships but I dare not any longer delay
to obey your Lordships commands if your Lordships Judge it necessary that he should be
removed I beg leave to recommend to your Lordships M"" Richard Bradley the Attorney
General to be appointed in his Room he lives in Town, and will give a punctual attendance,
' Rip Van Dam belonged to a respectable Dutch family which had immigrated to New Netherland previous to its
enrrender to the English ; for we find Jacob van Dam one of the principal burghers and inhabitants of New Amsterdam in
1653, and Clacs Ripse van Dam a burgher and trader of Fort Orange in 1661, Albany RrcoTdn, IX., 7, 8; XXII., 185; and
eubsequentlj- a member of the Anti-Leislerian Convention at Albanj- in 1689. N(w-\'vrk Dncnmnilary Hislori/, II. Mr. Rip
van Dam was bred to the sea in early life, and made a voyage in 1686 to Jamaica, in cummand of the sloop C"thi rinc. Pass
Book, IV., 30. In the year 1690 his name appears among those of the Merchants of New-York. Deed Bonk, VIII., 260.
In 1693 he was elected one of the Assistant Aldermen of that city, and was reelected to the same ofBi'e during the
two successive years. Valentiiu^s Manual. His early educatiou naturally engaged him in ship building, and having
formed a partnership with James Mills, established a la mching yard on the North river in the rear of Trinitj- church yard
Some of the vessels in which he was interested having been seized and condemned during Lieutenant Governor Nanfan'a
administration, on a charge of violating the Trade and Navigation act', Mr. Van Dam threw^ himself into the arms of the
Anti-Leislerian party; became a hot opponent of Nanfan, and signed the [letitions to the King against him, and against
Collector Weaver who seized, and Chief Justice Attwood who condemned, the ships. This contest was terminated bj- the
arrival of Lord Cornbur}-, of whose Council Mr. Van Dam was sworn a member on the 3d of May, 1702, by orders from
England. Xew -York Council Minutes, IX., 17. He continued an active member of the Board during subsequent administra-
tions, and, on the death of Gov. Montgomerie in 1731, being the senior councilor, assumed the government of the Province,
as President of the Council. He was superseded as such in August, 1732, by the arrival of Gov. Cosby. As his difficulties
with that gentleman are fully detailed in these volumes, it is unnecessary to enter into any particular account of them here.
On Cosby's complaint, the Lords of Trade recommended, in August 1735, that he be dismissed the Council; he was suspended
by Governor Cosby on the 24lh November following (Xew-Yurk Council Minutes, XVII.), though it does not appear that the
recommendation of the Lords of Trade had ever been approved or confirmed. Mrs. Cosby is accused of having been an
instrument in bringing about Mr. Van Dam's suspension ; the scheme, it is said, was to suspend Mr. Clarke and some others,
as wrll as Van Dam, in order to prepare the way for Mr. Delincey to be at the head of the government; but Mr. Cosby
died befori? it could be accomplisliod. Many others believed that Clarke and Mrs. Cosby were at the bottom of it. Morris'
Papers. 67. For twenty years, much of Mr. Van Dam's attention had been directed to the settling of the wild lands of the
province. He was interested in the Nine Partners' Patent in Duchess county ; in the Greiit Kayaderosseras Patent, and
was proprietor of divers tracts in Ulster and Montgomery counties. In early life he married Sara Van der Spicule (2 AVie-
York Historical Collections, L, 395), by whom he had two sons, Ivip and Isanc ; and three daughters, Elizabeth, the wife of Jacob
Kiersted ; Mary, the wife of Nicholas Parcel, and Catalyntie, the wife of Walter Thong, whose daughter Mary married Robert
Livingston, 3d proprietor of the Manor of Livingston. By this intermarriage many of those men who distinguished
themselves in American history afterwards, are connected with the President of New-York. After living to a very ailvanced
age, Mr. Van Dam died in the city of New-York on the 10th of June, 1749. His eldest son. Hip, died during the father's
life time, leaving a large family. Isaac, who was also a merchant, survived his father onl\' a few months, having died on
the lOlh of December, 1749. Rip Van Dara was the last native of New-York, of Dutch e.xtraction, that presided at it«
Councils during the English rule. It was nearly a century before another occupied the chair of state. — Ed.
Vol. VL 20
154 NEW- YORK COLONIAL MANUSCRIPTS.