|
|
|
One person was very awkwardly in the
middle of these struggles of great men. Jacob Young had an estate on the
Delaware and a trading post at the head of Chesapeake Bay. He was
employed by Baltimore and paid taxes to Penn.131 His trading post was
situated precisely in the tract that Baltimore had failed to purchase
from the Susquehannock's and that Penn claimed. Young was in the middle
in another fashion also. His long friendship with the Susquehannock's
had roused dark suspicions among some of his neighbors. In 1680 rumors
circulated that Young had hired Indians to kill Christians.132 He sued
in New Castle court for defamation, and won an apology from the
slanderer, but similar rumors apparently found their way to the
suspicious gentry of Maryland. As on earlier occasions, Young went along
with Henry Coursey to interpret at Albany in 1682. During the treaty
Coursey urged the Iroquois to declare whether "some Christian bath
stirred you up to make war upon the Piscatavay Indians." Albany's
interpreters relayed the Oneidas' answer that Young had been the man.133
Coursey recalled Young's previous opposition to the diplomatic
"extermination" of the Susquehannock's. On returning to Maryland,
Coursey accused Young to Lord Baltimore. Suddenly Young found himself in
most extremely vile durance while Baltimore called a special session of
the Assembly to try him for high treason.134
Susquehannock memories of a friend were as long as Iroquois memories of
an enemy. The Susquehannock's living among the Lenape gave a message to
a Delaware Swede for transmittal to Maryland. They told him
that whatever could be Alledged against Jacob Young touching any thing
concerning the Indian Affairs was all false, that the said Young had
always kept off them, the Susquehannock's, from doing more Mischief than
they did, or else they would have killed many hundreds more in Maryland
than they did, but that they were Stopped through his Means. And the
Indians further [said] . . . that in case the Life of the said Jacob
Young be taken away, that they would have 500 lives more for him out of
Maryland.
This message was delivered promptly. A suddenly sobered Upper House of
Assembly resolved that Young was too dangerous a man either to execute
or set free.135 After a year more in prison, he was tried and found
guilty on a watered-down charge, and finally freed on technicalities. He
quickly headed for his friends and family on the Delaware.136
|
|
|
|
|
Notes: |
|
131 |
Young
appears as one of the most considerable taxpayers in the
jurisdiction of New Castle Court as of 9 Nov., 1677. Out of a
total of 307 tithables, Young was listed by the court for five:
himself, three slaves, and a servant. Records of the Court at
New Castle, 1676—1681, Liber A, pp. 195, 197, 199 (MS.
photostats) HSP. No proceedings against him for failure to pay
taxes appear in any of the court records. In 1683 he paid taxes
of 18 shillings, 10 pence on 1,000 acres of land and three
tithable persons. Ibid., p.350 (Book C, p. 145). |
|
|
|
|
132 |
Minutes, 3 Nov., 1680, ibid.,
Liber B, p. 271. |
|
|
|
|
133 |
Treaty
minutes, 4 Aug., 1682, N. Y. Go!. Docs. 3: pp. 326—328. |
|
|
|
|
134 |
Minutes, 30 Aug. and 10 Sept.,
1682, Md. Arch. (Council) 17: pp. 113, 115; Baltimore's speech
to the Assembly, 26 Oct., 1682, Md. Arch. (Upper House) 7: pp.
333—335. |
|
|
|
|
135 |
George Oldfield to the General
Assembly, 2 Nov., 1682, Md. Arch. (Upper House) 7: p. 398;
minutes, 17 Nov., 1682, ibid. 7: p. 399 |
|
|
|
|
136 |
Trial
minutes, 17 Oct., 1683, Md. Arch. (Upper House) 7: pp. 472—473.
A wrangle over the case developed between the two houses of the
Assembly. It is scattered over pp. 475—485. Young was discharged,
31 Oct., 1683, ibid., p. 500. Another wrangle over his fees
during trial and imprisonment prevented his actual release until
6 Nov., 1683, when the Lower House agreed to pay costs amounting
to 13,640 pounds of tobacco. Ibid., pp. 518—519. |
|
|
|
|
