Documentary History of the State of New York, Vol. IV
To revenge this man's death several savages had been killed, and our people were again in peace with them ; so that at the time the director ordered this massacre, the same tribe who had killed the deceased Mr. y. Nederhorsts servant, had been visited some weeks before by the director himself, and
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supplied with all necessaries ; this pretent was therefore altogether a specious one.
K. Was it then in the power of one man to begin a war or massacre for that ?
B. That it might appear plausible, they had such a petition presented ; to which, on Feb. 25. 1643 was answered that they authorised Maryn Adriaensz, with his company, to make an attack on the Savages, camped at Curlers plantation, and to treat them as time and circumstances required. .
E. Who ever gave such an authorisation? Who could have been the author of that authorisation ?
B. Why secretary Cornelius van Tienhoven, who is now
- returned home to make a report on New Netherland ; the same who had, composed the petition.
C. A child might see that that was but a pretext. The secretary deserved to be torn to pieces by four horses as a traitor ; and as for the three boors, according to law they had forfeited their lives. In the mean time were the settlers warned to be on the alert, that they might not run any risk either by assistance or resistance ?
B. Nobody at all was warned but the three before mentioned. The settlers were not so much as thoughtof. The secretary himself went to reconnoitre the camp of the savages the day before the attack, andif the settlers had known what was intended, supposing there had been reasons for it, not one of the savages would have escaped ; but if, as was really the case, there had been no reasons, the director would never have been able to commit such a murder, if even he had such traitors as secretaries.