the First Dutch Church, organised August, 1659, by Rev. Harmanus Blom, sent from Holland as a candidate, and ordained by the Classis of Amsterdam, 1660. The fac-similes of signatures of the fifteen successors of Blom, carefully gathered by the venerable Dr. Hoes, and shown me at the close of our pleasant e veiling conversation, are sufficient guarantee that, from the first, Esopus — Wiltwyck — Kingston has been in the care of that blessed people "whose God is the Lord." William Beekman, from whom have sprung all who bear that respected name in the annals of New York, was Sheriff of Kingston up to the departure of Gov- ernor Lovelace from the colony, when he returned to New York. His son Henry Hved in Kingston, where he became Judge of Ulster County and a member of Digitized by Microsoft® 46o The Hudson River the Provincial Legislature. His daughter was the wife of Robert R. Livingston, and the mother of the distin- guished chancellor of that name, as well as of Janet, the wife of General Montgomery. The old Senate House was at one time occupied by Chancellor Living- ston and by General Armstrong, the "boy hero of the Revolution," who was afterwards United States Sena- tor and Secretary of War. Governor Clinton married Cornelia Tappen of King- ston, and their son was educated there. John Jay sat as the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York during the first term of that court at Kingston. Colonel Johannes Hardenbergh, a mem- ber of the Colonial Assembly, was a familiar character in Kingston, and on one occasion entertained Mrs. Washington, with Governor and Mrs. Clinton, at his home in Rosendale. He was a descendant of the pro- prietor of the great Hardenbergh Patent. The list of well-known men who have been associated with the history of this old town is a long and honourable one. Memorable in the annals of the Hudson, the de- struction of Kingston by fire occurred in the eventful year 1777. It was after the reduction of Forts Mont- gomery and Clinton, on the one occasion upon which the British forces penetrated the gateway of the High- lands into the upper river. Th3 chevaux-de-frise and other obstructions had been removed, the American shipping had gone up in a magnificent conflagration, and the way seemed at last open for the ships and sol- Digitized by Microsoft® Rondout and Kingston 461 diers of George III. to take possession of the region above West Point, either to create a diversion in favour of Burgoyne, then face to face with Gates near Sara- toga, or to co-operate with him according to agreement. Sir Henry Chnton did not proceed in person with the expedition up the river, but left the command to Gen- eral Vaughan and Sir James Wallace, who were ac- companied by a considerable number of troops, with a squadron of the lighter vessels of war. Putnam, near Fishkill, whither he had retreated, concerted immediately with Governor Clinton, who had escaped to New Windsor, to move northward with their hastily assembled forces to intercept and check the advance of the enemy. There is an admirable ring of courage in the note written at this time to the Council of Safety by Clinton: " I am persuaded, if the militia will join me, we can save the country from destruction and defeat the enemy's design of assisting the northern army." A new and definite evidence of this design had been strangely received by the Governor about the time of the penning of those words. The arrest of two per- sons coming from the direction of Fort Montgomery led to important developments. One of the twain, seeming to swallow something, was given an emetic, upon which a silver bullet was produced, but, being more nimble than his captors, he succeeded in dispos- ing of the morsel again in the same manner as before. He refused so energetically to be dosed a second time Digitized by Microsoft® 462 The Hudson River that the Governor threatened to have him hanged and his body cut open. He then yielded, and the bullet, again delivered, was found to enclose a paper bearing a note from Sir Henry Clinton to General Burgoyne: "Here we are (Fort Montgomery — Oct. 8th) and no- thing between us and Gates. I sincerely hope this little success of ours will facilitate your operations." The resolute postman did not escape the penalty of his mis- sion ; he was tried as a spy and sentenced to be hanged. The Governor pressed forward with what force he could hastily get together to protect Kingston if pos- sible, as that was then the seat of the State Legislature. He saw here and there at villages and hamlets, and even