Peter Ross - A History of Long Island, Vol. 1

A History of Long Island

From Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time

Volume 1

PETER ROSS

JUERGEN BECK

A History of Long Island 1, Ross/Beck

Jazzybee Verlag Jrgen Beck

86450 Altenmnster, Loschberg 9

Deutschland

ISBN: 9783849650056

www.jazzybee-verlag.de

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O God of Columbia! O Shield of the Free!

More grateful to you than the fanes of old story

Must the blood-bedewed soil, the red battle-ground, be

Where our forefathers championed America's glory!

Then how priceless the worth of the sanctified earth

We are standing on now! Lo! the slope of its girth

Where the martyrs were buried; nor prayers, tears or stones

Marked their crumbled-in coffins, their white holy bones.

Say. Sons of Long Island, in legend or song,

Keep ye aught of its record, that day dark and cheerless.

That cruel of days when, hope weak, the foe strong,

Was seen the Serene One, still faithful, still fearless,

Defending the worth of the sanctified earth

We are standing on now? &c.

Ah, Yes! be the answer. In memory still

We have placed in our hearts and embalmed there forever

The battle, the prison ship martyrs and hill.

Oh, may it be preserved till those hearts shall sever.

For how priceless the worth, &c.

And shall not the years, as they sweep o'er and o'er.

Shall they not even here bring the children of ages.

To exult as their fathers exulted before

In the freedom achieved by our ancestral sages?

And the prayer rise to heaven with gratitude given

And the sky by the thunder of cannon be riven?

Yea! Yea! let the echo responsively roll,

The echo that starts from the patriot's soul.

On the following pages an effort has been made to present the history of the whole of Long Island in such a way as to combine all the salient facts of the long and interesting story in a manner that might be acceptable to the general reader and at the same time include much of that purely antiquarian lore which is to many the most delightful feature of local history. Long Island has played a most important part in the history of the State of New York and, through New York, in the annals of the Nation. It was one of the first places in the Colonies to give formal utterance to the doctrine that taxation without representation is unjust and should not be borne by men claiming to be free the doctrine that gradually went deep into the hearts and consciences of men and led to discussion, opposition and war; to the declaration of independence, the achievement of liberty and the founding of a new nation. It took an active part in all that glorious movement, the most significant movement in modern history, and though handicapped by the merciless occupation of the British troops after the disaster of August, 1776, it continued to do what it could to help along the cause to which so many of its citizens had devoted their fortunes, their lives.

On Long Island, too, the old theory of government by town meeting found full scope, even in those sections where the Dutch rule was closest and the story of these little republics with their laws and limitations is worthy of careful study at the present day. They present us, as in the case of Southold, with specimens of pure theocracies flourishing and progressing in spite of the watchful and pre-eminent rule of the local church directorate, or possibly rather as a consequence of it, and they also present us, as in Jamaica, with townships founded on somewhat less religious lines but in which the edict of the church authorities was a matter that commanded primal respect. But, one and all, these communities showed that the view of the people as expressed in town meeting was the supreme local law, the origin of all local power, even though a fussy Director General now and again made his authority and dignity known by interference, or a Proprietary or Colonial Governor attempted to tax the people or impose a minister or a religious system without other warrant than his own sweet will and his own imperious necessities, or the wishes of his superiors in London.

In compiling this history all previous works relating to the story of Long Island have been laid under contribution, notably such volumes as those of Wood, Thomson, Onderdonk, Furman and Spooner. The invaluable labors of Dr. Henry R. Stiles, whose "History of Brooklyn" and other works are storehouses of local history, have been drawn upon freely, for no story of Brooklyn could now be written that would not be under the deepest obligation to the patient and learned writings of that most painstaking of antiquarians and local historians. The chapter on "Dentists in Brooklyn" was written for this volume by Dr. William Jarvie, and is the result of many years' research. The chapter on medical history by Dr. William Schroder forms another valuable feature.

Of local histories nearly all those accessible have been consulted. From the published writings of Mr. William S. Pelletreau, the erudite historian of Suffolk County, and the author of several valuable works illustrating the long, eventful, and highly honorable story in peace and war of that grand section of Long Island, many details have been gathered. From the writings of Dr. Wallace Tooker. of Sag Harbor, the indefatigable student of Indian lore on Long Island, much that is deeply interesting concerning the red man and his remains has been gleaned, and thanks are due both these gentlemen for their freely given permission to make their studies available for this volume. The cordial manner in which the Flatbush Trust Company permitted the use of several illustrations from its interesting work on "Flatbush, Past and Present," also demands an expression of thanks.

The files of the Brooklyn Eagle have been freely consulted and proved a most invaluable storehouse; in fact almost since its origin, in 1841, the Eagle has been, as every local newspaper should be, the best possible historian of Brooklyn, and indeed of Long Island. It has the happy art in these modern days of knowing how to combine those personal details which we look for in a local paper with the wide-reaching world-news which is the feature of a metropolitan daily. From the columns of the "Standard-Union" and the "The Brooklyn Times ' much has also been gathered.

The author desires also to thank the numerous correspondents to whom he is much indebted for details of considerable interest in the various township histories. In following the windings of family history, to which considerable space has been devoted, much curious matter would have been overlooked but from details received as the result of correspondence with the modern representatives of many of these old families. Thanks are given for all this in its proper place, and indeed an effort has been made throughout the work to quote every authority and give full credit to previous writers and to all who have in anyway, directly or indirectly, rendered assistance.

PETER ROSS.

A PART of the state of New York, Long Island can hardly be said to have now any separate political interest or to have at any time in the past done anymore than a like share with the other sections of the Empire State in building up in Congress, in the tented field, or in the realms of literature, science or art, the country of whose present greatness, of whose rank among the nations of the earth we are all so proud. The inland has fully met every claim made upon her; in the Revolution she suffered much and deeply, and the name of Woodhull and many another gallant hero ranks high on the honored roll of those who sacrificed home and property and life that political and religious freedom might live; in the war of 1812 she was ready to meet any invading force, and her ships helped to win the victory and to wrest from Britain, for a time, at least, that country's old claim to invincibility on the sea; in the Civil war she liberally contributed men and treasure to preserve intact what the founders of the Republic had fought for, and in the war with Spain she freely responded to the call of the General Government. But, then, other sections of the state acted equally as nobly, according to the measure of their opportunities.