The Albany Chronicles


compiled by
Cuyler Reynolds


[ Source & Discussion ]

[1782]

Church services held in Dutch language only until this year.

Aaron Burr (b. Newark, Feb. 6, 1756, and who mortally wounded Alexander Hamilton in a duel at Weehawken, N. J., on July 11, 1804) opens a law office on the north side of Norton street, the second door east of So. Pearl street.

Creditors of the United States hold a session here.

Stephen Van Rensselaer (third of that name) having left Princeton because the British interrupted the continuation of the college course, at the age of 18 graduates at Harvard.

Bank of Albany, the first organized in the city, with a capital of $75,000. opened, July 16.

First issue of " The New York Gazetteer, or Northern Intelligencer." by Solomon Southwick and Charles R. Webster.

Charter election. Common Council: Cornelis Cuyler, Peter W. Yates, I. John Ja. Beeckman, Philip van Rensselaer. II. Thomas Hun, Abraham Schuyler, III Election, Sept. 20; sworn in, Oct. 14.

in-progress


New York state ratifies in convention the articles of the Constitution by a vote of 30 to 27, seven not voting,

[372]

July 26. Citizens meet to consider celebrating the ratification of the United States Constitution by the New York convention,

July 28. Public celebration at Albany of the ratification of the Constitution, a gun fired at sunrise, at 10 a. m., 11 guns fired to assemble to the fields near Water-Vliet: at 10:30, one gun for forming procession;

[August 8] 11 a. m., procession moves, saluting the Constitution; parade formed as follows: Albany Troop of Light-Horse commanded by Captain Gansevoort, officers and men uniformed, music, Constitution engrossed on parchment suspended upon a staff and borne by Maj.-Gen. Philip Schuyler on horseback; n citizens representing each state that had ratified the Constitution, bearing a parchment scroll with name of the state in large letters; axe-men with garlands of laurels; an elegant plough guided by Stephen Van Rensselaer; sowers, John Cuyler, and Capt. Jacob Lansing; a neat harrow guided by Francis Nicoll; 11 farmers neatly dressed with implements of husbandry; Gerrit Witbeck carrying the Farmers' flag bearing the motto " God speed the Plough ;" Brewers with a dray carrying a butt, astride of which is Master Van Rensselaer in the character of Bacchus, with a silver beaker in his hand; following which were printers, watch-makers, weavers and various tradesmen. The procession moved through Water-Vliet street, Market (Broadway) and State street to the Federal Bower, reached at 12:30 o'clock, erected on the highest land of the hill west of Fort Frederick, and the flags of the divisions were struck in the battlements, the edifice being 154 feet long and 44 feet broad, raised upon four rows of pillars 15 feet high, composing an arches wreathed in flowers, the centre medallion of all inscribed " New York." Here the tables had been spread with viands and American cheer by William Van Ingen, and as each toast was given a gun was fired; the Marshal was James Fairlie and assistants, Thos. L. Witbeck, Casparus Hewson, John Cuyler, Jun., and John Bleecker.

On returning to disband, when the column had reached Green street a party of anti-Federalists ran out and assaulted the procession, and as a cannon was about to be discharged upon it Jonathan Kidney drove the end of a file into the fuse and prevented disaster, whereupon the Light-Horse charged upon the mob and disbursed it; but so fierce had been the struggle that a prominent citizen, James Caldwell, was hurt by a brick that struck his head and a part of the Stone House was torn away to furnish missiles, Aug. 8.


notes

These random excerpts have been copied from the classic compendius work that has appeared online - but not consistantly. Extracted from a variety of contemporary accounts, Albany Chronicles represents a chronological catalog of useful community-based historical materials. At some point, we hope to supercede this antiquarian resource with transcriptions of the actual document. Until then, take the above anyway you wish but at your own risk!


Transformed by SB

Home | Site Index | Navigation | Email | New York State Museum


silently posted: 4/10/10; last updated 12/12/12