New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-18
BROOKLYN. March IL. 1895.
Jesse DE FOREST OR PETER MlNUlI!
FACTS FROM IEynEN GOING TO SHOW THAT
THE FORMER WAS THE FOUNDER OF
SEW- AMSTERDAM

/ / y
THE FORMER WAS THE FOUNDER OF
w-AMsTERDAM.
To the Editor Of Tho Tribune
cir. I, the latter part of last January there ap-
no,rcd IN the newspapers of this city letter 10
Herr Caution, Vienna, signed by the Noh"'en-
,.al Secretary to the Mayor, and containing se'-
oral extraordinary statements to the founding OF
E.w-Yort city then New-Amsterdam py feoer
,,ir,l, orr Possessing some information on tnat
subject myself still thought it best 10 WRIT "
Mr. Charles NJ. Dozy ArchiVist or ''eyuei'' mn
land and inquire into the historical tacts' na'e
inc, received his answer, which send herewith.
When the delegation Of the Holland society OF
Neyryo-k visited Holland in 1855 most elaborate
dspay Of old maps books engravings ana Original
manuscripts was prepared for us at Leyden ana
| had In my hand the original minutes or the C''9
,,oupcu of Iey,len dated August a. 1922, granting
permission de Forest to enrol the "Aliooi'
colonists, and those dated January J. lo-'' RI',"s
permission to Gerard Forest to take the position
gone la teIy to the West Indies also the original
manuscript poi-tax st giVns Names obn Rnb
insnn and the other Pilgrim Fathers "hile they
were living IN Ieyden in l622) , ,,,io,
of the confidential secretary to the Mayor 12 n3t
know hoy far he i: excusa6ie for me rsd that
such errors could b. dssennated sXen 9T@EEN<o
"' New-york. March 3. 1895.
WopyD -
I.oydon, 18TH q; February 1855
Dcar Sir: You ask my opinion about letter that
! Mr. burrows. Continental clerk TO the Mayor OF
city, n W5oG f soms M%GXf ago of You
are right in thinking that the question Goes
Hvcsnes and sedan. Mr.. Burrows rejects the
claim Of f0underIhp Of Your town FOR JS5sF a
in for that honor He asserts bo,dy thaI a an
sse that hT & "ln a'f Mam
haitian Island from the Indians, ana founded IN
the same year. 623-New- Amsterdam baptized lS'''
can assure you that all authorities agree that
the whole question depends on dates ! must.
however excuse Mr burrows FOR this mistake mistake As
/ least in the printed copy you sent me, ! suppose
hai it is not his b 35 G of dr c9on a he
! organized the administration. he made treaty
prietors of the whole island instead OF possessors
only by right OF first discovery Of occupation; he
! three wears His importance for the colony should
not he dsregarled. but before his dictatorship.
Island that had already received important ac-
cessions from Holland. with supply OF livestock
Jesse de Forest born at Ayesnes between 1870
at Leyien had applied in July, 1921. in the name OF
/ hfty-six Walloon families. who wished to go to
Hague for permission and assistance from the king
Of that country. The royal answer was not salts
the States-Cienera OF the United Provinces asking
to be allowed to enrol Protestant families for
commonly called in that time The Dutch West
ssnizatlou OF course highly approved this project;
il may be that the attempt OF 1921 had fixed the
had encouraged him to his address to the Dutch
Government At any rate the permission va, VAS
, the New etherland left the Dutch shores with
RiveT Hudson Was reached one division Of the
coonsts went on and built Fort Orange, the origin
on Manhattan Island and the name Walenbogt or
Walloop Bay, thu Wan5bout OF today, bears testi-
MED that from that fact from the arrival OF the
%s%Ngthe9pS5 in Nay @ 5a5Gs the
The assertion of Mr.. Burrows that the Waoons
of Jesse were sent to America by the Dutch pro
purchase Of the Island in le25 is in contradicton
Of American history Brodhead. Baird. Riker, Grant
As Tor Jesse himself. Mr. Burrows is not alone
In doubling that he ever came 10 Manhattan Island
but almost all We know about the earliest history
! Of New-YOrk was discovered not long ago AS Ar.
a1a W s,orv OF ns v his e Ms
the fact that Peter Minut ruled here director
We know only two p' OF F the coonsts Of c But
: prominent place among them that his organiza-
ton of the expedition assigned him 10.
| 1t was Jesse who had written the address 70
England and who the advocate OF the would
be colonlsts before the Ambass ador; it was Jesse
his petition TO the States. and had enrolled the
emgraniS. The doubt that he did not accompany
ana died there repose wholly on the misunder
Common Council taken from the Leyden archives
Gerard de Forest asked from the burgomasters
Jesse. who had lately gone to the West indies
The permission was granted on January t. 1924.
/ and naval military expedition left Holland
on the DIST and 23i Of December l63, II seemed
to some authors likely that the word lately had
relation 10 that expedition OF fortnight previous.
They forgot that not the burgomasters. but
Gerard. had used that word. and they did not
f know that he had used II before the date of that
+ expedition. for it exactly December q that
the magistrates sent the petition for advice TO the
Aldermen OF the Dyers' Guild.
There had been no N0yag" 10 the West Indies az
that moment lately" other than that of tho
Northumberland. ana Gerard,s expression could
not relate 20 any other one AS there is doubt
that the first permanent settlement Manhattan
Island dates from May. 1923. the fact that Jesse de
Forest prepared and organized that colonial and
was almost certainly the leader OF II gives him a
RIG he Iiab ~