Person:Gysbert Osterhout (1)

"The name of my grandfather was Gilbert Osterhout or, as pronounced in Dutch, Giesbert Oosterhoudt. I can give but a few incidents in his life, which I heard from his only son, my deceased father, and from other aged persons long since dead, as he died about the time of my birth, which was in 1790, then not far from seventy years of age. His death was caused by his having been violently pushed from a wagon by a man in East Camp, to whom he had willed his property of the value of some two thousand dollars, on condition that he should support him during his life. He was a large man, with a powerful frame, and resolute and determined in all his actions. The negroes and domestic Indians received no mercy at his hands when they had given him provocation. There were at that time a considerable number of Indians in the vicinity of Catskill, planting corn and beans on the Catskill flats, for several miles on both sides of the creek. Many of them were quite friendly with the whites, mostly Dutch, while others were the reverse, given to strong drink, quarrelsome and revengeful. My grand-parents lived at the bend of the road, between Mr. Plank's and the late residence of Reuben Palmer, now occupied by Dr. Keys."

"I have heard it said that my grandfather had many encounters with the Indians, and that they regarded him with fear. While in Canada, the troops of which he was one were surprised by a large party of Frenchmen and savages and defeated ; some were killed and wounded, while the rest scattered and fled in different directions. It was winter; the snow was deep; and many of the Indians had snow-shoes, which gave them greatly the advantage over those whom they pursued, by keeping them from sinking in the snow. My grandfather, like those with him, ran for his life; and, while doing so, suddenly came near two powerful Indians, who saw his approach, stepped a few feet apart, and stood still. He saw that he could not escape, and having made a motion of surrender by reversing his musket , he came between them as though to give himself up to them, when, with a sudden and powerful backward blow with his elbows, he knocked them both down ; and as their snow-shoes raised their feet when they were down considerably above the snow, hence they could not easily get up, so that having beat out the brains of both of them with his musket, he made good his retreat.

"He served as a soldier through the whole both of the French and the Revolutionary wars.

"To show the character of the man, I will relate an incident which I had from my father and others. During the French War, part of the English and Provincial Army was for a time quartered at Albany, waiting for the building of boats, or batteaux, as they were called, with which to transport troops and their baggage over rivers and lakes in their invasion of Canada. These troops were under the command of General Broadstreet, a British officer. My grandfather, who was a carpenter by trade, was captain of the batteaux superintending their construction. Broadstreet, whose quarters were on the hill where the Capitol now is, was in the habit of daily walking down to where the boats were being built, to see what progress was made. One day he asked my grandfather an absurd and impertinent question, who answered him rather tartly, giving offense to the General, who raised his cane and struck him on the head, in return for which my grandfather knocked him down with his fist. The General rose from the ground and went off in great wrath, cursing and swearing that he should be punished for the assault. No sooner had he gone than my grandfather was urged to make himself scarce, to take to his heels, and thus avoid being arrested, and consequently hung or shot, as, by British martial law, for a subordinate to assault his superior was punishable with death. He refused to leave, however, saying that Broadstreet had struck him without cause, and that in such cases he always struck back again, regardless of consequences. Soon a sergeant with a guard arrested him and marched him to the General's quarters, who told him to come in and take a seat. On a table were some bottles of liquor. The General poured out two glasses, took one himself, and told my grandfather to drink the other, which was done. He then told him lie was a good fellow, and to go about his business. This unexpected result so affected him that he burst into tears, and swore that he would shed the last drop of his blood to defend the General in battle or elsewhere. The effect on the troops was electrical when they heard what had taken place, and a loud shout was given for General Broadstreet."

• from a letter by his grandson, Peter Osterhout, then a retired merchant in Schoharie, NY, printed in 1867 in 'Catskill Mountains and the Region Around' by Charles Rockwell.

External References

Catskill Archive, The Osterhout Narrative [1]

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Walter D. Thomas. Osterhout Family
   # 101.