Evening journal., 1905-06-02

pidc-lcal use ANl ucltNelNt puilooth dAttf
the year 1859. and was wreck and thing
of the past I'm 1911.
The records OF New Castle county now
show the boundaries OF the lot upon
which IL was built with unerring accu-
racy. and from contemporaneous history
we, are able 20 fix almost the exact spot
OF ground upon which Il stood
IL was erected upon a lot Of land the
centre OF which would be leO feet north
east from the northeast side Of Chestnut
street. along the southeast SIDE OF Mar
ket street, thence by right angle i3i
feet southeast from the southeast side Of
MarRot street There is sufficient data to
cause one to believe that the fort stood
about the centre Of the lot The present
width Of Chestnut street. from the north
east 10 the northwest side By actual
measurement recently made. from curb
TO curb is a. feet The monument as il
now stands (being In the southwest side
OF Chestnut street, represents in It's poo
siiioa the apex Of a rightangle triangle
one of the sides of which being I'm length
eO2 feet running northeast from the
southwest side Of Chestnut street on Mar
kot. the other side running 13i feet from
thence, southeast toward the river.
So by a mathematical calculation, the
hypothenuse of the triangle or the dis
tance from the monument IN an east
northeast direction, TO the center Of the
fort lot where the fort stood would be in
round figures about 80 feet Much OF the
lot has disappeared and il can now be
readily be seen ihy cursory glance at
I'D that most II not an OF the ground
upon which the fort stood has been sub
merged and washed away by the erosion
of the remorseless tides.
The Swedes continued their protests
the building Of the fort. as being on their
soil. but the Dutch remained in possess
sion until John Clause Risingh a swede
Of large proportions, in pursuance Of his
official instructions, ITO extend and en-
large the Swedish colony" appeared with
his military retinue before Fort Casimir
about May a. 1854 and took possession Of
it without difficulty. AS a fact well au-
thenticated in history, It was ignomini-
ously surrendered, solely through the
false representations Of Risingh. that he
was a commissioner Of the Dutch West
India Company. and was authorized to
take possession. The taking Of the fort
by the Swedes was accomplished on
/ Trinity Sunday and in their reverence Of
the day they called It Fort Trinity
This event was a serious blow TO the
Dutcn. and they became generally alarm
ed Governor Stuyvesant, who was at
New Amsterdam was informed Of the sit-
uation. lie at once communicated with
the company at Holland. After some de-
lay and much correspondence, he was or.
dered to exert every energy" and driv,
"the swedes from every side Of the
river" on September 4. 1865. he SAILED
from New Amsterdam with some six oi
seven vessels and about COO men. He ar
rived at Fort Trinity. as It was then call.
ed, on the 18th OF the month. He landed
his troops without opposition Not gur
was fired. He at once demanded the i'm.
mediate and unconditional surrender OF
the fort Sven Schultz, the Swedish com.
mander. after brief parley surrendered
and delivered the fort and all its property
and possessions TO stuyvesant TO be
thereafter held by the Dutch West India
Company. Governor Stuyvcsant in fur.
ther obedience to his instructions, "tc
drive the Swedes from the river" at once
marched over to Fort Christina and af.
ter a "siege Of fourteen days and the fir
Ing Of a single gum" tho Swedes surren.
dored and the Dutch took possession on
September %, 1866 Thus ended forever
Swedish control on the south (now Del
aware river The Dutch were IN fun pos
session. They then called their colony
"The South River Colony"
They changed the name of Fort Chris
tina TO Fort Altoona. and Fort Trinity re-
coived its original name OF Fort Casimir
The settlement or town which had growr
up adjacent to the latter fort was ther
for the first time called New or Niom
Amstel' The Dutch with mahy loca
quarrels and differences among them.
!. selves and with the Swcdes who remain.
ed with them, and in constant droid OF
invasion by the English (who also claim.
ed title to the territory continued ir
possession aud control until October
1864. Charles H.. then King OF England
H 'ft Of iJvc" for his brother James
Duke Of York. granted to him on Marcl
18th, 1864. the whole Of the New Neither.
land country. Some historians terse',
say, that the reason for the making o
this grant arose out Of the Kings 'Iacl
OF respect for his old enemies, (the Dutch
and his consequent desire to drive then
from the country. The Duke OF York OF
April End, 1864. appointed Colonel Richard
Nichols, Deputy Governor over an hi.
territory in America and associated will
him Sir Robert Caree, knight. They cam,
over 10 take possession in the Duke,
name. New Amsterdam, IN. " surrend
cred 10 Col. Nichols on September Sth
on September 3rd. 1864 Carre had beer
commissioned to proceed TO the Delawar,
Bay and there reduce the Dutch. Aftei
"A long and troublesome passage" h,
arrived in the latter part OF September. a
New Amstel," (by which name the for
and town we're then indiscripinatel,
called) The Dutch Governor Alex. d'Hin
noyossa an d the Inhabitants Of the town
at once met in conference TO consider
what was best TO be done
The inhabitants were In favor Of sur
rendering, but the governor opposed Il
and began preparations for defence
1.-TWO we'll directed broadsldes from In,
enemy's ships and the sudden onsIaugh
OF the land forces" It IS said. "soon de
cided the natter" the fort and the tow
) capitulated. with an expenditure Of tw,
barrels OF powder and twenty shots" b,
the English and a loss by the Dutch O
''ten wounded and three killed" Thu
ended the supremacy Of the Dutch ol
} the Delaware river. with the exception
7 Of their temporary reconquest In 1G73l
The name OF the town was changed b,
r the English 70 New Castle. and has so re-
mained to this day.
Thus & was. as 1 have endeavore,
! | brfafl,. ia ehoyV that "T7orf fsae1fuairf ros