settlements, particularly on Long Island. Though they had,
of necessity, taken the oath of allegiance to the constituted
authorities, their sympathies were with the New England colonists; and
they would welcome any revolution which should transfer the territory
to Great Britain, and thus absolve them from their oaths.

In accordance with the instructions received from Holland, the
governor repaired to Boston to enter into a friendly conference with
the authorities there. Scarcely had he left New Amsterdam, when an
English emissary, James Christie, visited Gravesend, Flushing,
Hempstead and Jamaica, with the announcement that the inhabitants of
those places were no longer under the Dutch government, but that their
territory was annexed to the Connecticut colony. This important
movement took place on the sixth of September, 1663.

Only about six weeks before, the Connecticut council, on the 20th of
July, had sent Captain John Talcott with an armed force of eighteen
soldiers, to that portion of New Netherland now called West. Chester,
to declare that the inhabitants were absolved from their allegiance to
the Dutch government, to dismiss the old magistrates and to appoint
others in their stead. These were high-handed measures, apparently
inexcusable.

When John Christie reached Gravesend, he summoned the whole village
together and read to them the dispatch. The British element was there
strongly in the ascendency, even the magistrates being mainly on that
side. As Christie was reading the treasonable document, one of the
Dutch magistrates, sheriff Stillwell, faithful to his oath, arrested
him. The other magistrates ordered the arrest of Stillwell. His life
was in danger from the passions of the mob. He succeeded in sending
word to New Amsterdam of the peril of his condition. A sergeant and
eight soldiers were dispatched, who arrested Christie again and held
him under their guard.

News of these agitations spread rapidly through the adjoining
villages. It was rumored that a large mob was gathering to rescue
Christie from the soldiers. Consequently, two hours after midnight,
under protection of darkness and without the knowledge of the
community, Christie was secretly removed from sheriff Stillwell's
house to New Amsterdam. During the next day the tidings of his removal
spread through the streets. It created great exasperation. At night a
mob of one hundred and fifty men surrounded the house of sheriff
Stillwell, shouti