New-York tribune., 1901-06-15
STATEN ISLAND.
AN EXHAUSTIVE HISTORY OF PART
OF GREATER NEw-YoRK.

ISLAND. NEW-YORK. by Ira h. h M@rrdS, Iarna
Two Volumes octave. PIP. pa 4I'; ~, osi ,,,thor
rial Publishing Company ana the <AN''ioi'
These two handsome volumes contain one Of
the fullest and most carefully prepared Vi 'I'e
many local histories Of recent production MI.
Morris writes Of Staten Island with evident af-
fection but this has not blinded him TO certain
episodes OF its history that perhaps some would
like now TO forget His work is minute ana
thorough and he has neglected none OF the
sources Of Information that We're at his disposal
in the fifteen years he tells US he has spent upon
f. The history Of Staten Island is so intimately
bound up with that OF the great city or Whch IL
IS now a borough that much Of il naturally over
lans for which reason Mr. Morris has felt him
self constrained to repeat in his book many
pages that are familiar 10 students OF the early
DAYS Of New-Amsterdam. In the interest OF
completeness. however il was well that the
details should he given, that Staten Island
should appear in its proper place in the picture.
The island has been the home Of three classes
OF settlers-Dutch French and English-and
still preserves in its names Of people and places
memorials of them. The first 10 come were
marty Of Walloons from Flanders. in 1924,
though they did not long remain. Then the well
known De Vries got Wouter Van Twiller 10
.'put Staten Island down in his name" and he
sent sundry Dutch colonists there, as did others
after him. The first permanent settlement was
ct Dude Dorp, probably near Fort NadsWorth,
or Arrochar Then came. in 1913, little band
OF Waldenses, a religious body. that built
church near New-Dorp and erected their home
steads around it-there are a number OF old
dwellings still standing that were built at that
time The Huguenots came in the latter half
nro
known as Green Ridge and New-Springville
And after the English conquest Of New-Amster-
dam the t1noccupied lands began TO be taken up
by English settlers.
The record Of Staten Island during the ReVo-
,ution is not altogether an enviable one in the
light Of later years. The island was peculiarly
exposed 10 attack by an enemy. and when the
enemy arrived in the shape Of the British army
the people thought it wiser 20 he on the stronger
side. and a couple Of companies that had been
raised for Washington's army were mustered
into the British service. Their neighbors IN
11llzabethtown issued interdict against them
the citizens of the island voted down PROPOSE
tion to be represented in the Provincial Con-
gress. though soon afterward they had hVe
members accredited 10 it: the Congress admon-
sshed the Richmond County people that the
reighboring colonies will not remain inactive
from the Continental Union" and later passed a
resolution of censure Washington had occasion
10 refer 10 "the treachery Of those on Staten
Island who after the fairest promises have
shown themselves our most inveterate enemies
Thenceforward Staten Island was an established
post Of the British army, and the scene or
number of more or less important conflicts
which form a part Of Revolutionary history.
A dark spot on the island. with memories con-
nected chiefly with this period. is the New-Dorp
duelling ground. where more than a score Of
duels have been fought: it is west Of the old
Black Horse Tavern, in hollow which a CEN
tury ago was surrounded by dense woods. Here
many British officers settled affairs Of honor,
and here young Hamilton fought the last duel
of which Mr. Morris can find record-the son Of
Alexander Hamilton. who afterward killed
on the very spot in Weehawken where his father
was shot by Burr. There is much other lore
connected with the exciting days Of this period.
which the author has told in an interesting chap
ter on Incidents Of the Revolution incidents
10 which the later peaceful history Of Staten
Island can furnish no parallel
After the war Staten Island lay dormant as
the historian expresses it, for thirty years:
Isolated from the mainland. with no organized
system Of ferry traffic Staten Island a lit
tie world by itself no one ever came 10 it except
for mercenary purposes, and no one living here
ever thought Of going TO the city or even across
the Kills. NarIOWs. unless actUated by the
most pressing business. Many Of the
people grew up to look upon the island the
centre Of the universe those living outside its
borders having no rights there they believed, in
common with the natives.
The advance from this condition to its present
important place a borough Of the greater
city has been long one, which Mr.. Morris has
shown in not too great detail. A large part Of
this story is bound up in the records Of the
Staten Island families and their representative
men. which the historian has rightly considered
an important element in his work, and TO which
he has. therefore given much space in his second
volume. The list includes many names well
known in New-York history, that of Vanderbilt
being, naturally, the most prominent