It will be remembered that the Esopus Indians had been completely humbled, and almost annihilated. The tribe living in the immediate vicinity of the village of Esopus, had been slaughtered or driven from their lands. The survivors had taken refuge with other neighboring tribes, who were more or less in sympathy with them. Thus while there was a cessation of actual war, hostility continued. No terms of peace had been agreed to, and there could be no friendly intercourse.
News reached Governor Stuyvesant that the Connecticut people, in their intrigues to get possession of New Netherland, were tampering with these river Indians, endeavoring to enter into a treaty of alliance, offensive and defensive with them. It was consequently deemed desirable immediately to secure a general peace with these Indians.
The sachems of several tribes were invited to assemble in the Council Chamber at fort Amsterdam. The governor with nine of his council, met them. It is worthy of special notice that, the preliminaries being settled, one of the Indian chiefs offered an earnest prayer. First he called several times, with a loud voice, upon the Great Spirit to hear him In his language Bachtamo was the name for God.
"Oh Bachtamo," he said,
"help us to make a good treaty with the Dutch. And may the
treaty we are about to negotiate be like the stick I hold in
my hand. Like this stick may it be firmly united, the one
end to the other."
Then turning to the governor, he said, "We all desire peace. I have come with my brother sachems, in behalf of the Esopus Indians, to conclude a peace as firm and compact as my arms, which I now fold together."
Then presenting his hand to Governor Stuyvesant he added, "What I now say is from the fullness of my heart. Such is my desire, and that of all my people."
A solemn treaty was soon negotiated. It was signed the next day, and the event was celebrated by salvos of artillery. On the whole, the terms were fair, but rather hard for the Indians. The treaty is concisely given by O'Callaghan in the following words:
"By its terms all that had passed was to be forever
forgotten and forgiven. The land, already given to the Dutch
as an indemnity, and now again conquered by the sword, the
two forts belonging to the Indians included, became the
property of the Christians. The savages were not to return
thither to plant, nor to visit the village, or any remote
Dutch settlements with or without arms. But as it was not
intended to expel them altogether from the country, they
were permitted to plant near their new fort, and this year
only, by their old castle, as they had already placed some
seed in the ground there. But the lands, in the neighborhood
of these forts, having been conquered, were to belong to the
Dutch.
"To prevent all future collision, no savage should hereafter
approach the place where the Christians were ploughing,
pasturing, sowing or engaged in agricultural labor. The
violation of this article was to subject them to arrest.
They might sell meat or maize at the Ronduit, in parties of
three canoes at a time, but only on condition that they sent
a flag of truce beforehand to give notice of their approach.
For their accommodation, on such occasions, a house was to
be built beyond the kill.
"Should a Dutchman kill an Indian, or an Indian a Dutchman,
no war was to be declared. A complaint was to be lodged
against the murderer, who should be hanged in the presence
of both the contracting parties. All damages, by the killing
of cattle, were to be paid for; and this treaty was to be
annually ratified by the Esopus Indians. The Hackingsack and
Staten Island sachems were security for the faithful
observance of this contract; and were bound to co-operate
against either the Esopus Indians or the Dutch, whichever
might violate its terms."
The peace thus secured gave universal satisfaction in the Dutch settlements. Governor Stuyvesant devoutly proclaimed a day of general thanks giving to God for the great blessing.