Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1856-02-26
tfrom the United States Magazine
Inc Last Blast of Anthony the Trumpeter.

the lists In favor of the reliability of Knicker
oockers unparalleled History of New York y
we would not SO far insult the discretion of our
readers albeit, there have been found intiyid-
uals possessed of sufficient hardihood and an
uaclty to call IN question the veracitv of that un
eqdaied historian; but such catiffs would daubt
the truthfulness of Gulliver of Don Ouixote or
even Robinson Crusoe: leave such to their
lnfldellty, and pass them by as unworthy the
trouble OF convincing If any argument were
necessary to prove the authenticity of the ven
erable and quaint Diederich Knickerbecker. we
would point 10 the high estimation in which he
Is held by the people, the history of whose an
cestors he chronicles, and who to this dav. are
proud to adopt his name as cognomen by
which to distinguish themselves as descendants
from those ancestors. Do we not live at Knick-
erbocker hotels-eat at Knickerbocker restaur-
ants-drlnk at knickerbocker saloons-ride in
hnlckerbocker omnibuses-and deposit our saw
lngs IN knickerbocker banks? Was ever his
+ torlan so highly honored before And is not
the respect shown to his memory the best eyi
dence OF his veracity ? Verify to doubt it is the
height OF presumption, and Quixotic in the ex-
trelne. Have not the personaees whose mighty
deeds he narrates left their names indeliblv
/ stamped upon the scenes of these exploits? Hath
not that redoubtable champion and sounder of
brass-that valiant commandant of windrpilis
and garrison of Nieuw Amsterdam, Anthony
Van Corlaer-handed his name down to nos
ter1ty IN connection with one of the boldest pro
montories of the Hudson highlands, and inmor
/ talized himself in giving a coppomen to the
crooked strait which separates the beautiful
island of Manhattoes from the main land Tru
ly, the Vandals of modern days have not shown
proper evidence of respect for the tradition, in
calling it Harlem River"
Anthony Nan Corlaer was man of parts. and
his melancholy end deserved to be commence
rated in the name of the strait whose waters en-
closed his mortal remains within their treacher
Gus bosom.
Anthony was the "son of his mother"-so the
sage historian informs US through the mouth of
that individual himself-and was the confden-
tlal envoy and trusty squire of ." Peter the Head
strong, to which elevated position he had raised
himself-as many others have raised themselves
by simply 6koscisg has o,c,e trse7al,ct" He had
rendered his master such good service in various
ways, and more particularly by his bravery at
that he had invested him with the RIGHT. title.
and interest IN and to a certain estate" on the
island of Manhattoes, which is called :. Corlaers
Hook to this day
Toward the close of the reign of :. Hardkoppio
Peter, when the British and Yankees were thup
derlng at his doors for admittance, and all was
confusion and uproar within his camp, he dis
patched his faithful envoy to arouse the brave
fighting men of the country round about. and
bring them to his assistance. The doleful dis
aster which followed is related in Book VII
Chap y. of the Chronicles, and is as follows :
Resolutely bent, however, upon defending
his beloved city, IN despite even of itself, be
called unto him his trusty Van Corlaer, who
was right hand man in all times of emergency
Him did he adiure to take his war-denouncine
trumpet, and mounting his horse, to beat up the
country night and day-sounding the alarm
along the pastoral borders of the Bronx-start-
ling the Wild solitudes of Croton-arousing the
rugged yeomanry of Weekawk and Hoboken-
the mighty men of battle of Tappan Bay, and
the brave boys of Tarrytown, Petticoat Lane
and Sleepy Hollow-charging them, one and all
to sling their powder-horns, shoulder their fowl
ing-pieces and march merrily down to the Man
hattoes.
Now, there was nothing in all the world the
divine sex excepted that Anthony Van Corlaer
loved better than errands of this kind So Just
stopping to take a lusty dinner, and bracing to
his side his junk bottle, well Charged with heart
inspiring Hollands, he issued joIlily from the
city gate, which looked out upon what is at pre-
sent called Broadway; sounding farewell strain
+b,4 Il. -
of Nieuw Amsterdam. Alasl never more were
they to be gladdened by the melody of their
favorite trumpeterl
@ 1t was a dark and stormy night when the
good Anthony arrived at the Creek (sagelv de-
nominated Harlem rjeer) which separates the
island of Manna-hata from the main land. The
wind was high, the elements We're in an uproar
and no Charon could be found to ferry the adj
venturors sounder of brass the water.
For short time he vapored like an impatient
ghost upon the brink, and then bethinkng him
self of the urgency of his errand took a hearty
embrace of his stone bottle swore most vaor-
ously that he would swim across, SpuN dos
Duy,l, Gin spite of the Devil,) and daringIy
plunged into the stream. 1t seems that his Sa-
tanic Majesty had overheard the oath, and COM
person of little fat trumpeter, the daring indi-
vidual who had braved his power, and deter
mined to exert it to the utmost to destroy the
presumptuous mortal. Waiting until the luck
less wight had reached about the middle of the
stream, he stirred the waters INTO such a COM
motion that the poor fellow obliged to yield
the conrest Struggling iercely for the victory,
until he found that struggling was in vain, he
yielded to inevitable fate aud lay like huge
bladder upon the surface, until huge wave,
towering above all its lesser companions, came
rolling toward him to oyerwheln him in its
mighty volume. With the ruling passion strong
in deaih, he put his instrument to his lips and
as he eyed the incoming swell with eye askance,
gave one long, last, and vehement blast, and
sank forever to the bottom.
The clangor of his trumpet, like that of the
ivory horn of the renowned Paladin Orlando.