Footprints of the Red Men: Indian Geographical Names
Colonel Rutsen's land has not been located ; he held several tracts at different times, and one especially on the west line of Marbletown known as Rosindale. iWhatever its location it shows that its name of Kahankasinck was extended to it or from it from some g"eneral feature. Obviously from the ancient treaty and deed boundaries the site of the Old Fort has not been ascertained, nor has the Great Hill been located. 'Presumably both must be looked for on Shawongunk Mountain. The fort, as described by Kregier m his "Jo^^^nal of the Second Esopus War," was a palisaded village and the largest settlement of the Esopus Indians. He made no reference to a stream or to a ravine, but did note that he was obliged to pass over swamps, frequent kills, and "divers mountains" that were so steep that it was necessary to "haul the wagons and cannon up and down with ropes." His course was "mostly southwest" from Wildw'ijk, and the fort "about ten miles (Dutch), or from thirty to thirty-five miles English. It was not so far southwest from Wildwijk (Kingston) as the New Fort by "about four hours," a time measure equal to nine or ten English miles. The Indians did not defend the fort; they abandoned it "two days before" the Dutch troops arrived. No particular description of it has been handed down. Under date of July 31, 1663, Kregier wrote: "In the morning at dawn of day set fire to the fort and all the houses, and while they were in full blaze marched out in good order." And so disappeared forever the historic Indian settlement, not even the name by which it was known certainly translatable in the absence of knowledge of the topography of its precise location.^ Magowasinghinck, so written in its earliest form in treaty deed of 1677 (Col.