Knickerbocker's History of New York, Complete eBook
Washington Irving
Whether the formidable front of war thus suddenly
presented smote the garrison with sore dismay—or
whether the concluding terms of the summons, which
mentioned that he should surrender “at discretion,”
were mistaken by Suen Skytte, who, though a Swede,
was a very considerate, easy-tempered man, as a compliment
to his discretion, I will not take upon me to say;
certain it is he found it impossible to resist so courteous
a demand. Accordingly, in the very nick of time,
just as the cabin-boy had gone after a coal of fire
to discharge the swivel, a chamade was beat on the
rampart by the only drum in the garrison, to the no
small satisfaction of both parties; who, not withstanding
their great stomach for fighting, had full as good
an inclination to eat a quiet dinner as to exchange
black eyes and bloody noses.
Thus did this impregnable fortress once more return
to the domination of their High Mightinesses; Skytte
and his garrison of twenty men were allowed to march
out with the honors of war; and the victorious Peter,
who was as generous as brave, permitted them to keep
possession of all their arms and ammunition—the
same on inspection being found totally unfit for service,
having long rusted in the magazine of the fortress,
even before it was wrested by the Swedes from the
windy Van Poffenburgh. But I must not omit to
mention that the governor was so well pleased with
the service of his faithful squire Van Corlear, in
the reduction of this great fortress, that he made
him on the spot lord of a goodly domain in the vicinity
of New Amsterdam, which goes by the name of Corlear’s
Hook unto this very day.
The unexampled liberality of Peter Stuyvesant towards
the Swedes occasioned great surprise in the city of
New Amsterdam; nay, certain factious individuals,
who had been enlightened by political meetings in
the days of William the Testy, but who had not dared
to indulge their meddlesome habits under the eye of
their present ruler, now emboldened by his absence,
gave vent to their censures in the street. Murmurs
were heard in the very council-chamber of New Amsterdam;
and there is no knowing whether they might not have
broken out into downright speeches and invectives,
had not Peter Stuyvesant privately sent home his walking-stick
to be laid as a mace on the table of the council-chamber,
in the midst of his counsellors, who, like wise men,
took the hint, and for ever after held their peace.
CHAPTER VII.
Like as a mighty alderman, when at a corporation feast
the first spoonful of turtle-soup salutes his palate,
feels his appetite but tenfold quickened, and redoubles
his vigorous attacks upon the tureen, while his projecting
eyes rolled greedily round, devouring everything at
table; so did the mettlesome Peter Stuyvesant feel
that hunger for martial glory, which raged within
his bowels, inflamed by the capture of Fort Casimir,
and nothing could allay it but the conquest of all
New Sweden. No sooner, therefore, had he secured
his conquest than he stumped resolutely on, flushed
with success, to gather fresh laurels at Fort Christina.[55]
